ArkLaTex Guide: Best Parks in Texarkana.

Texarkana, USA is a unique city in southwest Arkansas and East Texas. It actually spits the state line of Arkansas and Texas, and its two cities in one. Texarkana is twice the fun and second to none. There are great parks on both sides of the city, in both states. This guide includes all of the best parks in Texarkana, including both Arkansas and Texas. Plus, things to do at each park. Here is a map with all of the places tagged. Let’s go play!

Spring Lake Park.

Located at: 4303 N Park Rd, Texarkana, TX 75501. Spring Lake Park is always ranked as one of the best parks in Texarkana and it’s easy to see why. This large park is located on the Texas side of the city. It’s conveniently right next to Interstate 30 and also close to State Line Avenue. Spring Lake Park gets it’s name from the fresh water spring feeding the lake. It’s 145 acres with something fun for everyone. We recommend: walking the history trail, playing disc golf, and enjoying the fitness court. The amenities at Spring Lake Park include:

• Multiple playground spaces including an accessible playground.
• An 18 hole disc golf course.
• Rotary Splash Pad open seasonally.
• Kylee Sullivan-PetSafe Dog Park
• 1.75 mile Philip McDougal Paved Hiking/Walking/Biking trail.
• A National Fitness Campaign Fitness Court.
• Lots of open green space and picnic areas.

Bobby Ferguson Park.

Located at 50th St, Texarkana, AR 71854. This is one of the best parks in Texarkana, Arkansas. The large park is located right off of interstate 30 and next to the Four States Fair grounds and complex. It features a beautiful, stocked lake and fishing is allowed. We recommend: walking the trail around the lake, enjoying the playground, and going fishing. Here are more of the amenities at Bobby Ferguson Park:

• Two playground spaces.
• A Little Free Library.
• A fishing pier.
• A paved, 1.5 mile walkway that goes around the whole lake. The path is lit up at night.
• A pavilion with picnic tables and restrooms, and one a pavilion on the opposite side with picnic tables.
• Large gazebo for events.
• Lots of picnic tables throughout the park.

Bringle Lake East and West.

Not only is this one of the best parks in Texarkana, it’s also our favorite! Bringle Lake Park is located on the Texas side of Texarkana, next to the Texas A & M campus on University Drive. The park sits along the shore of Bringle Lake, a 230 acre lake with plenty of fish and a variety of wildlife. It’s divided into two sides: east and west. Thanks to the work of the City of Texarkana, Texas and a group of volunteers there is a series of bike trails winding through the woods on the east side of the park., including some jump lines! There are over ten miles of single track trail for bikers and hikers. We recommend packing a picnic lunch to enjoy after hiking the trails and looking at the gnome homes, or biking the trails and trying some sweet jumps.

Bringle Lake East Amenities: Located at 3650 Shilling Rd, Texarkana, TX 75503.

• A playground.
• Many covered picnic areas with water pumps and grills.
• A paved walkway around the park.
• A fishing pier.
• Bathrooms.
• A pump track and jump lines.
• Bringle Lake Trails – Nature Trail.
• Bringle Lake Trails – Single Track.

Bringle Lake West Amenities: Located at 7602 University Ave, Texarkana, TX 75503.

• A shaded playground.
• Two sand volleyball courts.
• Seasonal kayak rentals with Paddle TXK.
• Fitness equipment.
• A boat ramp.
• Boardwalk over the lake and walkway to the East side.
• Pavilion and picnic tables.

Grady T. Wallace Park.

Located at 137-153 E Wallace Dr, Texarkana, TX 75501. This park is known as the soccer and baseball or softball hub of city. It’s one of the best parks in Texarkana for open space, thanks to the 12 soccer fields and 5 baseball fields. The west side of the park also features a five acre lake with a paved walking path around it, be sure to watch out for the goose poop. We recommend: playing on the playground, bringing a basketball and playing HORSE, and walking around the lake. Additionally, the park has:

• Bathrooms.
• Two playgrounds.
• A pavilion with picnic tables.

Jefferson Park.

Located at 1600-1632 E 12th St, Texarkana, AR 71854. This park is nicely shaded and perfect in the summertime. It’s located next to Arkansas High School, in Texarkana, Arkansas. A unique feature at Jefferson is the outdoor amphitheater and the JefFURson dog park! You can also enjoy:

• A playground with swings.
• A vintage climbing structure.
• Picnic tables and grills.
• A Little Free Library.

Bramble Park.

