| Martin Dies Jr. State Park | |
|---|---|
 Morning mist on Steinhagen Reservoir, Martin Dies Jr. State Park, Texas | |
   | |
| Location | Jasper County,Texas;Tyler County,Texas |
| Nearest city | Jasper, Texas |
| Coordinates | 30°51′08″N94°10′15″W / 30.85222°N 94.17083°W /30.85222; -94.17083 |
| Area | 705 acres (285 ha) |
| Created | 1965 |
| Named for | Martin Dies, Jr. |
| Visitors | 87,766 (in 2022)[1] |
| Operator | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Martin Dies Jr. State Park is a 705-acrestate park located alongU.S. Route 190 on the banks of theSteinhagen Reservoir inJasper andTyler counties inTexas. The park is managed by theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department. The park consists of three units; Hen House Ridge Unit, Walnut Ridge Unit and Cherokee Unit. Cherokee Unit is a day use area only, whereas the other two units allowcamping.
The state leased the park's land from theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers in 1964, and officially opened it as Dam B State Park in 1965, renaming it to honor State SenatorMartin Dies Jr. the same year.
The park offers recreational activities such aspaddling,fishing,swimming,hiking,cycling, andvolleyball. The park's distance from major cities means dark skies and it offersstargazing events at times.
The park sits on the northern edge of theBig Thicket and south of where theAngelina River andNeches River meet. The two ecosystems contribute to the wide variety of plants and animals in the park.
Common mammals in the park includewhite-tailed deer,raccoons,Virginia opossums,nine-banded armadillos, and three different squirrel species.Red andgray foxes andbobcats make rare appearances. TheAmerican alligator exits in and around the waters of the lake and the park.
The park is heavily forested.Loblolly,longleaf andshortleaf pines are abundant throughout the park.Bald cypress trees are found around the wetland areas.Water oak,southern red oak,sweet gum andSouthern magnolia dot the landscape. Smaller trees and shrubs suchAmerican beautyberry,wax myrtle,yaupon holly grow under the larger trees.
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