Passport to Texas

Paddling Trail, Image courtesy www.dallasnews.com

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Texas is home to more than 50 inland and coastal paddling trails – some of which are in state parks.

10— We took one at Caddo lake last summer. It is a swamp-like creature. It is neat, though. And then, I’ve been down to some at the coast; those are nice down there, too.

Terry Rodgers is park superintendent at Inks Lake State Park in the Hill Country; arguably one of the most popular parks in the system. He says its 831 acre lake is not yet part of the TPW paddling trails system, but – he adds — that doesn’t leave would-be paddlers high and dry.

13— We stay busy at Inks trying to educate people. We have a canoe clinic, where actually we teach people how to paddle and then we take them out on a little interpretive tour of Devil Waterhole and some of the different areas there.

The paddling trails team is identifying potential trails on Inks Lake. Meantime, there are opportunities for paddlers of all skill levels to get on the water at this scenic park – day or night.

17— We have a program that is just really neat. We call it the moonlight paddle; we take people out at night. Those are for the more experienced canoers and kayakers. You have to be 18 years [old] and we prefer [you] to be experienced. And so, it is a blast; it’s very educational, too.

Registration is required for these paddling programs.

Support provided by Ram Trucks. Doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Fireworks Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center;Image from KYTX-TV, Tyler

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[SFX fireworks]

You can go ahead and pack in just about anything you’ll need to enjoy your Fourth of July celebration at a state park—except fireworks.

06—It is illegal in Texas state parks…it is a Class C misdemeanor to possess fireworks in a state park.

Wes Masur is state park law enforcement coordinator at Texas Parks and Wildlife. Even the relatively benign sparklers, black cats, and bottle rockets are prohibited in state parks not only during the fourth of July…but also during the other 364 days of the year—and for good reason.

09—Within the state park system we have different types of wildlife and different types of grasses and we don’t want to get any type of forest fire started…people are there to enjoy the state parks.

And if it’s even half as dry this year as last year, the last thing anyone wants to do is cause a fire. While a few state parks do offer organized fireworks displays, such holiday pyrotechnics aren’t for everyone.

05—Some people don’t like fireworks…the noises that go along with that stuff—we just don’t allow it in the state parks.

For more information on which state parks offer public fireworks displays, log onto the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Support provided by Ram Trucks. Doing what’s right and good regardless of the degree of difficulty — takes guts. Those are the people who build Ram trucks. RAM.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Bryan Frazier hikes off into the sunset.

State Parks: Bryan Frazier Says "Good-Bye" Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We say good-bye today to our State Park Guide, Bryan Frazier, who accepted a new job as Travel Director with the Texas Department of Transportation. If ever you thought Bryan’s love of parks was for the radio only, you didn’t know Bryan.

56 –Being outdoors has always been, since childhood, a meaningful experience. No building or structure can rival what nature has. And, the things that we have in nature are not only unique, they’re irreplaceable. And the time spent outdoors is time well spent. I love hiking, wildlife watching, and I especially love fishing. So, it’s all of those things, and then I have a reference point that it was done with my family when I was a child. So, the time is not only something I enjoy doing, but it’s nostalgic, too, I think of times with my dad and my brother when I was a small child, and how much fun it was, and the lessons learned, and the conversations had — all while outdoors. So, you take that whole package; it does something to the human soul…being outdoors… like nothing else can.

Thanks, for everything, Bryan. And good luck!

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

State Park Volunteer patch

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Maximize your time outdoors when you volunteer at a Texas State Park.

03—We basically have three different categories of volunteers.

These categories include locals who sign up for special projects, friends groups that fundraise for specific sites and—says Lori Reiley—the third category is park hosts.

13—And that is a program designed for—traditionally—retirees who travel around the state and in exchange for a campsite, they do twenty-five hours of labor in the park every week.

Reiley coordinates the state park volunteer program, and says people accepted as hosts, are required to make a time commitment.

12—The time frame is a minimum thirty-day commitment. And, the maximum is typically three months, but it can be extended depending on the park needs. The superintendent has the authority to extend that.

Most Texas State Parks offer host programs with plenty of work to help fill the twenty-five hour labor obligation.

17—We have everything from general grounds maintenance, or it could be cleaning the restrooms. What we really like is when we find people with special skills: carpentry, or graphic artists, or educators doing interpretive tours or education programs. So, it’s a variety.

Find more information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

National Trails Day in Texas State Parks © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

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Clear your schedule on Saturday, June 1, because it’s National Trails Day, and our state park guide, Bryan Frazier, says guided hikes await you at your state parks.

51 – We’ll have dozens of parks that are offering a hike on national Trails Day – it’s a Saturday. And you can get a hike that’s led by a park ranger, or a trained volunteer, or a Master Naturalist. And you can find out the story that that park has to tell. The history, the wildlife, the wildflowers and other plants and all the things that make that park unique and interesting. You’ll get the whole story. And you can take a leisurely hike: there will be hikes on boardwalks, hikes into the mountains, hikes on Hill Country trails and near rives; there will be all kinds of places to go in Texas on National Trails Day. So, check our website: texasstateparks.org; there’s a Trails Day link right there. You can find out all about it. So we want to encourage people….we always want to encourage people…to get outside and see that. And this is an even better reason.

Thanks, Bryan.

Find outdoor adventures at texasstateparks.org.

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.