Bramble Park is in the College Hill neighborhood in Texarkana, Arkansas. It’s one of the very few parks in Texarkana to have basketball courts. The park has three full basketball courts, a baseball field, a playground, and a lake with a fishing pier. The baseball field is lit but the basketball courts are not.

Ferguson Park.

While this park is a smaller one, it has a great playground! Ferguson Park is just off of Texas Boulevard in Texarkana, Texas. It has a new playground, several swings, and picnic tables. It also has a workout or active recreation space.

Bell Park.

This four acre park is one of the best in Texarkana for multiple playground spaces. It also has a community garden space! Bell Park has the following amenities:

• Multiple swing sets.
• A playground.
• A new pavilion and restrooms.
• Picnic tables.
• A basketball court.
• A paved walking path around the park.

Findley Park.

This park is also on the Texas side of Texarkana, close to highway 59. It has a very large green space for all types of recreation, a newly renovated basketball court, and a new playground structure.

Kidtopia and Skatetopia.

These two public parks are located on the Texas side of downtown Texarkana. They are right next to the Texarkana Public Library. Kidtopia was community built and kids helped design it. It has lots of unique features to explore. Right next to it, Skatetopia is newer and was built with ideas from local skate boarders. The Texarkana Skate Board Park has ramps, down rails, stair sets, and an open bowl. It’s designed for all levels of skaters to enjoy, however be aware that the skate park is only open for daytime use.

Dog Parks.

We don’t want to leave out our furry friends and some of the best parks in Texarkana are the dog parks. Texarkana is lucky to have two of them, one in Arkansas and one in Texas.

• JefFurson Petsafe Dog Park – Texarkana, Arkansas. This dog park on the Arkansas side has fenced off areas for larger dogs and for dogs under 25 pounds. It also has agility obstacles and access to water. The park is mostly shaded.
• Kylee Sullivan Petsafe Dog Park – This park is located at Spring Lake Park on the Texas side. It features fenced areas for larger and for smaller dogs, along with access to water and a few agility options. The park is mostly shaded.

Southwest Recreation Center.

Located on west 7th Street in Texarkana, Texas the Southwest Recreation Center holds offices, a large indoor gym, and more. There is also a small fitness center, kitchen and children’s library. The Southwest Center has classes throughout the week, including a hugely popular indoor pickleball session. Outside, there is a pavilion and open space to play. Recent renovations to the outdoor facilities included resurfacing the tennis courts and adding pickleball courts! The Southwest Center has two tennis courts and four pickleball courts. The courts have lights and are free to use!

Arkansas Recreation Center.

On the Arkansas side of Texarkana is another community center. The Arkansas Recreation Center holds classes and events throughout the year and it was recently renovated. Amenities include an indoor gymnasium, computer labs, commercial kitchen and meeting rooms. This recreation center has an outdoor baseball field and multi-use space. One unique feature about this place is the outdoor classroom! Check their Facebook page for events and classes.

Where to play pickleball and tennis.

Racquet sports have seen a resurgence in popularity in the last few years and Texarkana has risen to the challenge. There are many places to play tennis in Texarkana and a few places to play pickleball. All of the area high schools have tennis courts that are open to the public after school hours. Additionally, the Southwest Center in Texarkana has two tennis courts. Here are some more:

Tennis courts in Texarkana:

• Southwest Center – Texarkana, TX
• Pleasant Grove High School – Texarkana, TX – 6 courts – Use only after school hours.
• Texas High School – Texarkana, TX – 6 courts – Use only after school hours.
• Liberty Eylau High School – Texarkana, TX – 4 courts – Use only after school hours.
• Arkansas High School – Texarkana, AR – Six courts – Use only after school hours.
• Arkansas Middle School – Texarkana, AR – Two courts – Use only after school hours.

Pickleball Courts in Texarkana:

• Southwest Center – Texarkana, TX – Indoor courts (check schedule) and 6 outdoor courts with lights.
• Coming soon to Texas A & M Texarknana.
• Texarkana Arkansas Recreation Center – Check schedule.

Where to play basketball.

There’s nothing quite like a game of pick up and here are the best parks in Texarkana to go play basketball.

• Grady T. Wallace – Texarkana, TX – on the west side by the soccer fields.
• Bramble Park – Texarkana, AR
• Bell Park – Texarkana, TX
• Findley Park – Texarkana, TX
• Southwest Recreation Center – Indoors – See schedule.
• Arkansas Recreation Center – Indoors – See schedule.

Walking paths and trails.

