Things to Do in Wells, Texas

Wells sits surrounded by the deep East Texas Piney Woods, with two national forests within easy reach. The Davy Crockett National Forest lies to the west and the Angelina National Forest to the southeast, together offering hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland with hiking trails, fishing spots, camping, and picnic areas. For those who love to hike, hunt, fish, and explore the woods, the area is a natural playground.

The surrounding country — timberland, farms, and ranches along U.S. 69 — also offers scenic drives and the peaceful green beauty of the Piney Woods. For a small town, the outdoor access is genuinely excellent.

Wells's biggest nearby attraction is Lufkin, only about 17 miles southeast. The city offers the Ellen Trout Zoo, a popular and well-regarded zoo set among the pines; the Texas Forestry Museum, telling the story of the timber industry that shaped the region; the Museum of East Texas; and the shopping and dining of a small city.

That puts a full slate of family attractions and amenities within an easy drive of Wells, complementing the small-town quiet at home. Lufkin functions as the area's hub for shopping, entertainment, and services.

To the north, the historic Caddo Mounds State Historic Site near Alto preserves a 1,200-year-old Caddo ceremonial center with earthen mounds, a grass house, and an interpretive trail — a fascinating outing into deep East Texas history. Rusk, the Cherokee County seat, adds the Texas State Railroad and the Cherokee Civic Theatre.

Farther afield, the lakes and forests of East Texas, including the big waters of Sam Rayburn Reservoir within the Angelina forest, offer more for those willing to drive. Between the forests, Lufkin's attractions, the Caddo Mounds, and the region's lakes, Wells offers a well-rounded base for getting out and about.