In northwest Texas, approximately a one-hour drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth area lies a multi-complex park on the shores of beautiful 28,350-acre Ray Roberts Lake, with two major parks and six satellite units around it. Named in honor US congressman Herbert Ray Roberts, the lake is surrounded by the Johnson area to the north, the Isle du Bois area to the south and half a dozen minor areas including Jordan, Elm Fork, Pecan Creek, Pond Creek, Buck Creek, and Sanger.
With over 200 campsites, multiple picnic spots, and family-friendly activities, Ray Roberts Lake State Park is an ideal getaway destination for your next RV adventure. Due to its vastness, the park is heavily populated with recreational activities ranging from horseback riding and hiking to mountain biking. Lake Ray Roberts offers many fishing, swimming, and boating adventures. Whether you want to rent a watercraft or purchase a fishing license the fully equipped Lake Ray Roberts Marina in the Sager area has all your aquatic needs covered. Seasonal hunting is permitted in designated areas as well.
Winding through the great plains and woodland is a riverside forested area that runs along the Elm Fork, linking the northern shores of Lake Lewisville and Ray Roberts Reservoir, which is fondly referred to as the Greenbelt Corridor. So popular is this scenic area that it commands the greatest percentage of park’s visitors. In addition to 12 miles of multi-use trails that traverses the corridor, guests can also kayak or canoe. If you are looking for a calm place to relax as you interact with nature, you can park your trailer in the numerous primitive camping areas spread across the park.
Resting 10 miles north of Denton, Ray Roberts Lake State Park is bordered by three counties, making it easily accessible. The park is also conveniently located between Pilot Point to the south, and Sanger to the west. Inside the park all roads are paved, big-rig accessible, and easy to navigate with any type of vehicle. They are well-interconnected, providing access to the park’s office, all campgrounds, lakes, and trailheads. The trails are mix of paved and dirt, leading to all major points of interest. There are many parking lots scattered within the park, including in the equestrian camping section, overflow section, and tent camping area.
Ray Roberts State Park offers a pet-friendly campground, which is perfect for tents, trailers, RVs, and equine campers. There are myriad of partial and primitive campsites offered by park’s campgrounds. There are also a number of amenities offered depending on the nature of the campgrounds including picnic tables, electricity, grills, dump station, water hookups, electric hookups, lantern post, showers, and restrooms. Most sites can accommodate a trailer of any length. There is no Wi-Fi access.
This is the largest and most preferred camping area with 178 campsites spread across its five camping grounds: Deer Ridge, Quail Run, Wild Plum, and Hawthorne camping areas. This area has an amphitheatre and two group camping areas that can accommodate 24 people each.
Located on the northern section of the lake, the Johnson Branch has 165 campsites spread out over several sites including Juniper Cove, Walnut Loop, Dogwood Canyon, Oak Point, the Overflow Camping Area, and Willow Cove.
For avid equestrians, there is a horse camp in the Blue Stem Groove area of Isles du Bois unit. There are 14 equestrian sites equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, hitching post, and bathrooms. This is dry camping with no electricity or water. There is nearby portable drinking water for campers in this area.
Depending on where you are camping, the park provides ample hiking and biking opportunities on the many multi-use trails. Once you park your RV at the Dobra Trailhead in the Johnson area, you can embark on the three-mile Dogwood Canyon Multi-use Trail that runs along the northern shorelines of Ray Roberts Lake. If you need to stroll along the park there is the three-mile paved Johnson Trail that encircles the park. In the Isle du Bois area, there are three trails depending on your point of interest: the Jordan Park Trail, the Randy Bell Scenic trail, and the Lost Pines Trail. The 10-mile Greenbelt Corridor Trail is the perfect choice for nature watching.
This lake is ideal for water sports including waterskiing, paddling, and sailing. Visitors can bring their own watercraft or rent at the on-site marina. For swimmers, there is a designated swimming area in the two major parks with no lifeguards. If you want to watch sunset or enjoy the sight of water there are sandy beaches in both areas where you can stroll, sunbathe, or just relax. Kayakers, canoeist, and paddlers can also enjoy themselves along Elm Fork in the Greenbelt Corridor.
Whether you are a beginner or advanced angler, you will find great fishing opportunities at Ray Roberts Lake all year round. Anglers can fish from the accessible pier, shores, or from a boat. Most popular daily catches include largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish. If you are camping with kids, there is a fishing pond where there they can test their fishing skills. You can catch largemouth bass of up to 14 pounds for your family dinner. There is a fish cleaning station available.
Once you hook up your motorhome you can get to the many trails that traverse the park forest and loop around the lake. Hiking along the Greenbelt Corridor, you will be greeted by wildlife including armadillos, foxes, and raccoons. With numerous avian species being recorded, Ray Roberts’s State Park is a home for both resident winged animals such as bats, herons, owls, as well as migratory birds during the spring. The lake’s shoreline is a great habitat for waterfowl including ducks and geese. In the winter bald eagles flock to the park. Visitors should be on the lookout for venomous snakes including copperheads, and cottonmouths, especially at night.
Overall, the park has over 25 miles designated trails for horseback riding running through the oak and pine trees and along the reservoir shorelines. You will need to park your campervan in any of the three available trailheads near the Greenbelt Corridor in order to access the 12-mile equestrian trail in this wilderness area. Unlike other equine trails within the park, the Greenbelt Trail System has a separate track for horse riders only. If you didn’t bring a horse you can rent one at Black Mustang Ranch, and have fun riding through the park.
There are several picnic areas both in the Johnson and Isle du Bois branches. Most of the day use area is in the open, while a few areas are nice and shady. There are picnic shelters fitted with tables and benches. Playgrounds are adjacent to picnic areas to keep the kids engaged.
