Things to Do in Lufkin, Texas

The Ellen Trout Zoo is Lufkin's standout attraction. Home to more than 500 animals, it's nationally accredited and packs a surprising variety of wildlife — big cats, primates, reptiles, and exotic species — into a walkable, shaded setting. A miniature train circles Ellen Trout Lake, and the surrounding Ellen Trout Park adds a lake, playgrounds, and picnic areas. It's affordable, family-friendly, and the first thing most locals will tell you to see.

The zoo punches well above the city's weight and is reason enough for a stop in Lufkin if you're traveling through Deep East Texas with kids.

Lufkin's museums reflect its identity as a forest city. The Texas Forestry Museum tells the story of the East Texas timber industry — the sawmills, the logging railroads, and the families that built the region — with indoor exhibits and an outdoor area. The Museum of East Texas, housed in a former church, shows regional art and history and hosts traveling exhibitions. The Naranjo Museum of Natural History adds fossils and natural science, including dinosaur material.

Downtown, the historic Pines Theater, a restored venue, hosts performances and events, and the surrounding blocks have added restaurants and shops as downtown Lufkin has revitalized. Together the museums make for an easy half-day, especially welcome on a hot or rainy afternoon.

For getting outside in town, the Lufkin Azalea Trail is a 1.9-mile public nature trail that's especially pretty in spring, and Ellen Trout Park offers lakeside walking and picnicking. The city's parks system adds sports fields and playgrounds across town.

Golfers have a real draw in the Crown Colony Country Club course, which has been ranked among the top courses in Texas. And for a different kind of recreation, Pine Valley Raceway, a quarter-mile drag strip southwest of the city, runs events for motorsports fans.

Lufkin's signature event is the Texas State Forest Festival, held each September, which celebrates the region's timber heritage with rides, exhibits, music, and the Southern Hushpuppy Championships — a fitting nod to East Texas tradition. It's one of the longest-running fairs in the area.

Beyond the city, Lufkin is the headquarters for all four of Texas's national forests, and the surrounding Angelina and Davy Crockett National Forests put hiking, camping, and fishing within easy reach. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, one of the largest lakes in Texas and a famous bass fishery, is a short drive southeast. For anyone who likes the woods and the water, Lufkin is the perfect base camp.