Cedar Hill State Park

Twice in the past month or so, my wife and I have camped at Cedar Hill State Park on the shores of Joe Pool Lake in Cedar Hill, TX. This great park is a nice getaway when you cannot spare the time to travel far from DFW. There are plenty of hills, trees, and trails. There is a sandy beach to swim in, and plenty of fishing to be had. The campsites are many and nicely appointed. Primitive sites are also offered for purists. My only complaint is that one can hear the noise from Beltline Road just up the hill if you are camping on the West side of the Park. I have not camped on the East side, so I cannot speak for the noise there.

While most folks understand that this part of Texas is fairly flat with just a bit of roll, there are also outcroppings of rock and hills here and there. This is one of those places. When approaching the park, you will see the first signs of the change in terrain. Road cutouts and steep descents let you know that you are entering a very different part of town. By the time you have made it to your campsite, it no longer feels like Dallas (except for the distant road noise), as you are surrounded by tree covered hills.

The dominant trees are:

Cedar Elm

Eastern Red Cedar (or Juniper)

Mesquite

Honey Locust

There are many others, and tallgrass prairie remnants that I have not checked out yet.

There are bathrooms convenient to the campsites with sinks, stalls, and showers. These are fairly clean. There is a marina with snacks and limited supplies. There was a sign for watercraft rental. Close to Beltline and Highway 67, there is a 24 hour Super WalMart for anything else you may have missed, and a Whataburger incase you just can't get the fire lit. Speaking of fire, you will need to call the park ahead of time to see if they have firewood available. They did not have any on both occasions that we camped there. The first time, we checked with every merchant in the area and no one else had firewood. We ended up buying a large bag of natural lump charcoal and a large bag of Mesquite chunks, and burned the entire contents of both for that campfire feel. The second time, my wife clued me in on the Albertson's at Forest & Marsh in North Dallas, as they have large $10 bags of grilling wood in Pecan, Hickory, and Mesquite. While this worked great, it is a rather inefficient use of great smoking wood. It would be best if you could locate a source for less valuable hardwood to burn, and save the aromatics for when you are cooking over the fire.

In summary, this park is beautiful, and brings you all the joys of camping when you cannot travel to more remote parks.

One more thing - Make sure to get the gate code when you check in, in case you must leave the grounds at night.