TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Eisenhower State Park

State park in Grayson County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1954. 463 acres.

Lake Texoma seen from Eisenhower State Park in Grayson County, Texas, United States.
Photo: GrapevineTxOnline.com, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Eisenhower State Park is on the rocky bluffs of Lake Texoma near Denison, about an hour and a half north of Dallas. Swim at the sandy cove, fish for striped bass, crappie and catfish (including at night from the lighted pier), and walk more than four miles of trails. It also has an OHV trail for ATVs and dirt bikes.

Things to do

Fish Lake Texoma

Fish from two piers, including a lighted one for night fishing, or from the shore. There's a boat ramp with a courtesy dock, and the park loans tackle.

Swim and boulder

Swim at the sandy cove and boulder along the shoreline. There are no lifeguards.

OHV trail

Ride an ATV or dirt bike on the OHV trail through backcountry woodland. An OHV permit is required.

Recreational vehicles setup in the Bois d'Arc Ridge Camping Area in Eisenhower State Park in Grayson County, Texas. This camping area offers full hookups for ov
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
One of more than a dozen marked trail access points in Eisenhower State Park in Grayson County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
A picture of a 1983 Pontiac Parisienne taken at Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas.
Photo: Chemalurgy at English Wikipedia, Public domain

Trails

Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
Armadillo Hill Trail0.8 miModerate30 min.
Ike's Hike and Bike Trail3.2 miEasy to moderate4 hrs.
Pee Wee OHV Practice Area0.3 miEasy1 hr.
Blackland Ramble OHV Trail0.6 miModerate1 hr. to a full day
Big Woods Canyon OHV Trail0.7 miModerate to challenging1 hr. to a full day
Timber Rattler Run OHV Trail0.7 miModerate to challenging1 hr. to a full day

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

Camping

Campsites range from basic tent sites to pull-through full hookup sites for large RVs, plus 34 screened shelters and "Ike's Cabin."

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup508$23
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric458$20
Campsites with Water (Premium)Tent sites with water138$17
Campsites with WaterTent sites with water348$15
Screened SheltersScreened shelters348$30
CabinCabins15$55

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

Busy season
Spring, summer and fall
January low
32°F
July high
90°F
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

TPWD lists spring, summer and fall as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity. April and May are the wettest months.

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

Getting there

50 Park Road 20
Denison, TX 75020-4878
(903) 465-1956

Open in OpenStreetMap (33.8103, -96.6000)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Dallas1 hr 29 min71 mi
Fort Worth2 hr83 mi
Tyler2 hr 48 min128 mi
Waco3 hr 17 min159 mi
Austin4 hr 52 min252 mi
The Woodlands5 hr 8 min259 mi
Map of Texas showing where Eisenhower isAbilene State ParkAlbert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural AreaAtlanta State ParkBalmorhea State ParkBarton Warnock Visitor CenterBastrop State ParkBear Creek State ParkBentsen-Rio Grande Valley State ParkBig Bend Ranch State ParkBig Spring State ParkBlanco State ParkBonham State ParkBrazos Bend State ParkBuescher State ParkCaddo Lake State ParkCaprock Canyons State Park & TrailwayCedar Hill State ParkChinati Mountains State Natural AreaChoke Canyon State ParkCleburne State ParkColorado Bend State ParkCooper State ParkCopper Breaks State ParkDaingerfield State ParkDavis Mountains State ParkDevil's Sinkhole State Natural AreaDevils River State Natural AreaDinosaur Valley State ParkEisenhower State ParkEnchanted Rock State Natural AreaEstero Llano Grande State ParkFalcon State ParkFort Boggy State ParkFort Leaton State Historic SiteFort Parker State ParkFort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State TrailwayFranklin Mountains State ParkGalveston Island State ParkGarner State ParkGoliad State Park & Historic SiteGoose Island State ParkGovernment Canyon State Natural AreaGuadalupe River State ParkHill Country State Natural AreaHoney Creek State Natural AreaHueco Tanks State Park & Historic SiteHuntsville State ParkIndian LodgeInks Lake State ParkKickapoo Cavern State ParkLake Arrowhead State ParkLake Bob Sandlin State ParkLake Brownwood State ParkLake Casa Blanca International State ParkLake Colorado City State ParkLake Corpus Christi State ParkLake Livingston State ParkLake Mineral Wells State Park & TrailwayLake Somerville State Park & TrailwayLake Tawakoni State ParkLake Whitney State ParkLockhart State ParkLonghorn Cavern State ParkLost Maples State Natural AreaLyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic SiteMartin Creek Lake State ParkMartin Dies, Jr. State ParkMcKinney Falls State ParkMeridian State ParkMission Tejas State ParkMonahans Sandhills State ParkMother Neff State ParkMustang Island State ParkOld Tunnel State ParkPalmetto State ParkPalo Duro Canyon State ParkPalo Pinto Mountains State ParkPedernales Falls State ParkPossum Kingdom State ParkPost Oak Ridge State ParkPowderhorn State ParkPurtis Creek State ParkRay Roberts Lake State ParkResaca de la Palma State ParkSan Angelo State ParkSea Rim State ParkSeminole Canyon State Park & Historic SiteSheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning CenterSouth Llano River State ParkStephen F. Austin State ParkTyler State ParkVillage Creek State ParkWyler Aerial Tramway

Nearby parks

  1. Bonham State Park32 miles away. $4 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Ray Roberts Lake State Park39 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. Cooper State Park63 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Lake Tawakoni State Park76 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Cedar Hill State Park85 miles away. $7 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 swim at Eisenhower State Park?

Yes, at the sandy swimming cove on Lake Texoma. There are no lifeguards.

Can you ride ATVs at Eisenhower State Park?

Yes, on the OHV trail, with an OHV permit.

Photo credits

Sources

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

  1. TPWD: Eisenhower 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: Eisenhower State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Eisenhower State Park screened shelters, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Eisenhower State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: Eisenhower State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD: Eisenhower State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  13. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026