TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Bonham State Park

State park in Fannin County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1933. 261 acres.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built concession building now serves as the park headquarters of Bonham State Park in Fannin County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bonham State Park is a small, quiet park northeast of Dallas, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps around a 65-acre lake. You can swim, fish from the pier, and paddle (the park rents paddle boats, kayaks and canoes daily), and there are 8.75 miles of hilly hike and bike trails.

Things to do

Paddle and fish

Rentals run 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, weather permitting. The lake has a 5-mph speed limit. The park loans line and pole, but you'll need your own bait.

Hike and bike

The easy 1.3-mile Lake Loop Trail covers the park's plant life. The challenging 2.7-mile Bois d'Arc Trail passes CCC work.

Bonham State Park in Bonham , Texas ( United States ).
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bonham State Park
Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the dam that impounds Bonham State Park Lake in Fannin County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

Trails

TPWD counts about 8.75 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficulty
Armadillo Trail1.5 miModerate
Bois d'Arc Trail2.7 miChallenging
Gnarly Root Trail1.3 miModerate
Lake Loop1.3 miEasy

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

There are 20 campsites, from full hookups to tent sites with water and electricity, plus a 50-person group camp and barracks for up to 94 people.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup28$26
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric128$22
Campsites with Electricity (Tent Only)Water and electric78$17
Group CampGroup150$85

Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.

Visiting with dogs

Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.

Swimming

Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.

Best time to go

January low
31°F
July high
95°F
Rain per year
41.6 in.
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

1363 State Park 24
Bonham, TX 75418-9285
(903) 583-5022

Open in OpenStreetMap (33.5467, -96.1448)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Dallas1 hr 28 min63 mi
Fort Worth1 hr 59 min87 mi
Tyler2 hr 28 min98 mi
Waco3 hr 16 min150 mi
Austin4 hr 51 min243 mi
The Woodlands5 hr 6 min236 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Cooper State Park31 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Eisenhower State Park32 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. Lake Tawakoni State Park49 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Ray Roberts Lake State Park52 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Lake Bob Sandlin State Park69 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.

Questions people ask

Can you rent kayaks at Bonham State Park?

Yes. The park rents paddle boats, kayaks and canoes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, weather permitting.

How far is Bonham State Park from Dallas?

About an hour and 30 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Bonham has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Bonham State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Bonham State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Bonham State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Bonham State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026