Biking

Hit the Abilene Dam Road trail for a beautiful 3.5-mile ride that travels primarily along the lakeside. Keep your eyes peeled for whitetail and roadrunners in the hills, and beavers when riding along the lake.

Boating

Everyone loves a day of summertime boating! Bring a canoe or kayak, or you can rent one at the park’s headquarters. Lake Abilene has a no-wake rule, so boat motors must be kept at idle speed. Two boat ramps and a canoe/kayak ramp are located on the southern end of the lake. Boat rentals are unavailable here in the winter.

Fishing

Fish from a boat or the shoreline on Lake Abilene, or try dropping a line into Buffalo Wallow Pond, which is smaller and popular among the little ones. You don’t need a fishing license to swim from the shore in Texas, but grab one if you’ll be heading out on the lake in a boat. You’ll find catfish, crappie, bass, and perch in the waters here.

Hiking

Choose from Abilene State Park’s eight hiking trails for your next outdoor outing. Gaze upon scenic lake and valley views while wandering along Abilene Dam Road, the park’s longest trail. Make your way down Amphitheater Trail to a hidden amphitheater, or head down the Bird Trail to check out the park’s bird blind. Alternatively, you could look for wildlife tracks on the Oak Grove Trail, or observe tall elm, pecan, black willow, and oak trees along the Elm Creek Nature Trail.

Swimming

Jump in for a swim in Lake Abilene! This lake doesn’t have a designated swimming area or lifeguards, so swim at your own risk and follow the park’s swimming safety tips, which are available online. For something a bit different, try splashing around in the park’s historic swimming pool that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s. You’ll need to pay an additional park fee to swim in this pool, which is open on Wednesday through Sunday in the summer months. Individuals or groups can rent the pool after hours, for a fee, and must provide their own lifeguards.

Wildlife watching

You’ll find an array of wildlife at Abilene State Park. Head out for a hike with camera in hand in hopes of capturing photos of white-tailed deer, raccoons, foxes, squirrels, cottontail rabbits, and armadillos. Tree-lovers will be impressed by the variety here, which includes juniper, cedar, live oak, native pecan, elm, hackberry, mesquite, and more nestled in the forest among wildflowers and other plants. You’re also likely to see and hear many types of birds in this area, including the Mississippi kite, northern cardinal, and greater roadrunner.

Cedar Grove Campground

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