Lake Livingston State Park

There are some many things to love about this park. The scenery is gorgeous. The grounds are well maintained. We love the overlook and docks. One place in particular is the care taken when they created the store. Not only do they have the camping necessities, but they have cute merchandise and a really interesting nature exhibit. Everyone is super friendly!

Only average experience because this was during the pandemic and was only open to those with reservations. The drive to the check in area was very wooded so I'm sure the park is lovely. We saw part of the lake elsewhere and it looked inviting. Might go back later and try again.

Some Texas state parks look run down and out of date. But Lake Livingston State Park is beautifully kept. The park store is well stocked. The grounds are clean. There is plenty of parking. The roads are smooth. This is the first Texas state park I've decided would be worth another trip.

Spent 4 days at Lake Livingston SP. It started out rough when the site we had (109) was impossible to back into (38’ 5th wheel, Ford F-350). Talked to the ranger and got the site right next to it and backed in easily. The problem is all the ditches at nearly every site. The ranger even said people had to be pulled out with tow trucks often. After that, everything was great. Huge park, great trails, very clean bathrooms and beautiful lake views.

Wanted to take the dogs camping without the long drive. Camped here before and love it. They have new blacktop and new concrete driveways in Hercules Loop, its really nice. Everything was fantastic except the mosquitos! They're pretty bad this year! Bring plenty of repellent!

We recently visited Lake Livingston and we loved it! We haven't been to many Texas St Parks yet and we are pretty new to camping in Texas but we're getting the hang of it.

Lake Livingston has a lot to offer. The campsites in the premium loops (Red Oak and Piney Shores) are near or right on the lake and are pretty. These are the only sites available to reserve specific spots online and are usually booked out 2 months in advance especially in the summer. We ended up on the other end of the park since it was a last minute trip, we just drove up there on a Friday and hoped for the best. The only sites left available were in the Pin Oak Loop which is not close to lakeside at all but still nice. The sites were pretty close together but heavily wooded. The bathrooms in Pin Oak were "meh" but they did come in every morning and scrub them clean for which we were grateful since we don't have a shower or toilet in our pup. Not sure what they are like in the other camping loops.

The sunsets are lovely on the lake and there is a huge 3 story observation tower right at the boat ramp to take great pics from.

There is a park store at the boat ramp, however it is closed right now for renovationsI imagine that when the store is up and running it really adds to the appeal of this park. However, if you need something, the town of Livingston is only 15 miles up the road. There is even a pretty decent Mexican food restaurant in town in case you don't feel like cooking one night (like us!) [;)]

In the park, between the premium loops and the Pin Oak Loop, is a large facility for group gatherings and a swimming pool with shaded picnic tables and lifeguards on duty. The hours of operation of the pool are Thur-Sun 11am-5:30pm and they do charge $3 for adults and $2 for children). Fear not if you're there during the week when the pool isn't open or don't want to swim in a pool, as just down the hill is the lake swimming hole. Keep in mind that it is deep and there is no beach. There is a pleasant grassy area near the edge of the lake with shade trees and a ladder for getting in and out of the lake (built up concrete walls line most of this lake). Floatation devices are strongly encouraged, especially for little ones.

The trails in the park are nice but not real "back country"you end up hiking or biking right next to the road or the campsites along much of the trail system but they are still pleasant for a nature walk or biking around the park to get from one place to another which is what we try and do to get exercise. You are close to Sam Houston Nation Forest with it's hiking and biking trails if you want to go exploring further out and around the Lake Livingston area.

Another fun attraction is the horseback riding. There is a horse outfitter and stables on the Pin Oak loop side of the park and they offer trail rides ($30 per person and $38 if you want to do a ride with meal)

The boat ramp and docks offer plenty of fishing space and also a cleaning station in the event you get lucky and catch one! The Park office rents fishing poles in case you forgot to bring your own (as if!). The only thing they don't have available is canoe rentals. Not sure if they will after store renovations are complete.

With all the being said, we are heading there again in a few weeks as we actually got lucky and caught a premium spot, right on the lake, open up for reservation. Can't wait! [CP]

I have gone to Lake Livingston State Park at least every other month for my entire life. I have visited many parks in Texas, and still none can quite match the beauty and fun of Lake Livingston. The board walk is a must visit, it's an easy walk for children and there are still a few interpretive boards along the path. The nature trail through the woods is also great fun, even when hurrcanes and drought have knocked down trees on the path. If you follow the old trail all the way to the end you can look over a cliff and get a break taking view of the Lake and the camping area of the park. If you drive around the park at night you can see deer, beavers and opposums galore! KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE COUGAR! We saw a large cougar roaming the board walk area on our last visit. Quite an exciting treat indeed! I've been there hundreds of times but that one night will forever be remembered. You can take guided horse rides and swim in both the lake and a swimming pool. But you have to pay to swim in that pool and HEY! The lake is more fun. Don't foreget to check out the awesome viewing tower by the park store and fish off of the piers at night. The screened shelters are also some of the best I've come acorss, with a second half story to sleep in. The premium sites right on the lake are by far the nicest adn provide the most pieceful view of the lake at sunrise and sunset, but the sites off from the lake provide peace and quiet. I could go on forever, butyou should really see it for yourself. GET OUT THERE!!!

If you stay at Livingston and like swimming in the lake, you must go there! Entrence fee is $5 per person.

We decided to return to camping and even on the busiest holiday of the year (Memorial Day weekend) we enjoyed the visit. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They parole the park often and are at your service. They care about your opinion. Third largest lake in Texas and they have a large fishing dock with a nice cleaning station. Other campers said some fish were caught there but lots of fish were caught on the lake, especially white bass. There are convenient play areas for children while you fish or just enjoy nature. The sites are nice and not too close together even in the more crowded sections. The restrooms and showers were nice and a great convenience. They have horse and hay rides that looked like fun. Even the campers were nice, most were considerate and their children enjoyed the freedom in a safe environment, as well as their parents I'm sure.

Just returned from a two night stay at Lake Livingston State Park. Let me first say that there are many great things about Lake Livingston State Park. The lake itself is breathtaking! I had to keep reminding myself that I was at a lake and not at the ocean. The birding watching was wonderful. Our screened shelter overlooked the lake, and the nights were cool and beautiful. The fishing was also great! That being said, I was very disappointed with the condition of the park. 1. The shelter that we stayed in needed repair, the door would not stay shut. 2. The bathroom floor at the park stayed wet the entire time that we were there,(leaking or what?). 3. There were very few places swim (and/ or) no swimming. I've never been to a lake where you could not swim. There was a pool at the park, but it did not open for another week. 4. We thought about going horseback riding instead, but when we went by the stables there was no one there and it looked as though it was in need of a lot or repairs(scary). 5. The trails, the interactive trail was very short and only TWO interactive signs. But the worst thing about the trails, were the downed trees. There were downed trees everywhere and across the trails. It looked as if a storm had come through years before and knocked trees all over the trail, and they were just left there! It was really unsightly, and looked very unkempt. I know there is a high number of visitors to the park, but I was somewhat embarrassed. Lake Livingston State Park truly has the potential to be one of the jewels of East Texas. Come on Texas we CAN do better than this.