Eisenhower State Park is a state park located in
Grayson County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, northwest of
Denison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, Grayson County, Texas, United States. It is south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. The population was 22,682 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Denison is part of the Texoma region and is one ...
on the shores of
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklaho ...
. The park is .
History
The park was acquired in 1954 by a Department of Army lease. The park was opened to the public in 1958. The park is named for the 34th U.S. president,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, who was born in Denison.
In the early 1830s, the area was important to
Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term '' Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people ...
settlers, particularly as a route to Texas and the American southwest. It was also an area of cattle trails.
Recreation
The park offers nature programs throughout the year. The park has facilities for picnicking, nature study, hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, wildlife observation,
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...
(ATV) use, and camping. Facilities at the park are picnic sites, playground areas, campsites, screened shelters, recreation hall, a campground
pavilion
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
, boat dock, an
amphitheater
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
, a lighted fishing pier, an ATV/mini bike area of , and of hike and bike trails.
Also located within the park is the Eisenhower Yacht Club, a privately operated full-service
marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
.
Plant and animal life
Several varieties of wildflowers grow in the park. A wide variety of trees grow in the park including oak, ash, elm, cedar, dogwood, cottonwood, soapberry, locust, redbud, persimmon, and bois d'arc. Mammals at the park include armadillo, bat, beaver, coyote, deer, fox, mink, nutria, opossum, rabbit, raccoon, skunk, and squirrel. Wintering bald eagles, pelicans, loons, and other waterfowl may be observed in the area. Lake fishing offers a variety of bass, sunfish, and catfish.
See also
*
List of Texas state parks
This is a list of state parks and state natural areas in Texas, United States, managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Several state historic sites that used to be managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife are now managed by the Texas Histo ...
*
Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
The Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site is located at 609 S. Lamar Avenue in Denison, Texas, Denison, Grayson County, Texas, Grayson County, in the U.S. state of Texas. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in the house on October 14, 18 ...
*
Eisenhower State Park (Kansas)
Eisenhower State Park is a state park in Osage County, Kansas, United States, located northeast of Emporia and south of Topeka.
The park was formerly known as Melvern State Park, due to its location on the north shore of the Melvern Lake, ...
References
External links
Official SiteFilm footage of Eisenhower State Park from Exploring the Texas State Park System
on the Texas Archive of the Moving Image
The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film h ...
State parks of Texas
Protected areas of Grayson County, Texas
Protected areas established in 1954
1954 establishments in Texas
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