5 Family-Friendly State Parks Within 90 Minutes of Texarkana

An adventure at a state park is one of my family’s favorite day trips. Whether you’re looking for a trail, a picnic spot, a nature center, or just a place to enjoy some outdoor time, these parks have what you’re looking for. I’ve explored all of these with my family, from the time my kids were very little, and I can personally attest to how great they are. Here are five family friendly state parks within 90 minutes of Texarkana. Fun fact: if you pick one to check out each weekend, you could explore four different states in one month! This post contains affiliate links. Tap the Table of Contents sections below to navigate this post.

Millwood Lake State Park (AR) – 20 Minutes Away.

This Arkansa state park is a short 20 minute drive north of Texarkana, in Ashdown, Arkansas. It’s a massive lake that is best known for equally massive alligators. However, it is also a great fishing lake, often playing host to bass fishing tournaments and it has a great campground. Here are some ways to enjoy this park as a family:

• Enjoy the playground at the campground, near the marina and boat ramp. It has a great slide!
• Look for animals along the waters edge or go birdwatching.
• Grab an Arkansas State Parks passport book at the visitor center and get a stamp for Millwood lake.
• Hike the easy, 1.7 mile loop, Waterfowl Way trail.

There is no admission or parking fee to enjoy this park.

Atlanta State Park (TX) – 30 Minutes Away.

Atlanta State Park is 30 minutes south of Texarkana, in Atlanta, Texas. It is best known for Lake Wright Patman, the spillway and some more great fishing. There are several trails in the park, a playground, plus volleyball and basketball. It’s a great place for a picnic lunch with lots of good spots to enjoy the view. It’s a really wonderful, family friendly state park within 90 minutes of Texarkana, and it’s one of the closest! Here are more things to do at Atlanta State Park:

• All of the hikes in this park are family friendly trails, but the Volksmarch Trail is the shortest and easiest.
• Try geocaching.
• Take part in an event, nature discovery, or learning challenge. Learn more by following their Facebook page.
• The park has an all terrain wheel chair available to use, contact the park for details.

There is an admission fee for this park, $3 per adult, ages 12 and under are free. Pay at the gate on your way in.

White Oak Lake State Park (AR) – 60 Minutes Away.

White Oak Lake State Park is just over 60 minutes away from Texarkana. It’s a very quiet, peaceful, and off the beaten path park to enjoy with your family. It’s a great fishing lake, with really good spots to fish from the shorelines with kids. You can also rent kayaks and enjoy the small, but gorgeous, lake. In the fall and spring it’s a popular destination for birdwatching, but even then the park remains quiet. The visitor center has a few small exhibits too. Here are more things to do at this park:

• The 2 mile Beech Ridge Trail is an easy hike and great one for families.
• Spring Branch Trail (by the visitor center) is an interpretive trail with educational signage about trees.
• Fern Hollow (9 + miles) is a loop for hiking or mountain biking.
• Don’t forget to get your Arkansas State Parks passport stamp at the visitor center.

There is no admission or parking fee to enjoy this park.

Caddo Lake State Park (TX) – 60 Minutes Away.

The next family friendly state park within 90 miles of Texarkana is Caddo Lake state Park in Carthage, Texas. One of the unique adventures you can do here is rent canoes and check out a paddling trail. Yes, there are alligators that live in this black water bayou, but if you follow the proper alligator safety tips, it’s perfectly fine to explore with your family.

• The Caddo Forest Trail with the CCC Cut Through are two of our favorite trails.
• The CCC built pavilion and stairs are beautiful and so neat to see.
• Enjoy the sweeping views of the Bald Cypress with the Spanish Moss on the shoreline.
• Walk out on the wood walkway overlooking Saw Mill Pond.
• Try the Junior Ranger program, get it at the visitor center.
• Geocache, canoe, fish, hike, paddle and explore!
• Follow their Facebook page for events and other updates.

There is a $4 admission fee per person, ages 12 and under are free. Pay at the gate on your way in.

Beavers Bend State Park (OK) – 90 Minutes Away.