Texarkana, USA has a range of trails available to use. Both cities have trails and some are even paved for smoother strolling, rolling, or riding. Here are the trails you can find in Texarkana:

Texarkana, TX Trails

• Watts Trail – 1.2 miles – paved.
• Sister Damien Walking Trail – < 1 mile – on the St. Michael’s hospital campus.
• Philip McDougal Trail – < 2 miles – paved. Located at Spring Lake Park.
• Bringle Lake Wilderness Trail – ~ 7 miles – gravel and dirt. This wider, nature trail wraps around Bringle Lake, connecting to University Avenue on the north and south sides of the lake. Suitable for bikes and strollers, no motor vehicles allowed. It’s about 2 miles from the Bringle Lake East Trailhead back to the spillway art park.
• Bringle Lake East Trails – ~ 10 miles of trails – dirt. These single track trails are great for hiking or biking. The entrance is behind the park map at Bringle East, walkers move to the right at the split, bikers ride to the left. If you’re walking, you’ll enter Gnomington Forest right away so be sure to look out for the gnome homes. The trails wind along the lake with sections rated easy to advanced.

Texarkana, AR Trails

• Nix Creek Trail – 2.4 miles – paved. Runs north and south. This trail has five street crossings. No motorized vehicles allowed on the trail.
• Trail at Bobby Ferguson – <2 miles – paved. The trail wraps around the perimeter of the park.

Water play.

There are not a lot of places to swim and play in Texarkana. But, there is a free splash pad at Spring Lake Park. The Rotary splash pad is open daily from 10 AM on during the summer months. A waterpark will be reopening this summer, with a rebrand. Big Damn Waterpark has been making lots of updates and you can watch the progress on their Facebook page. The other pool is an indoor pool owned by Texarkana, Texas High School. They do have public lap swim hours, varying according to the school schedule. Your best option is to drive by and see what schedule is posted on the door.

• The Rotary Splash Pad at Spring Lake Park.
• Go kayaking on Bringle Lake with Paddle TXK.

Outdoor fitness.

There are many ways to work on your fitness in the Texarkana parks. One local business, Fit4Mom offers outdoor, stroller fitness classes for Mom. Check their Facebook page for the schedule. Texas A&M Texarkana recently made an exciting announcement about new facilities which will include more tennis courts and pickleball courts. Construction will begin soon. Here are some other ways to get fit in the best Texarkana parks:

• Try a routine at the Fitness Court in Spring Lake Park.
• Go for a walk, bike, hike, or run at the trails at Bringle Lake, or try the fitness equipment.
• Take a class at the Southwest Center (like Tai Chi or Pickleball) in Texarkana, Texas.
• Take a class at the Arkansas Recreation Center in Texarkana, Arkansas.
• Join Fit4Mom TXK at one of their classes.
• Play disc golf at Spring Lake Park, check the course on the U-Disc app.

Public golf courses.

Texarkana has two private golf courses located at Texarkana Country Club and Northridge Country Club. Additionally, New Haven Golf Club offers a full 18 hole course as well. Texarkana Golf Ranch is the only public golf course in Texarkana. It sits along the shore of Bringle Lake and has 18 holes as well as a driving range. There are golf cart rentals available.

Other things to try.

There are so many fun things to do in all of the parks across the ArkLaTex area. From playgrounds, to exercise equipment, trails and more. Another unique thing to do is try Geocaching. Geocaching is like a modern day treasure hunt where you find hidden caches based on GPS coordinates and clues. There are caches in many of the best parks in Texarkana and you can find them on the Geocaching website. You can read more about geocaching with kids in this article from Run Wild My Child.

Clean up our parks.

Taking care of public spaces is important. In our family, we practice Leave No Trace principles wherever we are exploring, whether it’s in a city park or a wilderness adventure. Here are some easy ways you can help keep Texarkana beautiful:

• Be sure to clean up all of your trash.
• Pack out what you pack in on any trails.
• Do not throw glitter, confetti, or anything similar in the parks. Animals mistake this as food and it can cause harm to them. An alternative is to use a hole puncher to punch out confetti from natural items likes grass and leaves.
• Bring a trash bag with you when you’re exploring and pick up a few pieces every time that you’re out.
• Pick up after your pets.

The best parks in Texarkana.

Texarkana, USA has plenty of places to play, explore, and exercise. There are great parks on both sides of the State Line, for whatever type of recreation you’re looking for. If you’re interested in learning more about this great city, check out this list of unique things to do in Texarkana, or this list of the best coffee shops in Texarkana.