Lake Arrowhead State Park
State park in Clay County, in the Panhandle Plains region. Established 1970. 524 acres.
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Lake Arrowhead State Park is on the north shore of a 16,200-acre lake, about 15 minutes southeast of Wichita Falls. It's mainly a fishing park, for crappie, bass and catfish, with nine boat ramps and a lighted pier. You can also swim, water-ski and play disc golf, and ride horses on the multiuse trails.
Things to do
Fish
You don't need a license to fish from shore or the lighted pier (you do from a boat). Borrow a pole at headquarters; bring your own bait.
Trails and disc golf
More than five miles of multiuse trails are open to hikers, bikers and horses. Onion Creek Trail (4.4 miles) passes the disc golf course and the spillway. Borrow discs at headquarters.
Birding
Birders have identified more than 200 species around the lake.
Trails
Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Dragonfly Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy |
| Onion Creek Trail | 4.4 mi | Easy |
| Mesquite Ridge Trail | 0.6 mi | Moderate |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
The water and electric campground has eight loops of six sites each. There are also 19 water-only sites, a primitive walk-in area and equestrian sites.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 48 | 8 | $22 |
| Campsites with WaterTent sites with water | 19 | 8 | $12 |
| Primitive Campsites (Walk-in)Primitive | 8 | $10 | |
| Campsites with Electricity (Equestrian)Equestrian | 4 | 8 | $22 |
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 and summer
- January low
- 29°F
- July high
- 99°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 4
TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season. July averages 99°F.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Wichita Falls, TX 76310
(940) 528-2211
Open in OpenStreetMap (33.7586, -98.3952)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 2 hr 12 min | 91 mi |
| Dallas | 2 hr 43 min | 115 mi |
| Waco | 3 hr 52 min | 167 mi |
| Lubbock | 4 hr 12 min | 201 mi |
| Amarillo | 4 hr 24 min | 220 mi |
| Tyler | 4 hr 25 min | 205 mi |
Nearby parks
Questions people ask
How far is Lake Arrowhead State Park from Wichita Falls?
About 15 minutes southeast of the city.
Do I need a fishing license at Lake Arrowhead State Park?
Not from shore or the pier. You need one to fish from a boat.
Photo credits
- Lake Arrowhead State Park (45190340834).jpg by Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0.
- Day Area Lake Arrowhead State Park Texas 2024.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Boat Ramp Lake Arrowhead State Park Texas 2024.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Lake Arrowhead has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Lake Arrowhead State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Arrowhead State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Arrowhead State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Arrowhead State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026