Summer Fun in Southeast Texas

As the summer months are upon us and many stay in the area, there are things to do in the area for the outdoor enthusiasts and even for the sporty group. There are actual reasons and places in the area that you can have fun and not have to travel down south or up the road. Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston are not that far from here and offer many cool things to do.

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Remember the great outdoors?
By: Stacey Hajdik Lee

Try to think back to last Saturday night. Where did you go and what did you do? If you’re straining to recall what was mentioned in this morning’s class, allow me to jog your memory: did you a) Get wasted, stay out until two and somehow spend over two hundred dollars b) Watch a romance movie marathon on Lifetime for eight consecutive hours, c). Go to Mr. Gatti’s with the kids then subsequently hold hair away from toilet seats all night because Harry and Donald held a pepperoni pizza eating contest when you weren’t looking, or the final option, which I’m certain very few of you will select, d). Spent the evening, entire day in fact, at the library.

Now that you have last weekend firmly in memory, remember how light and free you felt merely running around a sprinkler outside in the summertime as a child? Although that won’t hold your attention these days, you can easily and swiftly find a lot of new and exciting activities, many spots right here or close to town. The best part is, most are cheap and outdoors! I don’t mean on the back porch of your favorite local pub. And I don’t mean pulling over on the side of the road mid-destination to grab a few stills of the family in a bed of bluebonnets. I mean an adventure. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but a new and fresh perspective never did any harm. Step out of your comfort, and increasingly empty wallet, zone. Springtime is absolutely gorgeous in Huntsville, wildflowers are blooming and the weather is still nice, not sweltering. Either way, a warm day is always much cooler by a lake!

Just six miles southwest of Huntsville lay the majestic, and rather large, Huntsville State Park. Located in the Piney Woods of the Sam Houston National Forest, the park encompasses over 2000 acres, and surrounds the breathtaking Lake Raven. Many recreational activities are available such as horseback riding, paddleboat rentals, extensive hiking trails where you can view live animals in nature, and of course, there’s great fishing and several docks if you don’t have a boat. Also offered are monthly events such as Sounds of the Night, at the Nature Center, where you can learn which nocturnal creatures make various creepy noises, or check out Go Fish where families with children five years old and up can learn how to fish; bait and equipment provided! Fees to enter the park are $4 a day per person. And those of you who want to overnight the experience, spacious campsites are available for a relatively low cost. Less than three Red Bull and vodkas, that’s for sure. Another bonus, pets allowed!

If you’d really like to get out of town, travel to Lake Livingston in Polk County. Here you can find white-tailed deer, mallard ducks, raccoons, armadillos, and swamp rabbits just to name a few. Lake Livingston State Park, with its 635.5 acres of reserve along Lake Livingston, an 84,800-acre reservoir, offers mountain biking, fishing, nature studies, a swimming pool, and horseback riding, horses provided! Another popular activity, kayaking, might just be the excitement you’re looking for over the weekend. Its entertainment you cannot get out of watching T.V. It’s just 3$ per day per person to enter the park, and to set up camp, a mere ten bucks a night (for up to eight people) with a water hook up.

I discovered one website that caters to almost every outdoor desire you might imagine. With their “life’s better outside” slogan highlighting various points on the site, one can easily search for outdoor fun in countless ways such as by state parks, areas of interest, grounds that offer cabins or sites with water and electric hook ups, or even by historical weather forecasts to determine whether or not you want to pack up the poles in hopes of catching that big bass. You can almost guarantee you will not have to forego any of life’s luxuries you’ve grown accustomed to. Or you can completely rough it. The site also offers tips on how to preserve our forests as well as addressing environmental concerns. Visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ to begin planning your excursion today.

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By: Tracy Lau

General Sam’s Offroad Park, located on 224 Bishop Road in town, may only be open on from 3 p.m. Fridays to 6 p.m. on Sundays, but don’t let that stop you from some off-road riding fun. The park, spanning 705 acres of piney woods, has six flowing spring-fed creeks and more than 60 miles of riding trails for ATVs, trucks, jeeps and other off-road vehicles of your choice.

Park fees are $20 a day for each ATV or off-road vehicle and include one driver. Each additional rider will set you back another $5 a day. For the avid rider, the weekend special is the choice, costing $45 for an all-weekend pass for one driver from Friday to Sunday for each ATV and ORV, and $5 per day for each additional rider. Primitive camping is included free of charge for the weekend special.

