Ultimate Guide to Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Being a little under an hour away from Dallas, Ray Roberts Lake State Park is a popular place to get in nature. The lake is perfect for boating, kayaking and swimming in the summer. The fall temps make for great hiking on the many trails and a perfect camping destination.I’ve created the Ultimate Guide to Ray Roberts Lake to make it easier to explore.

Location:

Ray Roberts Lake State Park is about 60 miles to the north of Dallas. There are nine total units to this park. Three are developed and six have boat ramps. Two of the six have full marinas.

Isle Du Bois Unit: 100 PW 4137 Pilot Point, TX 76258

Johnson Branch Unit: 100 PW 4153 Valley View, TX 76272

Greenbelt Corridor: Runs from 380 to US 377

Sanger Unit: -Ray Roberts Marina 1399 Marina Circle Sanger, TX 76266

Jordan Unit : Lone Star Lodge and Marina 2200 FM 1192 Pilot Point, TX 76258

Buck Creek : Grayson County

Pond Creek: Denton County

Elm Fork: Denton County

Pecan Creek: Cooke County

Best Time To Go:

The park is open daily year-round. Peak season is March through November.

Late spring, summer and early fall are a great time to enjoy the lake and beach. November is a good time for hiking and to hopefully see fall color.

Cost:

$7 Daily entrance fee per person age 13 and older

$70 Texas State Park Annual Pass. The pass is good for everyone in your immediate family for an entire year. This is a great value depending on how often you frequent the parks. It can pay for itself quickly depending on the age of your family members.

Things To Bring:

Water- There is no place to purchase water in the park.

Snacks- Again there are no concessions in the park.

Bug spray- Always good just in case

Sunscreen- The sun is intense here in the summer!

Beach Items- beach towels, toys, floaties, baby powder, swimsuit, etc.

Hiking Items- Backpack, water, hiking shoes, etc.

Camping Items- tent, sleeping bags, food, flashlights, etc.

Isle Du Bois Unit-

This is the most convenient location in Ray Roberts State Park. It’s the closest unit to Dallas so it can get full on peak weekends.

What To Do:

Hike-

There are a few hiking trails throughout the park. I’ve done these two and would recommend them.

Randy Bell Scenic Trail- 2.5 mile paved trail through the woods. I’ve done this trail twice and the last one was during the fall. The fall color really adds a lot. This is a great trail for a walk or casual bike ride. Nothing big to see but a good chance to soak in nature. Very easy, recommended for families.

Lost Pines Trail- .5 miles through the woods to a view of the lake. A short unpaved trail through a pine forest. Smells great!

Bike-

There are five DORBA trail loops.

• A Trail Loop – .2 miles rated Moderate
• B Trail Loop – .7 miles rated Moderate
• C Trail Loop – 4.4 miles rated Challenging
• D Trail Loop – 7 miles rated Challenging (Expert Level ONLY)
• E Trail Loop – 9.2 miles rated Moderate

Water Activities-

Swim- Designated swim area with a beach. This is the nicer beach of the two units.

Kayak or canoe- Bring your own.

Boating- Bring your own. Boat ramp available.

Fish- Fishing Pier available. For more fishing info, go here.

Camp-

Two Main Camping Areas- Quail Run & Deer Ridge $25-26 / per night. Eight people max per site. Sites include water and electricity.

Primitive Camping- $15 per night with a max of 8 people per site.

Other Activities-

• Picnicking
• Horseback riding trails

Johnson Branch Unit-

The Johnson Branch Unit is the furthest location from Dallas. A great location for hiking and boating.

What To Do:

Hike-

There are two main hiking trails in the park.

Dogwood Canyon Trail is about 4.5 miles round trip. It’s a nice little hike through the woods that gives glimpses of the lake towards the end.

Concrete Trail is a 2.8 mile loop. It’s a great paved family trail for walking and bike riding.

The trail map lists the kid fish pond as a trail, but I wouldn’t count it. It’s a short walk from the parking lot.

Bike-

This unit has 4 DORBA trails. These loops build on each other.

Blue Loop – 1.1 miles MODERATE

Pink/Orange Loop – 3.1 miles MODERATE

Green Loop – 4.9 miles – MODERATE

Red/Yellow Loop – 8.8 miles – CHALLENGING

Water Activities-

Fish – Fishing Pond and fish cleaning station available. For more fishing info click HERE.

Boat- Bring your own. Boat ramp available. This lake has zebra mussels, so you have to clean your boat well before going to another lake.

Swim- Designated swim area with a beach. The sand is not as nice as at the Isle Du Bois Unit.

Camp-

There are two main campsites -Juniper Cove and Walnut Loop. Water and electric available. $26 per night. Max of eight people per campsite.

Primitive Walk in Campsites are $15 per night. Max of 8 people per campsite.

For more camping info click HERE.

Greenbelt Corridor-

This section has three access points:

Elm Fork/ Hwy 455 Greenbelt Park Entrance- parking, bathrooms, water and a canoe launch

FM428 Access Point- parking, bathrooms, water and a canoe launch.

US 380 Access Point- parking, primitive bathroom and a canoe launch.

What To Do:

Hike-

Hwy 455- Hwy 428: 4 miles EASY one way

Hwy 428 – Hwy 380: 5.8 miles EASY one way

This has a short additional trail to a scenic overlook .6 miles out and back.

Canoe-

10 mile paddle from Ray Roberts to Hwy 380

Horseback Ride-

Equestrian Trail Hwy 455- Hwy 428: 6.8 miles MODERATE

Equestrian Trail Hwy 428 – Hwy 380: 6 miles MODERATE

Jordan Unit

Lone Star Lodge and Marina is located here.

They offer Pontoon Boat, Jet ski and kayak rentals.

Plus offers lodging. For more info click HERE.

Sanger Unit

Ray Roberts Marina and RV Park are located here.

They rent pontoon boats, kayaks and stand up paddle boards.

For more info click HERE.

The remaining 4 units have a boat ramp only.

There is much to do at Ray Roberts Lake State Park and I urge you to explore the area for yourself. Let me know if I missed anything.

For more Texas State Parks to explore click HERE.