POTA Summary: Caddo Lake State Park
Straddling the Texas-Louisiana border just three hours from Dallas, Caddo Lake is the kind of place that stops a seasoned operator cold — not from the East Texas heat, though there’s plenty of that, but from sheer, otherworldly beauty that no amount of time on the air quite prepares you for. This is Texas’s only naturally formed lake, and it shows in every detail — 25,000 acres of ancient cypress swamp where 400-year-old trees rise from dark still water, their cathedral branches draped in long curtains of Spanish moss that filter the afternoon light into something almost sacred. Turtles navigate silently between lily pads. Herons stand motionless in the shallows. The world slows down in a way it rarely does anywhere else. For the POTA operator, Caddo Lake State Park is a qualifying location unlike anything in the Hill Country or the Panhandle — dense tree canopy favors vertical antennas, early morning activations beat the heat, and the humidity is real enough to warrant protecting your equipment carefully. But when the pile-up quiets and you find yourself sitting in the cathedral silence of that cypress swamp, radio warm beside you, moss swaying overhead, dark water mirroring a copper sky — the signal reports barely matter anymore. Some parks are just coordinates. Caddo Lake is an experience.
Caddo Lake is a visual shock for those who expect a typical Texas landscape. It's one of my favorite parks to visit in the early Spring or mid-Fall. In the late Spring through late Summer months, I'd recommend taking your RV for the comfort of A/C and freedom from insects. Or, treat yourself by reserving one of their historic cabins; they are very clean and well-kept. A few of them are located in an area that makes you feel removed from civilization. I've visited for just the day a few times, operating portable Ham Radio, but wasn't on the POTA path at the time. So, I'm looking forward to scheduling another visit with my POTA setup and get that park activated.
While taking a break from POTA, here's a list of awesome things to do in the park:
1 - At Caddo Lake State Park, you can launch a boat, fish, geocache, paddle, hike, picnic, camp, or stay in a cabin.
2 - They have a fishing pier and a boat ramp. You do not need a fishing license to fish from shore in a state park. (70 fish species!)
3 - Explore Saw Mill Pond and the Big Cypress Bayou. Rent a canoe in the park office or bring your own.
4 - Explore the forest afoot on 2.5 miles of trails. Climb the steps of the Caddo Forest Trail to visit our historic CCC pavilion.
5 - Pick up gifts and souvenirs at the park store.
6 - Check out exhibits on the colorful history of this area at headquarters.
7 - Kids - become a "Junior Ranger". Borrow an explorer pack, loaded with tools for exploring the park.
8 - Take a boat tour! Schedules depend on the weather. Call the office to get more details; (903) 679-3351.
- Ham Radio:
- Antenna:
- Power Supply:
- Antenna Tuner
- Coax:
- Antenna Analyzer