Things to Do in Elkhart, Texas
Elkhart is a small Piney Woods town with a deep historical claim, a hometown golf course, and easy access to some of East Texas's best outdoor and tourist draws. Between local history, the woods to the south, and Palestine just up the highway, there's a well-rounded menu of things to do.
Here's what to do in and around Elkhart.
History and Hometown Outings
Elkhart's standout claim to fame is the Pilgrim church just outside town — recognized as the oldest Baptist church in Texas, founded by frontier elder Daniel Parker, who held the first Baptist meeting in Texas near here in 1834. For history-minded visitors, it's a genuine landmark, and a nearby Methodist congregation's early site is marked by a historical marker as well.
Close to home, the Elkhart Golf Club offers an 18-hole, par-71 round on a course lined with pine, oak, and elm — a friendly way to spend a morning right in town. Add school sports and community events through the year, and Elkhart's everyday life has its own steady rhythm of things to do.
The Davy Crockett National Forest
For outdoor recreation, the Davy Crockett National Forest spreads across more than 160,000 acres of Piney Woods southwest of Elkhart. Its Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area offers camping, swimming, picnicking, and boat ramps, while the 20-mile Four C National Recreation Trail and the 53-mile Piney Creek Horse Trail draw hikers, bikers, and riders into the deep woods.
Whether it's a day hike, a fishing trip, a horseback ride, or a weekend of camping, the forest gives Elkhart residents a true outdoor playground within reach. It's the kind of nearby wild country that defines life in this part of East Texas.
Palestine and the Region
Just eleven miles north on U.S. 287, Palestine adds a full slate of attractions. The Texas State Railroad runs historic steam and diesel excursion trains through the Piney Woods from Palestine, and Davey Dogwood Park draws crowds for its blooming dogwoods, especially during the spring Texas Dogwood Trails celebration that Palestine has hosted since the 1930s.
Palestine also offers a historic downtown, museums, shopping, and dining, making it the natural hub for a day out. Between Elkhart's own history and golf, the Davy Crockett National Forest to the south, and Palestine's railroad and Dogwood Trails to the north, there's plenty to fill a weekend.
FAQ: Things to Do in Elkhart
Elkhart offers the historic Pilgrim church (the oldest Baptist church in Texas), an 18-hole round at the Elkhart Golf Club, and easy access to the Davy Crockett National Forest to the south. Palestine, eleven miles north, adds the Texas State Railroad, Davey Dogwood Park, and the Dogwood Trails.
Elkhart is known as the home of the oldest Baptist church in Texas — the Pilgrim church founded by Daniel Parker, who held the first Baptist meeting in Texas near here in 1834. It's also a quiet Piney Woods town with a hometown golf course and the Davy Crockett National Forest nearby.
Near Elkhart you'll find the Davy Crockett National Forest and Ratcliff Lake to the south, and Palestine just eleven miles north with the Texas State Railroad excursion trains, Davey Dogwood Park, the spring Dogwood Trails celebration, and a historic downtown.
The Texas State Railroad, based in nearby Palestine, runs historic steam and diesel excursion trains through the East Texas Piney Woods. It's one of the region's signature attractions and an easy outing from Elkhart, about eleven miles north on U.S. 287.
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