By Steve Killian, Complex Superintendent, Cooper Lake State Park, [email protected]
Cooper, Texas — What better place to enjoy all summer has to offer than Cooper Lake State Park! The lake water temperature is just perfect in June to cool off, splash around, and enjoy! Our amazing park rangers have finished prepping the swimming beaches for you through the addition of soft white sand just in time for the summer season. With high gas prices this year, make Cooper Lake State Park your nearby destination for summer fun!
Cooper Lake State Park will present 25 educational and recreational programs during the month. June’s spotlighted programs are “Archery 101”, “Fishing with a Ranger”, and “Stargazing”! Archery 101 is a very popular program where kids are introduced to the sport of archery. An in-depth class will precede learning the physical nature of archery. Targets will be set up for everyone to hone their shooting skills. Space is limited for this extremely popular class, so please reserve your child’s spot by emailing our education ranger ASAP – Ranger Alicia (alicia.o’[email protected]v). “Fishing with a Ranger” is a visitor favorite. Bring your own poles and bait or just show up and use the fishing gear and bait supplied by the park. Remember, no fishing licenses are required for this event or anytime you’re fishing at a Texas State Park from the bank or pier! Experience dark skies at Cooper Lake State Park and gaze through our high-powered telescope at stars, planets, and other astronomical bodies while being educated by Ranger Alicia. She has been known to weave in star stories from Native American cultures and others during this awe-inspiring program.
Bring each fun and learning-packed Saturday to a fitting conclusion with your family and friends by relaxing at a picnic table watching your food cook on one of our many day-use picnic grills. If you are camping, relaxing around a campfire in the evening is unbeatable! The flickering light and warmth of a campfire will lift your spirits and reconnect you to feelings shared by past generations. There is no better place to share a story or eat a meal!
Fish from the bank, off our piers, fishing wall, or rent a kayak and try your luck along the shoreline. Fish attractors have been placed around the Doctors Creek floating fishing pier and the fishing wall at South Sulphur to help increase fishing success. Crappie, bluegill, white bass, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish are commonly caught at both park units. June is a great time to fish at Cooper Lake!
Kids can play on one of three playgrounds found at the park complex. Other popular activities are hiking our trails or just resting under a giant Post Oak tree or camping at one of our tree-canopied campsites. Texas State Parks are great places to relax, recreate and recharge!
Park entrance fees are $5 for adults, with kids 12 and under always free. Senior Texans 65 or older will only pay $3 to enter the park daily with a Bluebonnet Pass. Unlimited park entrances for you and everyone in a vehicle you’re in can be accomplished with the purchase of a Texas State Park Annual Pass for $70. This pass is good for over 12 months from the day of purchase. All programs are free with a valid entrance permit. For more information on this or other events and programs at Cooper Lake State Park, please visit and like our Facebook pages, or call Cooper Lake State Park – South Sulphur, 903-945-5256, or Cooper Lake State Park – Doctors Creek, (903) 395-3100).
Doctors Creek
- Friday, June 3
- Beginning Bird Watching – 9:30 a.m. Meet at Pelican Point Parking lot near the Trail Head. Bring your binoculars, water, and sunscreen. We’ll walk, stop, and talk a bit about the birds we see along the Cedar Creek South Loop.
- Saturday, June 4
- Fishing with the Ranger – 1-3:30 p.m. Meet at the Blue Bonnet Fishing Pier. A Day of Free Fishing! Bring your own fishing gear, no pole, no worries. We have a few fishing poles available to borrow. No experience needed!
- Sunday, June 5
- Reading with the Ranger – 1 p.m. Meet at Pelican Point Pavilion. Join us for a story about the nature around us.
- Saturday, June 11
- Go Take a Hike – 9 a.m. Meet at Pelican Point Parking lot near the Trail Head. Join a ranger on a short leisurely hike on Cedar Creek North Loop getting a first-hand look at the flora and fauna of the park.
- Sunday, June 12
- Art in the Park – 10 a.m. Meet at Pelican Point Pavilion. A chance to let loose your inner artist!
- Friday, June 17
- Stargazing – 8 p.m. Meet at Heron Harbor Swim Beach. We’ll have the telescopes out. How many constellations can you see and name?
- Saturday, June 18
- Pollinators and the Flowers that Attract Them – 9 a.m. Meet at Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Why are pollinators important? What flowers or plants attract pollinators? Is planting a pollinator garden easy? Learn the answers to these and more.
