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Sunrise Over Cooper Lake

Cool Off, Relax, Recreate, and Recharge at Cooper Lake State Park!

Cooper, TX— Cool off, Relax, Recreate, and Recharge at Cooper Lake State Park during the hottest month of the year! The lake is full, the swimming areas are waiting, the sand volleyball courts are prepared, playgrounds are ready, and our trails are open, too.
Across both park units this August, a total of 22 programs focused on family fun and learning about our natural world will be presented.

Our highlighted program topics for August are Night Hikes at the South Sulphur Unit, Astronomy – Stars and Meteors, Archery Classes, Dutch Oven Cooking, and Kayaking. Hike through the woods after dark and see what the nocturnal environment reveals to you with the help of a Park Ranger guiding your adventure. Experience the darkest skies so close to Dallas! Learn the original one-pot cowboy cooking style that is so easy and tasty! Just watch and learn with the help of experienced Dutch oven cooks or try the technique for yourself. Develop and improve your kayaking skills while touring nearshore parts of the lake on your adventure. Learn how to enjoy the sport of archery through two scheduled classes safely. Also, during the month, learn about a wide variety of fungi, plants, and animals familiar to Northeast Texas through multiple programs and so much more! All off the programs are free with a valid entrance permit.

Bring each fun and learning-packed Saturday to a fitting conclusion with your family and friends by relaxing at a picnic table watching your food cook on one of our many day-use picnic grills. If you are camping, relaxing around a campfire in the evening is unbeatable! The flickering light of a campfire will lift your spirits and reconnect you to feelings shared by past generations. There is no better place to share a story or eat a meal!

Fish from the bank, off our pier, fishing wall, or rent a kayak and try your luck along the shoreline. Fish attractors have been placed around the Doctor’s Creek floating fishing pier and the fishing wall at South Sulphur to help increase fishing success. Crappie, bluegill, bass, and catfish are commonly caught at both park units. Fishing licenses are not required if you are fishing from the bank or fishing pier at Cooper Lake State Park. Other popular activities are hiking our trails or just resting under a giant Post Oaktree or camping at one of our tree-canopied campsites. Park entrance fees are $5 for adults; kids 12 and under always free. Senior Texans 65 or older will only pay $3 to enter the park daily with a Bluebonnet Pass. Unlimited park entrances for you and everyone in your vehicle can be accomplished with the purchase of a Texas State Park Annual Pass for $70, which is suitable for over 12 months. Buy your pass and let your Texas adventure begin!

For more information on this or other events and programs, please visit and like our Facebook pages (Cooper Lake State Park – South Sulphur (903)-945-5256 and Cooper Lake State Park – Doctor’s Creek (903) 395-3100).

Doctor’s Creek Unit (Northside of Cooper Lake – Delta County)

Aug 3– 2:00 pm – The Scoop on Poop (Do you know whose scat? Can you recreate that? Get the scoop!)
Aug 4– 9:00 pm – Starry Eyed & Star-crossed (Join a ranger for stellar stories of the night sky.)
Aug 10– 7:30 pm – Sunset Hike (Join a Ranger on a beautiful hike at sunset and let the good vibes flow.)
Aug 13– 10:00 pm – Meteor Shower (Observe the glorious display of the night sky and learn about the Perseids.)
Aug 17– 9:00 am – Kayaking 101 (Learn kayaking basics & safety and experience the lake in a whole new way.)
Aug 18– 9:00 am – Wildflower Watch (Learn about the flora of the area and join our wildflower watch!)
Aug 24– 2:00 pm – Telltale Signs (Go on a unique hike to learn the tale of Cedar Creek Trail)
Aug 25– 9:00 am – Dragons & Damsels (Discover the secret world of underwater creatures. Do some pond dipping with a ranger!)
Aug 31– 7:00 pm – Sunset Kayaking (Calling all kayakers! Enjoy the ambiance of sunsets at the lake.)

South Sulphur Unit (Southside of Cooper Lake – Hopkins County)

Every Friday in August at 8:30 pm it is Night Hike that is creepy, crawly, but it’s also so much more! Learn to appreciate authentic nightlife.
Aug 3– 9:00 am – Archery (Want to be the next Katniss? Start off right in your park with a ranger)
Aug 4– 6:00 pm – Geocaching 101 (What’s the cache? Learn to geocache with a Ranger!)
Aug 10– 11:00 am – Dutch Oven Cookin’ (Sample and learn the old style, outdoor cooking)
Aug 10– 12:30 pm – Turtle in a Half Shell (Slow your roll and learn about these mysterious animals.)
Aug 17– 2:00 pm – Brainiac or Bonehead (Are you a brainiac? How well do you know your fauna? Join in on some trivia!)
Aug 18– 2:00 pm – Formation Station (How are fossils created? Do you have what it takes? Take to the road of fossilization with a ranger!)
Aug 24– 9:00 am – Archery (Want to be the next Katniss? Start off right in your park with a Ranger)
Aug 25– 2:00 pm – I-Naturalist Hike (Go take a hike…with a ranger! Learn about the park and the wildlife in it while you become a citizen scientist!)
Aug 31– 4:00 pm – Afternoon Tea (Join a ranger for a sip of specialty tea and some relaxing art in the park.)