Cool Summer At Cooper Lake State Park!

Cooper, TX— They made Cooper Lake State Park for summer fun! The Park has two white sandy beaches waiting for you! Plant your umbrella, spread out a towel, and get ready to experience summer’s goodness. Water sports abound at the Park. Whether you love fishing from the bank or boat, jet skiing, swimming, or kayaking, the lake is full, setting us up for water sports fun throughout the summer. Also, don’t forget about our almost 200 camping facilities, including cool cabins perched on the banks of Jim Chapman Lake.

In July, we present 26 educational and recreational programs about animals, plants, and outdoor activities found in Northeast Texas. Our exciting programs range from restorative nature hikes through the forest to stargazing astronomy under some of the darkest skies in this part of Texas. Other featured programming includes “Fishing with a Ranger” and “Art in the Park.”

Why not bring your fun and learning-packed Saturday adventure to an amazing conclusion by relaxing at a picnic table and watching your food cook on one of our many day-use picnic grills? If you are lucky enough to be camping, relaxing around a campfire is the best! The flickering light of a campfire energizes your spirit and reconnects you to innate feelings shared by our past generations. There is no better place to share a story or eat a meal with family and friends!

Enjoy “Free Fishing” at Cooper Lake State Park or our other Texas State Park! Fish from the bank, off our piers, fishing wall, or try your luck along the shoreline. Note – Boaters and kayakers must have a valid Texas fishing license while fishing Jim Chapman Lake. Fish attractors have been placed around the Doctors Creek floating fishing pier and the fishing wall at South Sulphur to help increase fishing success. We utilize fish attractors to draw more catchable fish within reach for our park visitors – and it’s working! White bass, crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, and catfish visitors commonly caught at both park units during July.

Park entrance fees are $5 for adults, with kids 12 and under always free. Senior Texans 65 or older will only pay $3 to enter the Park daily with a Bluebonnet Pass, plus their traveling companion is $3 as well (independent of age). You get unlimited free entrances for everyone in your vehicle when you purchase a Texas State Park Annual Pass for $70, which is good for over 12 months and at all 89 Texas State Parks. Buy your pass and let your Texas adventuring begin!

Update – The destroyed fishing pier at Sunset Cove – South Sulphur Unit has been approved and funded for replacement. We hope to see a newly upgraded dock sometime in mid to late 2024. We are excited!

Alert – Like many of you, the storms hit us hard on Jun 15. We are currently removing downed trees from our South Sulphur trails, and we hope to have this vast amazing trail system open later in the month. All courses at Doctors Creek are currently available. Please see our website for real-time updates on the trails.

For more information on this or other events and programs at Cooper Lake State Park, please visit our Texas Parks and Wildlife website 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).

Doctors Creek
Saturday, July 1 – DC
Wildlife Detectives – 9:00 am – Meet at the Bluebonnet Parking lot. We’ll take a short walk around the Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Explore how to determine the types of animals that may have been here from the signs they leave behind.

Sunday, July 2 – DC
Becoming a Junior Ranger – 10:00 am. Meet at Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Do you have what it takes to become a Jr. Ranger? Check your skills and complete the tasks.

Saturday, July 8 – DC
Fishing with the Ranger: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Meet at the Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Please bring your fishing gear, or you can borrow a few of our fishing poles—no experience is needed.

Sunday, July 9 — DC
Art in the Park – 2:00 pm Meet at the Pelican Point Pavilion. Every artist was first an amateur – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Bring your creative ideas – join us in a session of watercolor painting.

Friday, July 14 – DC
Animal Mouths – 10:00 am. Meet at Pelican Point Pavilion. Discover why different animals have different mouths and how they use them. Make your animal mouth and all materials provided for the activity.

Saturday, July 15 – DC
Light Painting – 8:30 pm. Meet at Pelican Point Parking Lot. Using your phone camera, we’ll use light to paint onto a subject or into a scene during a long exposure. Wear your darkly colored clothes and bring your creativity to create a light painting.

Sunday, July 16 — DC
Outdoor Photography 101 – 10:30 am. Meet at Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Ever wondered how to capture that amazing image? Find out a few tips and tricks for your next photography outing.