Primitive camping isn’t the only way to set up camp in the offroad park. General Sam’s has a 10 acre-designated spot for camping and other activities and features 13 deluxe camp sites equipped with electric hookups and a waste dump. Deluxe RV sites have water and electricity for $25 each night, and campers must be reservations in advance with a credit card. Reservations for deluxe camping can be made online at www.generalsams.com or at (832) 495-1046. Otherwise, for those who don’t mind the great outdoors, primitive camping without water and electricity is available for both tent and RV campers, and generators are allowed. Primitive camping for one to five people costs $5 per night. A group of more than five people means each additional person will cost an extra $1 per night. Primitive camping is free for children under 10 and dogs.

General Sam’s is hosting a benefit ride on June 5 for “Big John,” an employee at General Sam’s who has been in the hospital. Participation in the event will cost $10, with 100 percent of the entry fee going towards Big John. Participants are encouraged to bring items for donation for the live auction and the silent bid auction in support of Big John and his family.

Besides the benefit ride, General Sam’s holds ATV competitions, including mud drags, sand drags and a huge mud bog. For more information on future competitions and other events, please go to www.generalsams.com.

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Montgomery ATV Rental rents out ATVs for off-road driving fun.

The renter must be 21 or older and must have a valid driver’s license and current auto insurance. Rentals are $100 a day for a 24-hour period and a $300 deposit with any major credit card is required, but deposits are refunded as long as no damage to the ATV occurred during the rental period. Montgomery ATV Rentals also delivers ATV’s to General Sam’s Offroad Park for an additional fee. ATV models available are the 2008 Honda 420 Rancher and the 2006 Honda 350 Rancher.

For more information and to reserve an ATV, please call (936) 446-9198 and visit www.montgomeryatvrental.com.




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Shiloh Ridge ORV Park may be located outside of Huntsville, but don’t let that stop you from driving out to Alto for some off-road riding fun. During their Memorial Day Drive from May 28 to 31, one weekend of riding and camping for an adult will cost $40, with any additional rider over the age of 16 another $15 for the weekend. For their Fourth of July Ride, Shiloh Ridge will have a fireworks show on Saturday night, and participants can bring their own as well. Just like the Memorial Day Ride, it’ll cost the driver $40 for an off-road vehicle and camping, with riding additional people over the age of 16 another $15. Shiloh Ridge has other events planned for later this year, including a Labor Day and ATV Rodeo ride in early September.

If you are unable to make it to Shiloh Ridge ORV during the Memorial Day and Fourth of July Rides, the park is open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day for everyday off-road riding. An ATV for one person costs $20 a day. Park Manager Kelly Curry said the park has an honor system, in which participants sign the waiver form, put the money in the lock box and ride their off-road vehicles, even if park employees are not there at the time. However, despite the policy, drivers are asked to make reservations in advance at 1-800-432-3965 or online at www.shilohridge.com.

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Don’t want to venture out of town for some family fun? Eastham-Thomason Park is located near downtown Huntsville and is one of the many options available to locals year-round.

The park is one of the four city-wide community parks in Huntsville maintained by the Department of Parks and Recreation and is situated near the intersection of Avenue N and 7th Street at 912 Avenue N. Disc golf players can play a round on the nine-hole course, a good starting place for disc golf amateurs in the city.

Even if you aren’t in the mood for disc golf, don’t let that stop you from visiting Eastham-Thomason. A swimming pool is also available at the park, and a volleyball court is scheduled for completion by the middle of May.

For more information, please visit the City of Huntsville website at www.huntsvilletx.gov or call the Department of Parks and Recreation at (936) 294-5720.

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McDade Park isn’t your average park in the greater Houston area. Located in Conroe off I-45 at 3750 FM 2854, the 38-acre park has an 18-hole disc golf section, which was added on years after the park was created. The park is near the San Jacinto River and includes athletic practice fields, exercise stations, a basketball court, a jogging and walking trail, soccer fields, fishing areas, as well as a pavilion, restrooms, and other amenities.

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Huntsville disc golf enthusiasts are in for a treat when it comes to Shawshank Disc Golf Course. This private residence, situated on 450 Four Notch Road off of FM 2929, holds one of the only 21-hole golf courses in the area and its difficulty makes it a technical type of disc golf course. As a reservations-only course, disc golfers can play as long as they want for only $5 but must make reservations in advance. Reservations can be made at (936) 295-1722.