Beavers Bend State Park is in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It is one of the most popular and iconic family friendly state parks within 90 minutes of Texarkana. The park is absolutely beautiful and has something for everyone. It’s a great place to explore with your family because of the multiple nature centers, family friendly trails, and good picnic spots. Here are things to do at Beavers Bend State Park:

• Enjoy the free Forest Heritage Center at the visitors center. We absolutely love the charming, vintage displays. They’re also a great learning opportunity and chance to understand more about the park.
• The Friends Trail is our favorite family friendly hike at Beaver’s Bend State Park.
• You can also enjoy swimming at the designated swim beach, check out the nature center, go fishing (or even fly fishing), boating and paddling.
• Here is a full guide of family friendly things to do in Broken Bow and Hochatown, on my other blog.
• Here is a guide to the best hikes in Broken Bow and Hohcatown, also on my other blog.

There is a parking fee of $8 per car that can be paid in advance online.

Bonus – Lake Bistineau State Park (LA) 110 Minutes Away.

The last family friendly state park near Texarkana is actually a little bit over 90 minutes away, but it is a great day trip! The park is one of five Louisiana state parks to have a disc golf course and it’s a really fun one. We also enjoy watching kayakers from the shoreline, the children’s trail, and walking out on the fishing piers to see what we can see. Lake Bistineau is also a great place to birdwatch. Here are more things to do:

• Play a round of disc golf at the 18 hole course.
• Check out the Children’s storybook trail (the signage changes periodically).
• Go fishing, camping, or paddling.
• Make it an overnight and stay at the campground or one of the two bedroom cabins at the park.

Admission is $3 per person, 3 and under and 65+ are free. Pay at the gate on your way in.

Tips for hiking and exploring with kids.

Sometimes it can seem daunting to take kids on hikes and out exploring. But, I promise that with a little practice it will be fun for everyone! I always found that nature itself is the best entertainment, but here are some other methods I’ve used to keep kids entertained outdoors:

• Keep them talking and it will keep their legs moving. We play “this or that.” It’s just a conversational game where they pick a category, and I offer two choices. For example: category, animals, and they choose between bunny or frog, snake or buffalo, etc. Get as crazy as you want, it makes them laugh and keeps legs moving.
• Decorate an adventure stick. I keep a little twine and scissors in my pack to help them decorate a stick they find to hike with. Tie on leaves, acorns, anything you find. Please be mindful about what you’re picking and don’t pick 1) poison ivy, sumac, or oak, or 2) rare wildflowers.
• Most state parks have a Junior Ranger or Junior Explorer program. You can also pick up animal guides from the visitor center.
• Go on a color scavenger hunt and try to find something in every color of the rainbow.
• Bring along watercolors and a brush to decorate a nature journal.
• You can’t go wrong with a magnifying glass for all kinds of entertainment. Just please don’t start fires or burn ants. Thank you.
• I have a whole list of the items that I use most frequently to keep kids entertained on the trail. Check it out here in my Amazon shop.
• A pocket microscope is so fun for looking closely at of different leaves on the trail (just not the leaves of three with a red stem!).

Let me tell you a tip: sometimes a Lunchable, grabbed last minute from Walmart, at a picnic bench on a state park, with a good view, is all you need to create a great family memory. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, just some quality time together outside. Happy adventuring!

Check out my 10 Essentials for Hiking in the ArkLaTex for more gear tips, and my complete guide to Hiking Essentials for everything you need for an adventure.

Ultimate Hiking Guide to the ArkLaTex.

Do you love hiking? Are you looking for even more trails and things to enjoy around Texarkana? I made a complete guide for you called The Ultimate Hiking Guide to the ArkLaTex. I’ve personally hiked all of these trails and can vouch for them, from family friendly hikes, to bucket list worth adventures, waterfall hikes, and more. It’s 26 pages of hikes, packing lists, gear tips, some scavenger hunts for kids, and lots more.

It’s on sale for $14 through the end of November 2025. Learn more and get yours now.

Thank you.

I don’t run ads on my site, on purpose. I want your experience here to be clean, helpful, and easy to navigate without distractions. If you’ve found value in my guides, roundups, or the shenanigans we share, you can support my work by dropping a few dollars in my virtual tip jar or through Buy Me a Coffee. Every little bit helps me keep exploring, writing, and sharing free resources for local families and fellow adventurers. Thank you so much for your support!