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Cooper, TX – We are expecting some dryer and warmer weather in the final month of Spring. Anglers can expect to catch more crappie as lake temperatures rise and will see more action from white bass and hybrid striped bass later into May. Wildflowers have begun to sprout and bloom. Looking into the Cooper Lake State Park grassy areas, you are bound to spot a wide range of colorful plants. Yellow wild indigo, pink ladies, red Texas paintbrushes, bluebonnets, and yellow great coneflowers are just a few examples anyone can find at Cooper Lake State Park.
May has holiday weekends; between Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day, the month will fly by, and it will be June before you know it. Get your reservations now to save your spot for camping and day use. Once y’all are in the Park, check out one of the events we will host! Now is also the perfect time to go for a hike! Temperatures will rise as we get closer to summer, but it’s not too hot yet to hike down our Coyote Run or Cedar Creek Loop trails. If it gets too hot for your Hike, you could also check out the swim beaches at either unit. There is a beach in the day-use areas at South Sulphur and Doctors Creek. Be sure to pack the sunscreen!
Both park units will be hosting several programs. Art in the Park will be water-themed and hosted at Pelican Point in the Doctors Creek Unit at 10:00 am and Gulls Bluff in the South Sulphur Unit at 2:00 pm on May 4. A guided hike will be held on May 11, starting at 10:00 am at Doctors Creek and 2:00 pm at South Sulphur. Learn about birding on May 18 at 9:00 am at South Sulphur and 1:00 pm at Doctors Creek. On May 24, a junior ranger program is at 4:00 pm at South Sulphur, and at 8:00 pm, a moonlit hike will be at the Doctors Creek Unit. Come fishing with the ranger on May 25. You can learn about the skins and skulls of wildlife found in the Park on May 26.
All programs are free with your entrance permit. For more information on this or other events and programs at Cooper Lake State Park, please visit our Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website and like our Facebook pages, Cooper Lake State Park – South Sulphur (903)945-5256 and Cooper Lake State Park – Doctors Creek (903)395-3100.
Doctors Creek
Saturday, May 4 – DC
Art in the Park – 10:00 am – Meet at Pelican Point Day Use Area –
Water is life – paint a water-themed work of art.
Saturday, May 11 — DC
Guided Hike—10:00 am—Meet at Pelican Point Parking Lot. Join a Ranger on a short leisurely hike on Cedar Creek South Loop, where you can get a first-hand look at the shoreline inhabitants, the pocket prairie, varied insects, and the Park’s flora.
Saturday, May 18 — DC
Birding 101 – 1:00 pm—Meet at the Bluebonnet parking lot. Learn birding basics for beginning birders. Learn some tips to build skills in finding and identifying birds. Afterward, we’ll walk around Bluebonnet Day Use, looking for birds. We provide Cooper Lake State Park’s Bird Checklist. Bring your binoculars, bird identification guide, water, and sunscreen.
Friday, May 24 – DC
Moonlight Walk—Meet at Pelican Point Parking Lot at 8:00 pm. Join us on a moonlit walk on Cedar Creek South Loop to get a first-hand look at the nightlife along the shore and the pocket prairie.
Saturday, May 25 – DC
Fishing with the Ranger: 2:00 – 4:00 pm—Meet at the Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Please bring your fishing gear, or we have a few fishing poles. No experience is needed.
Sunday, May 26 — DC
Skins and Skulls: 10:00 am. Who is the fastest or the furriest? Meet at Pelican Point Pavilion. Get an inside look at some of the Park’s mammals.
South Sulphur
Saturday, May 4 – SS
Art in the Park – 2:00 pm Meet at Gulls Bluff Pavilion –
Water is life – paint a water-themed work of art.
Saturday, May 11 — SS
Guided Hike—2:00 pm Meet at the Buggy Whip Equestrian Trail Head. Join a Ranger on a short leisurely hike on the Little Blue Stem trail, getting a first-hand look at the shoreline inhabitants and the Park’s flora.
Saturday, May 18 — SS
Birding 101 – 9:00 am – Meet at the Gulls Bluff Day Use Area. Birding basics for beginning birders – Learn some tips to build skills in finding and identifying birds. Afterward, we’ll walk around the Gulls Bluff Day Use, looking for birds. We provide Cooper Lake State Park Bird Checklist. Bring your binoculars, bird identification guide, water, and sunscreen.
Friday, May 24 – SS
Becoming a Junior Ranger—4:00 pm Meet at Headquarters. Do you have what it takes to become a junior ranger? Check your skills and complete the tasks.
Saturday, May 25 – SS
Fishing with the Ranger: 9:00 – 11:00 am – Meet at the Heron Harbor Fishing Wall in the Day Use Area. Please bring your fishing gear; we have a few fishing poles, so no experience is needed.
Sunday, May 26 — SS
Skins and Skulls –2:00 pm—Who is the fastest or the furriest? Meet at Headquarters and look inside some of the Park’s mammals.