The Angelina National Forest is located in eastern Texas, east of Lufkin. It is 153,174 acres. There are five developed campgrounds.

The Angelina National Forest, bisected by the Sam Rayburn Reservoir, appears to be devoted to water sports. True, the Sam Rayburn Reservoir is one of the largest man-made lakes in Texas. It is also true that trophy size Largemouth Bass are often taken from the Sam Rayburn. However, the Angelina National Forest also contains some interesting sights to explore.  Perhaps the best place to see Angelina is to hike from Boykin Springs Recreation Area to the Old Aldridge Sawmill Ruins along Boykin Creek. 

The Old Aldridge Sawmill was the center of a small thriving community until 1920. Logging was the economic base for the community and when the trees were gone, the sawmill closed and the community dissolved. The "clear cut" technique used by the logging industry of that time produced land prone to erosion and poor for farming. By the mid-1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was replanting most of the area with pine trees.
(Click image to see map)

With the completion of the reforestation plans, the CCC could turn its attention to other projects like recreation areas. Boykin Springs Recreation Area was constructed by the CCC in 1937. Although the Forest Service has upgraded the area somewhat, Boykin Springs has lost none of its rustic charm and natural beauty. 

Following the trail from Boykin Springs Recreation Area to the Old Aldridge Sawmill will take you through an excellent example of a dry, upland Longleaf Pine woods. When the weather is wet, look for south-facing hillside bogs.

The 161,654 acre Sam Houston National Forest is located in eastern Texas. There are three developed campgrounds.

It is a one-hour drive north of Houston, Texas and has a wide range of recreational opportunities  ranging  from camping, bird-watching,  berry-picking, hiking to fishing, to Off-Road-Vehicle (ORV) driving.

The 22,000-acre Lake Conroe is the prime source of water activities. The Forest Service maintains several boat ramps around the Lake and Stubblefield Lake campground at the north end of the Lake which  is too shallow for most power boats. So Stubblefield tends to attract campers who enjoy bank-fishing, canoeing, and hiking.

The Lone Star Hiking Trail can be accessed from either campground and several other trail heads throughout the Forest. This 120-mile long trail meanders through the Forest offering the hiker opportunities to observe a variety of wildlife, along with the changing topography and vegetation of the Forest. The Trail leads the hiker through such pristine areas as the Little Lake Creek Wilderness (located 8 miles west of Stubblefield Recreation Area) and the Big Creek Scenic Area (located 7 miles south of 
Coldspring, Texas).

Ranch land, farms, small towns and forest land form the different patches sown together to form the forest. Running like a golden thread through the northern corner of the Forest is the Four C Hiking Trail. With the Neches Overlook at one end and Ratcliff Recreation Area at the other, Walnut Creek Campground (not included in our Guide - less than 10 sites) is strategically located as an overnight stop. This 20 mile trail leads the hiker through pines, bottomland hardwoods, boggy sloughs, and upland forests. It also passes through the Big Slough Wilderness Area and a variety of wildlife. 

The Sabine National Forest is located on the eastern side of Texas. It is comprised of 157,951 acres. There are six developed campgrounds.

Beneath the adjacent Toledo Bend Reservoir which separates Texas and Louisianaare sites of ancient Native American villages and religious mounds. The presence of earlier Europeans is more apparent. During the 1800's, when Spain and the United States contested the area's boundaries, this area was a no-man's land, settled by only the most hardy.   (Click image to see map)

With the establishment of Texas as a state, the area saw settled, agricultural communities spring up. However, the "cut and get out" logging practices of the period and heavy farming of cotton and corn, depleted the land of it's strength. By the 1930's, the land was completely exhausted. Now that it has been acquired by the National Forest Service, a concentrated reforestation program has now re-established the land's productiveness. Gone  are the open wounds of erosion. Back is the wildlife and a rich diversity of vegetation.

The recreational opportunities found in the Sabine National Forest vary from immigrant bird watching, canoeing, fishing and wildlife watching to hiking and camping. The rich diversity of recreational opportunities found in the Sabine National Forest are related to Forest Service efforts of land recovery.