- Saturday, June 18
- Photography 101 – 10:30 a.m. Meet at Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Learn about composition, the rule of thirds, leading lines, the golden hour, and space. We’ll take a short walk on the lookout for photo chances.
- Sunday, June 19
- Wildlife Detectives – 10 a.m. Meet at the Pelican Point Parking Lot. We’ll take a short walk on the Cedar Creek North Loop. Explore how to determine the types of animals that may have been here from the signs they leave behind.
- Friday, June 24
- Dutch Oven 101 – 1-4 p.m. Meet at Pelican Point Pavilion. Happy trails on a cattle drive, yes indeed. Cast iron cooking was a part of that happiness. Reserve your spot for a hands-on cooking demonstration by calling (903) 945-5256 and or by emailing Alicia O’Connor at alicia.o’[email protected].
- Saturday, June 25
- Roving with the Ranger – 2-3:30 p.m. Stop Ranger Alicia while she roves around the park and ask questions about the interpretive items she’s carrying.
- Sunday, June 26
- Back Yard Bass Fishing – 1 p.m. Meet at Bluebonnet Day Use Area. Learn how to fish on dry land. Join us as we learn to tie a hook onto the line, cast, catch, and release our fish while exploring fishing rules and fishing ethics.
South Sulphur
- Thursday, June 2
- Beginning Bird Watching – 9:30 a.m. Meet at Heron Harbor Day Use Area. Bring your binoculars, water, and sunscreen. We’ll walk, stop, and talk a bit about the birds we see around the day use area.
- Saturday, June 4
- Fishing with the Ranger – 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Meet at the Heron Harbor Fishing Wall. A day of Free Fishing! Bring your own fishing gear, no pole, no worries. We have a few fishing poles available to borrow. No experience needed!
- Sunday, June 5
- Reading with the Ranger – 10 a.m. Meet at Heron Harbor Day Use Area. Join us for a story about the nature around us.
- Saturday, June 11
- Go Take a Hike – 11 a.m. Meet at Coyote Run Trail Head. Join a ranger on a short leisurely hike on Coyote Run Trail getting a first-hand look at the flora and fauna of the park.
- Sunday, June 12
- Art in the Park – 1 p.m. Meet at Heron Harbor Day Use Area. A chance to let loose your inner artist!
- Friday, June 17
- Kid Fishing – 3-5 p.m. Meet at the Heron Harbor Fishing Wall. Bring your own fishing gear, no pole, no worries. We have a few fishing poles available to borrow. No experience needed!
- Saturday, June 18
- Pollinators and the Flowers that Attract Them – 12:30 p.m. Meet at Heron Harbor. Why are pollinators important? What flowers or plants attract pollinators? Is planting a pollinator garden easy? Learn the answers to these and more.
- Saturday, June 18
- Photography 101 – 2 p.m. Meet at Heron Harbor Day Use Area. Learn about composition, the rule of thirds, leading lines, the golden hour, and space. We’ll take a short walk on the lookout for photo prospects.
- Sunday, June 19
- Wildlife Detectives – 1 p.m. Meet at Coyote Run Trail Head. We’ll take a short walk on Coyote Run Trail. Explore how to determine the types of animals that may have been here from the signs they leave behind.
- Thursday, June 23
- Dutch Oven 101 – 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Meet at Gulls Bluff Pavilion. Happy trails on a cattle drive, yes indeed. Cast iron cooking was a part of that happiness. Reserve your spot for a hands-on cooking demonstration by calling (903) 945-5256 and or by emailing Alicia O’Connor at alicia.o’[email protected].
- Saturday, June 25
- Archery 101 – 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Meet at South Sulphur Buggy Whip Restroom. Registration is required, program limited to 15 participants. Reserve your spot by calling (903) 945-5256 or click on the following link to email Alicia O’Connor – alicia.o’[email protected]. No experience needed. Ages 10 and up. Equipment provided.
- Sunday, June 26
- Back Yard Bass Fishing – 10 a.m. Meet at Heron Harbor Day Use Area. Learn how to fish on dry land. Join us as we learn to tie a hook onto the line, cast, catch, and release our fish while exploring fishing rules and ethics.
- Thursday, June 30
- Hike with a Master Naturalist – 10 a.m. Meet at Coyote Run Trail Head. Enjoy a short walk – Topic TBD
