The Outdoors in Texarkana, Texas

Wright Patman Lake is the centerpiece of outdoor recreation around Texarkana. This large U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Sulphur River, about 10 miles southwest of the city, offers a long shoreline dotted with parks, campgrounds, boat ramps, and swimming areas. It's a well-known fishing lake — anglers come for catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass — and it draws boaters, campers, and day-trippers throughout the warm months.

The Corps manages nine parks around the lake, and Atlanta State Park sits on its south shore, so there are plenty of access points for fishing, picnicking, and camping. For a city its size, having a reservoir this large so close is a real outdoor asset.

Within town, Spring Lake Park is Texarkana's historic municipal park, a longtime gathering spot with picnic areas, playgrounds, walking paths, and a small lake. It's the kind of shaded, established city park that East Texas does well, and a reliable place for a walk or a family afternoon.

The broader park systems of Texarkana, Texas, and Texarkana, Arkansas, add sports fields, trails, and neighborhood parks. Between the city parks and the nearby lake, there's no shortage of everyday outdoor options.

One of the advantages of Texarkana's location is access to a remarkable concentration of lakes and woods within an easy drive. The Piney Woods stretch south and west into the heart of East Texas, with its state parks and national forest lands, while the lakes of Northeast Texas and southwest Arkansas — and the bayous toward Louisiana — open up fishing, paddling, and hunting in several directions.

This is hunting and fishing country, with deer and waterfowl seasons that are a big part of the local outdoor calendar. For anyone who likes to be on the water or in the woods, Texarkana's corner of the four states offers a lot of ground to cover.