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Thread: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

  1. #1
    TalbotGrad
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    Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    I've lived here in Texas 7 years now and I still struggle with finding areas. To give an example when using this site you can find wildlife areas near certain key cities, but the minimum distance is 200 miles so you get results clear across the state. Also many times when searching for a state park the directions are given from "obscure" town I've never heard of.
    The state is so huge that one must filter the results down to a manageable area it seems.
    I'm looking for natural and wildlife areas for photography within a 2 to 3 hour drive from McKinney Texas (north of Dallas). I haven't found a way to do this on this website or others.
    Does anyone have any suggestions?

    Thanks
    Larry
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    rockhill
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    Re: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    From McKinney you could go to Marshall/Jefferson area (I-20 east) and have a lot of opportunity to capture forest/swamp enviroment and is in your time range. Short hop down 380 to Decatur would put you at the LBJ National Grasslands, totally different enviroment. Could probably reach the Davy Crockett National forest or anywhere in between Tyler/Palestine/Nacogdoches for pine forest.

    Anything in particular you are looking for? I do not know of a sortable website to help you in your search but am sure folks on here can point you in the direction of photo opportunities
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    TalbotGrad
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    Re: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    This sounds promising! What public area would you suggest, or how do I find state parks in that region from this site or another?

    I'm taking my daughter on a photo excursion so we need nothing particular except a natural setting with land that is not private. ie public lands

    THanks

    Larry
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    rockhill
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    Re: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    Here are some links:
    http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/
    http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/map/...st.shtml#Texas

    Both of those links can show you locations near DFW. A very pretty day trip from McKinney would be over to Tyler State Park. Beautiful park setting.
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    Turn Key
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    Re: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    A very pretty day trip from McKinney would be over to Tyler State Park.
    Welcome aboard and I'll agree strongly with "rockhill" on his suggestion of Tyler SP. Great place.

    It can be a bit difficult to find your way around Texas. Place is BIG with at least 5 different types of environments. Its more like 3-4 states wrapped up in one. Takes a good while to get a handle on the whole thing. When I travel outside of Texas, I'm always surprised with how quickly I go through all the other states. I'm used to the idea of it taking the better part of a day or more just to get out of Texas:laugh: ! You'll get used to it in time and as you travel, you'll get a better handle on all of the small towns and areas in the state.

    Again, welcome aboard and happy camping!
    Turn Key, DW and Pepsi & Cherry, The Camping Boston Terriers
    '03 Chevy 2500HD, 4X4, X-Cab, Long Bed
    '04 K-Z "Durango", 275RK ("Sunday Haus II")
    Twin Kayaks, "The Ride" by Wilderness Systems
    North Central Texas, Where The West Begins!
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    CyberCelt
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    Re: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    Ask maps

    Put in your address and then the address of the park in which you are interested. It will give you exact mileage. The route may be wonky, but it will tell you if its driveable.

    Texas RV website     - I have lots of maps and resources.

    Trails.com - find all trails by activity

    Wildlife Trails - western east Texas is close to Dallas

    Freshwater Lakes     - Prairie Lakes region

    Lake Lavon, Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Grapevine and White Rock Lake are close to Dallas.

    Network with other photographers in Dallas.
    Keep Your Wheels on the Road!

    CyberCelt

    USAer.com ~ RVing Texas
    USAer Blog ~ Scenic Byways and Backroads
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    DALEoutside
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    Re: Having trouble finding where places are- Texas is BIG!

    This might seem like a silly suggestion, but I picked up a "Texas State Park Guide" the last time I was at a SP. It has really nice photos and descriptions of all the SPs as well as regional maps of different areas and a big Texas map in the center to kind of "put it all together". I keep this little guide handy when I'm on here looking around so that when someone mentions Lake Mineral Wells or Balmorhea I can figure out where they're talking about. It's really helping me figure it all out as I'm a visual person and love looking at maps. It's available online too at: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/parkguide

    Unfortunately it has also caused me to want to visit SO MANY parks that I can't right now due to travel time restrictions. So many gorgeous and diverse places in this beautiful and BIG state!
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