Overview
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Huntsville State Park is a multi-faceted park of over 2,000 acres/809 hectares in what is termed the Piney Woods of the State of Texas in Walker County near Huntsville.
Visitors here have available to them numerous means to help them enjoy nature. There are trails and boardwalks for hiking, blinds/hides for observation, wooded areas, lakes, camping spots, and associated facilities. A great majority of these amenities will help the inquisitive birder advance their lists as they spend the day, or days communing with nature and the outdoors. [1]
Birds
Notable Species
Huntsville State Park, and surrounding county, has exhibited a significant amount of birding activity as evidenced by the 211 species reported on eBird as being sighted in the Park itself. The most reported species here was the Common Grackle at 1500 sighted in total over the years followed in second place by the American Coot with 500 reported sightings.
Add to that Avibase's 298 species reported as having been sighted county-wide in Walker County, where the Park is located. Along with those reported species, there are 6 globally threatened species reported as well as 6 species reported as rare, at one time or another. Of those, only the Eurasian Wigeon, American Black Duck, and Northern Saw-whet Owl remain without being threatened, or now considered extinct. [2][3]
Rarities
While there are no species specifically reported as rare in the Park, some of the lesser seen species here include the Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, and the Louisiana Waterthrush.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Common Grackle, American Coot, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Cedar Waxwing, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Canvasback, Red-winged Blackbird, Pine Warbler, Double-crested Cormorant, Chipping Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Barn Swallow, Pied-billed Grebe, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee
Other Wildlife
In addition to the bird species, visitors to the park could see White-tailed deer, Opossum, Mole, Skunk, Raccoon and Eastern Gray Squirrel, as well alligators in the lake.[1]
Site Information
History and Use
The land of the present-day Park has a reputation of having been a campground many years prior to it becoming a park. Plentiful water, food and other resources led the Bidai people to inhabit the area before the advent of European settlers in the 1500s. Disease, tribal migration and assimilation into other tribes led these people to become non-existent by the mid to late 1800s.
A period of logging followed in intervening years, but that ceased, it's thought, prior to World War 1. Local residents began efforts to make the area a park and infrastructure development began with interruptions from wars and other influences. However, efforts continued with the park finally opening to the public in May of 1956. [1]
Areas of Interest
Hiking trails, boardwalks, blinds/hides, camping, restrooms, and picnic areas can be found in the park.
Access and Facilities
The closest airports to Huntsville State Park with scheduled airline service are Easterwood Airport (CLL) in College Station and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston.
Consult a trusted travel professional for specific, up-to-date information regarding travel to this area.
Once in the area, the directions are as follows: The Park is six miles southwest of Huntsville, Texas off of Interstate 45 on Park Road 40.
Park Address:
565 Park Road 40 W
Huntsville, TX 77340
The Park HQ is located at:
Latitude: 30.628404
Longitude: -95.525921
Phone Number: (936) 295-5644
Contact Details
Huntsville State Park
P O Box 508
Huntsville, TX 77342-0508
Tel: 936/295-5644
References
- Texas Parks and Wildlife – Huntsville State Park - https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/huntsville
- Lepage D. (2020) Walker Bird Checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World. Retrieved 23 October 2020
- eBase - https://ebird.org/hotspot/L576674
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Huntsville State Park. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Huntsville_State_Park
External Links
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