Ray Roberts Lake State Park – Isle du Bois Unit

Ray Roberts Lake State Park is a Texas State Park located, as luck would have it, on Lake Ray Roberts. This park has nine different units, two of which are their own parks located across the lake from one another. We visited the Isle du Bois Unit because of its Randy Bell Scenic walking trail and found that it had a lot to offer for a variety of use cases.

The Benefits of a Texas State Park

Ray Roberts Lake State Park has all the elements we’ve come to know and appreciate in Texas State Parks. That includes camping sites, both primitive as well as those with full hookups for campers and RVs. This park also includes a Nature Center, a sandy beach, and – as stated before – nice trails for walking and biking. Since it’s on a lake, you’ll be able to swim, fish, boat and whatever else someone might do with a body of water.

Note, however, that unlike a lot of our other recommendations, Texas State Parks have an entrance fee. This particular park is $7 per person. Or, if you plan on visiting lots of state parks or even the same state park multiple times in a year, you might consider getting the State Parks Pass for $70 (as of this writing in 2024). That pass gives you free entry into all 99 state parks for a year.

Be sure to ask the park attendant at the front entrance for a map. They should provide you with a free map of the park as well as a map specifically of the trails.

The Randy Bell Scenic Trail: A Quality Paved Walk

The feature that drew us to this particular park was the Randy Bell Scenic Trail. This is a fully-paved path that winds through most of the park and allows you to see all that it has to offer. It’s a little unusual to find a fully-paved walking path in a park like this but it was a welcome change. I will note that while this is potentially a good thing for visitors in wheelchairs or with strollers, the path itself is quite hilly. It can be a little challenging and probably qualifies for a difficulty of MODERATE.

The moderate difficulty is somewhat mitigated by the presence of benches and water spigots at various locations along the way. I don’t know that I would drink the water from the spigots but it can potentially cool you (and your furry friends) on a hot day.

It should also be noted that the trail crosses the main park road at multiple locations so keep your eyes open for passing motorists.

Lots of Bike Trails

In addition to the Randy Bell Scenic Trail, multiple DORBA bike paths twist their way throughout the park. We walked some of DORBA Trail Loop D and Loop E down to the lake and it was a beautiful walk through some lovely scenery. Remember that these bike trails are not paved like the Randy Bell path and are intended for a more rugged, off-road bike ride.

The Crowds

Remember that state parks can be very popular places for people to visit. Especially in the summer. We just visited this location for a second time and chose a weekday in February. Obviously there weren’t as many people then but given all that this park has to offer I suspect it gets busy at peak times. Try to plan accordingly.

Final Takeaways

Lake Ray Roberts is a nice sized lake with a lot of beauty surrounding it. If you’re looking for a day trip or a place to camp, I would say this is definitely a DESTINATION.

Amazon Associate Disclaimer

Related posts:

Farmers Branch Historical Park 5 Parks in Collin County Texas Only The Locals Know About Old Zoo Nature Trails: Hiking Through Abandoned Ruins Mineola Nature Preserve