Thursday, July 20 — DC
Decorate a Star Chart – 2:30 pm Meet at the Pelican Point Pavilion. Make and decorate your very own map of the night sky! Ever wonder what stars and constellations are in our night sky? Join a ranger to make your own star chart or wheel and equip yourself to discover the wonder of the stars.

Night Sky – 8:30 pm Meet at the Pelican Point Swim Beach. How many constellations can you name? We’ll have the telescopes out.

Friday, July 21 – DC
Pollinator Water Station – 2:30 pm Meet at the Pelican Point Pavilion. Create a water source for pollinators and learn about beneficial insects like pollinators. All materials supplied.

Saturday, July 22 – DC
Guided Nature Hike – 1:00 pm Meet at Pelican Point Parking Lot. Join a Ranger on a short leisurely hike on Cedar Creek South Loop, getting a first-hand look at the shoreline inhabitants, the pocket prairie, varied insects, and the flora of the Park.

Sunday, July 23 – DC
Becoming a Junior Ranger – 10:00 am. Meet at Headquarters. Do you have what it takes to become a Jr. Ranger? Check your skills and complete the tasks.

Friday, July 28 – DC
Nature Journaling – 11:00 am. Meet at the Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Let’s sit a spell and record the nature around us.

Sunday, July 30 — DC
Birding 101 – 10:30 am. Meet at the Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Birding basics for beginning birders – Learn some tips to build skills in finding and identifying birds. Afterward, we’ll look for birds at the Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Cooper Lake State Park Bird checklist provided.

South Sulphur

Saturday, July 1 – SS
Wildlife Detectives – 9:00 am. Meet at Sunset Cove Day Use Area. We’ll take a short walk around Sunset Cove. Explore how to determine the types of animals that may have been here from the signs they leave behind.

Becoming a Junior Ranger – 11:00 am. Meet at Sunset Cove Day Use Area. Do you have what it takes to become a Jr. Ranger? Check your skills and complete the tasks.

Saturday, July 8 – SS
Fishing with the Ranger: 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Meet at the Heron Harbor Fishing Wall in the Day Use Area. Please bring your fishing gear, or borrow a few fishing poles from us – no experience is needed.

Sunday, July 9 — SS
Art in the Park – 10:00 am. Meet at the Gulls Bluff Pavilion. Every artist was first an amateur – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Bring your creative ideas – we provide all art supplies!

Friday, July 14 – SS
Animal Mouths – 2:00 pm Meet at Gulls Bluff Pavilion. Discover why different animals have different mouths and how they use them. Make your animal mouth, and we provide all materials for the activity.

Saturday, July 15 — SS
Pollinator Water Station – 2:30 pm Meet at the Heron Harbor Day Use Area. Create a water source for pollinators and learn about beneficial insects like pollinators. All materials supplied.

Friday, July 21 – SS
The Ten Essentials – 10:00 am. Meet at Headquarters. Ever wondered what to take on a hike? Also, learn about the Leave No Trace principles.

Saturday, July 22 — SS
Guided Hike – 10 am. 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, varied insects, and the flora of the Park.

Sunday, July 23 – SS
Becoming a Junior Ranger – 10:00 am. Meet at Headquarters. Do you have what it takes to become a Jr. Ranger? Check your skills and complete the tasks.

Friday, July 28— SS
Beginning Bird Watching – 8:30 am. Meet at Heron Harbor Day Use Area. Birding basics for beginning birders – Learn some tips to build skills in finding and identifying birds. Afterward, we’ll walk around Day Use Area looking for birds. Cooper Lake State Park Bird checklist provided. Bring your binoculars, water, and sunscreen.

Saturday, July 29 — SS
Decorate a Star Chart – 2:30 pm Meet at the Gulls Bluff Pavilion. Make and decorate your very own map of the night sky! Ever wonder what stars and constellations are in our night sky? Join a ranger to make your own star chart or wheel and equip yourself to discover the wonder of the stars.

Guided Hike Night Hike – 8:30 pm Meet at the Buggy Whip Equestrian Trail Head. Join a Ranger on a guided night hike on the Little Blue Stem trail getting a first-hand look at the night shift of the Park.