Purtis Creek State Park

Purtis Creek State Park is a 1,582.4-acre state park in Henderson and Van Zandt counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The park opened in 1988 under the authority of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

History
Native Americans from the Wichita and Caddo tribes once hunted in the area. The abundance of game also drew settlers here in the early to mid-1800s. The state of Texas purchased the park property in 1977 from private owners for $1.4 million. In 1980, a dam was built on Purtis Creek to control floods and Purtis Creek State Park Lake was created.

Animals
The park surrounds the 355-acre Purtis Creek State Park Lake, which was designed for fishing. Fish species in the lake include black bass, white bass, crappie and blue, channel and flathead catfish.

Fauna
The park lies in the Oak Woodlands Natural Subregion of northeastern Texas. Some tree species documented in the park include post oak, black hickory, blackjack oak, winged elm, and eastern redcedar.

Activities
Available activities at the park include boating, fishing, hiking, cycling, picnicing, geocaching, and camping.