Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway
State park in Burleson County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. 965 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Lake Somerville State Park, between Houston and Austin, has two lakeside units, Birch Creek on the north shore and Nails Creek on the southwest, joined by the 13-mile Lake Somerville Trailway. With nearly 40 miles of trails, it's good for mountain biking and horseback riding. Both units have lake access for swimming, fishing and boating. The park no longer rents watercraft.
Things to do
Ride the Trailway
The Trailway is open to hikers, bikers and horses, and TPWD rates it challenging. Horses are also allowed on most trails at Nails Creek.
Fish and boat
Fish for hybrid, largemouth and white bass, crappie and catfish. You don't need a license from shore, but you do from a boat. Both units have boat ramps and loan fishing gear.
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Trails
TPWD counts about 40 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Somerville Trailway | 13.4 mi | Challenging | 6+ hrs. |
| Honeybee Hill Trail (Birch Creek) | 0.4 mi | Easy | 20 min. |
| Flag Pond Loop (Trailway) | 1.7 mi | Easy | 1 hr. |
| Alligator Loop (Trailway) | 1.5 mi | Moderate | 1.25 hrs. |
| Gerdes Spur(Trailway) | 1.7 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Sandy Slough Trail (Trailway) | 2.1 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Both units have campsites with water and electricity and restrooms with showers. There are equestrian sites, and primitive sites along the Trailway with chemical toilets.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with Electricity (Birch Creek Unit)Water and electric | 99 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Nails Creek Unit)Water and electric | 20 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Equestrian | Nails Creek Unit)Equestrian | 20 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Water (Equestrian | Nails Creek Unit)Equestrian | 10 | $12 | |
| Campsites with Water (Equestrian | Birch Creek Unit)Equestrian | 10 | $12 | |
| Primitive Campsite (Hike-in | Trailway)Primitive | 1 | 8 | $10 |
| Group Camp (Hike-in | Trailway)Group | 1 | 16 | $20 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Equestrian | Nails Creek)Equestrian | 20 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Water (Equestrian | Nails Creek)Equestrian | 10 | $12 | |
| Campsites with Water (Equestrian | Birch Creek)Equestrian | 10 | $12 | |
| Group Camp (Hike-in | Trailway)Group | 1 | 24 | $30 |
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
- First weekend in March through Fourth of July
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists the first weekend in March through the Fourth of July as the busy season. September and October are the wettest months.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Somerville, TX 77879-9713
(979) 535-7763
Open in OpenStreetMap (30.3086, -96.6347)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 1 hr 50 min | 67 mi |
| The Woodlands | 2 hr 6 min | 68 mi |
| Houston | 2 hr 10 min | 83 mi |
| Waco | 2 hr 10 min | 92 mi |
| San Antonio | 3 hr 9 min | 127 mi |
| Fort Worth | 3 hr 39 min | 176 mi |
Nearby parks
- Buescher State Park
- Bastrop State Park
- Stephen F. Austin State Park
- McKinney Falls State Park
- Huntsville State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.
Questions people ask
How long is the Lake Somerville Trailway?
About 13 miles, connecting the Birch Creek and Nails Creek units.
Can you ride horses at Lake Somerville?
Yes, on the Trailway and most trails at Nails Creek, with equestrian campsites at both units.
Photo credits
- Nails Creek Trailhead Lake Somerville SP Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Fishing Pond Lake Somerville SP Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Lake Somerville State Park, Lee County, Texas, USA (3 May 2019).jpg by William L. Farr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Lake Summerville State Park. Lee County, Texas, USA (11 May 2017).jpg by William L. Farr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Lake Somerville has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway, 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 Somerville State Park & Trailway campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026