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Recreational Areas and Facilities

Panola County Parks, Boating & Sport Fishing Facilities

Panola College offers opportunities to participate in volleyball, basketball, golf, badminton, karate, and racquetball.  Racquetball and basketball in particular attract people aged 50+ every day. Also available are both credit and non-credit fitness walking classes.  The college is a safe, attractive place where people walk outdoors year round, many on their own without actually enrolling in a class, although treadmills are available indoors.

Lake Murvaul has an excellent and highly utilized largemouth bass fishery.  The reservoir received national recognition in the 1960s for its trophy bass production and continues to produce bass over 8 Ibs.  Families enjoy boating, fishing, and water sports at the 3,820 acre lake.  The lake features designated swimming areas, trails, a children's park, a pavilion, campsites and cabins.  The Murval Resort and Marina features free launching ramps, waterfront gas, covered boat stalls, cottages and R V hookups.

Deadwood Land & Cattle Co. is quietly nestled among enormous red cedar trees, majestic pines and rolling meadows this historic 2,000-plus acre wildlife management ranch is your escape from the stresses of daily life.  The ranch is the ideal intimate setting whether you are scheduling a company outing, entertaining clients, planning the perfect wedding, need a place to hold a reunion or just get away with the family.

Martin Creek Lake State Park features lakeside and woodland camping sites, picnic areas, island camping, boating, swimming, water skiing, backpacking, hiking cabins, screened enclosure, campsite, RV hookups, restrooms and showers.  Because the lake water cools a power plant, the water stays warm, making this an excellent channel cat and bass fishery.  The park also has a lighted fishing pier and boat ramps.

The Sabine River and its wooded bottomlands offer a multitude of recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy fishing, boating, canoeing, hunting, and camping.  Boat ramps allow public access to the river.  In addition, private hunting clubs and family camping sites are popular weekend activities.

Daniel Springs Baptist Encampment provides a Christian camping experience for family campers.  Featuring a spring-fed lake and a variety of recreational facilities, the 53 ~ acre camp is owned and operated by the Baptist Missionary Association.

Camp Pirtle Boy Scout Reservation covers more than 600 thickly wooded acres and is nestled in the tall pines surrounding Lake Murvaul.  Camp Pirtle has 4.5 miles of shoreline and provides some of the finest nature on earth.  It has one of the best C.O.P .E. courses in the nation, and offers eight campsites and RV hookups for Scout families.

In the Woods hunters enjoy the diversity of Panola County's lowlands, pastures, forests and hills where whitetail deer, squirrels, feral hogs, wild turkeys, ducks and other game birds abound.

Panola County is centrally located within the Piney Woods Region as deemed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife.  There are thirty-one freshwater lakes and fifteen state parks within that region.

Hawkeye Hunting Club, privately owned, offers quail hunting at a world class hunting lodge.  Great food and service have made Hawkeye one of the best lodges in the world. They also offer lake fishing, horseback riding, tennis, par 3 golf, sporting clays, and pistol shooting.

Tyler State Park Camping, swimming, boating, hiking and biking are ways to enjoy this quiet retreat that surrounds a clear spring-fed lake located in the relaxing beauty of East Texas.  Timeless craftsmanship in the stonework and wooden buildings can really be appreciated here.  Hike and Bike on approximately 14 miles of popular trails or rent a boat for a leisurely tour of the lake.  The clear water of the 64-acre lake is excellent for year-round fishing, swimming and scuba diving.

Lake Livingston State Park is located on the shores of an 84,800-surface-acre lake making this park an angler's delight.  The Trinity River white bass run in January attracts thousands.  Catfish are plentiful, and in 1976, a 114-pound flathead set a state record.  The Lake Livingston Stables offers a terrestrial alternative to water-based activities: horseback trail riding in the pines by the hour.  Or guests can take a packaged trip that includes meals.  The park has a wide range of campsites, including unique shelters, some of which are ADA compliant.  An air-conditioned activity center for up to 100 is welcome in the summer heat, as is a cool plunge into the park's crystal-clear pool.

Caddo Lake with 26,000 surface acres is one of two natural lakes in the country with cypress swamps; bayous; alligators; Spanish moss and the natural beauty of mysterious inlets and beautiful bird life; it is a wildlife sanctuary as well as a favorite spot for filmmakers and vacationers.  Tours are available as well as fishing guides; great restaurants; bed and breakfast accommodations and a real steam paddleboat.

Lake 0' the Pines is one of the most beautiful lakes in Northeast Texas.  Its 16,919 surface acres are brimming with bass, catfish, and crappie.  Bring your ski boats, bass boats, and sail boats or rent pontoon boats, party boats, jet skis and floating cabins from the marinas.

Toledo Bend Reservoir offers wonderful fishing, camping, hiking, and outdoor activities on a lake with 181,600 surface acres surrounded mostly by underdeveloped land, much of it timberland and much of that in Sabine National Forest.  There is a wealth of history from the time of the development of the area under the French and Spanish governments through to the present day.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a very popular fishing and boating lake.  With 600 miles of shoreline, you will find many areas to have a picnic, launch your boat, do some fishing and enjoy the lake.  You can find all types of lodging in the area.  Other things to do in the area other than boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding, swimming, fishing, and camping, are bird watching, nature hiking, and historic tours of the local towns and scenic drives around the lake.  It has 114,500 surface acres and is the second largest lake in Texas.

Panola County Golf Courses, Fitness Centers & Tennis Courts

Working out has never been easier with several gyms offering structured exercise programs, private trainers, and outstanding fitness equipment.  Other options include walking or jogging at high school tracks or church gymnasiums, playing tennis at county high schools, or bicycling along shady city streets.

The Panola College Fitness Center offers a wide variety of activities and equipment including basketball volleyball, soccer, racquetball, yoga, Pilates, stair steppers, stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights, and machine weights.

The Cotton Valley Country Club, located just north of town on highway 79, features a nine-hole golf course and swimming pool available to members and guests.

LaTex, a golf course located at the eastern edge of Panola County on U.S. Highway 79, is available to the public for a nominal fee.

Forty-two golf courses, including challenging signature courses by Hal Sutton and Fred Couples, and more than a dozen tennis centers are located within 50 miles (one hour) of Carthage.

Forty miles to the east and across the Texas-Louisiana line, Shreveport and Bossier City are a hub of activity.  A bit of the old South, a city rich with Cajun influence and great dining, a center for the arts and for education, these cities have added a new dimension: horse racing and casinos.  With a total of five riverboat casinos complete with their own hotels, the riverfront is alive and thriving and a popular tourist destination.