Owner and course designer Steve Dufrane was also a 1998 state champion of the men’s advanced master’s division in disc golf. Dufrane calls his course the “Shawshank Disc Golf Penitentiary of Huntsville” and considers his course “mentally and physically challenging.” As evident by its nickname, the disc golf course has a prison theme.

A disc golf tournament is scheduled for Sept. 11, and more information can be found on www.houstonbirdshot.com.

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Spring Valley Golf and Disc Golf Club may be off the beaten path, but the golf and disc golf venue is a fun alternative for the entire family. Located on 25110 Gosling Road in Spring, Spring Valley is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until dark, usually around 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Seven days a week, for just $3, disc golf players can play as many holes as they like, including Spring Valley’s big course, which has 18 holes.

From Mondays to Fridays, golfers can enjoy a round of nine holes for $11 and a full cart consisting of two people for $20. Weekenders can play a 9-hole for $12 and an 18-hole for $19, with a full cart costing $22.
Spring Valley already has started Twilight Golf, where participants pay $15 for a cart and unlimited holes from 4:30 p.m. until dark from Monday to Friday. This special will last until the nights become cold, usually around late fall.

During the summer months, Spring Valley will hold mini disc golf tournaments on Tuesday nights, starting at about 4:30 or 5 p.m. Participants will need to pay $5 for entry and a $3 green fee.

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If you don’t want to drive out of town, many summer activities are available throughout the summer, thanks to the City of Huntsville’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Outdoor Explorer, a summer-long program which takes place May 15, June 19, July 17 and Aug. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is a free program which teaches participants how to hike, bike and kayak at the Huntsville State Park. Materials and cost to get into the park are provided by the department, but registration is required Those who are interested should contact Kimberly Barnes of the Parks and Recreation Department at (936) 294-5725.

The great outdoors can also be enjoyed at the Family Fishing Celebration on May 22 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Huntsville State Park. This free program will teach participants the basics of fishing. Registration is also required, and those interested should also contact Kimberly Barnes. Materials will be provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

What better way to celebrate Memorial Day than swimming, a hot dog-eating contest, karaoke, a 21-gun salute, cookie decorating, swimsuit contest and a plethora of games? For the Memorial Day Salute at the Aquatic Center at 912 Avenue N, all ages are welcomed to enjoy the free events from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Last but not least, nothing says celebrating American independence than the Fourth of July Celebration, hosted at the Kate Barr Ross Memorial Park at 486 State Highway 75 North. Rock climbing, moon bounces, face painting, balloon art, cookie decorating, refreshments and free food are some of the family activities available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A fireworks display will round out the celebration starting at 9 p.m., and all ages are welcome.

For more information, please call the Department of Parks and Recreation at (936) 294-5720.

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Country Campus Golf, located in town on 3312 Highway 19, offers special discounts to SHSU students, law enforcement officials, senior citizens and military veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to groundskeeper Chris Spiller. The special discount is $7, and a regular admission is $9. It costs $6 for a round of nine holes and a cart and $11 for 18 holes and a cart. The golf course is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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Raven Nest Golf Club, located on I-45 South, will offer special discounts on Mondays to Fridays from June until mid-August, with $18 holes and a cart for $23 instead of the usual $37. Raven Nest Golf Club offers discounts throughout the week, including Raven Nest Golfers’ Association Member Special on Mondays where members can play all day after only paying for a cart fee. Senior Day on Tuesdays offer those over the age of 55 an opportunity to play 18 holes with a cart for only $23.

Thursday Night Scramble, a bi-weekly game night featuring five on-course events, will take place from early June until mid-September. Participants are encouraged to gather a group of four for a nine-hole scramble. For $25 a person, participants will play for closest to the pin and cash hole, where golfers may donate $1 to the prize fund and whoever driving the golf ball closest to or in the hole is the winner. Dinner will be provided after the games, and gift cards will be given to the winning teams and individuals. The scramble dates are: June 10 and 24, July 8 and 22, August 5 and 19 and Sept. 2 and 16.

Those who are interested in playing at Raven Nest should make reservations in advance. The tee time policy is weekly reservations must be made seven days in advance, and weekend reservations by the Wednesday prior to the weekend or holiday. Reservations can be made online or by calling (936) 438-8588.