Sabine/Red Hills Lake Recreation Area

The Great Outdoors

You will not need to go far to get outdoors when RV camping at Sabine/Red Hills Lake Recreation Area, just open the door of your rental RV and step out! Right in front of you will be Red Hills Lake, part of the Sabine National Forest, where you can swim, fish, and put a boat on the water.Swimming is allowed in a designated and roped off area, close to the campground. Just remember that no lifeguards are on duty here at any time.The lake is well-stocked with bass, bream, and catfish, and if you are fishing from the bank, you don't need a license. Only rowboats and boats with electric motors are allowed on the lake, so it remains quiet at all times, but if you fish from a boat, you will need a license.There is a short interpretive trail just by the campground, with information boards about the forest, the wildlife that lives here, and the plants. For a longer hike, try the Trail Between the Lakes, that takes you from Toledo Bend Reservoir to Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The trailhead is just a short drive south from Sabine/Red Hills Lake Recreation Area and is 27 miles in total, end to end.The vast Toledo Bend Reservoir is just a couple of miles east from the campground and offers a varied range of outdoor activities. Fishing is big news here, and regular competitions are held at various locations around the reservoir. With over 1,200 miles of shoreline and covering an area of 185,000 acres, there is plenty of space to find a secluded fishing spot. There are several marinas around the reservoir, where you can launch your boat, buy bait and fishing tackle or rent a boat and gear.For birdwatchers, this is a fantastic area, with hundreds of different species attracted by the lake and forest. There are birding trails on both sides of the reservoir and numerous guides to help you find the best locations for watching.

Exploring the Area

There are no supplies available at the campground, so before RV camping at Sabine/Red Hills Lake Recreation Area, you'll need to stock up on supplies. Milam, TX, is the nearest small town, but it only has limited facilities. Just a short drive west of the campground is San Augustine, a larger town with a choice of grocery stores, cafes, and restaurants.Every April, the town of Milam holds a Civil War re-enactment on the actual battlefield to commemorate the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Around 700 re-enactors take part in a morning parade, followed by various re-enactments. For anyone interested in the history of the Civil War, it's definitely worth visiting if you are RV camping nearby.A few miles south of Sabine/Red Hills Lake Recreation Area is the town of Hemphill and the site of the Columbia Space Shuttle crash. To commemorate the crash, the Remembering Columbia Museum opened in February 2011. The museum takes you on a journey of space exploration, tracing each of the missions carried out by the Columbia before the fateful day in 2003.