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Built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Double Lake offers a little of everything including camping, fishing, picnicking, hiking or just getting back in touch with nature. Campers have ample places to park their gear with 65 family sites (some with electric and sewer hookups) and an additional nine groups sites. Thirty-seven campsites are accessible for persons with disabilities. With national forest trees surrounding the area, each site is equipped with a picnic table, level pad, lantern holder and a campfire ring or cooking grill. Shelters for groups up to 100 persons and a lodge for group meetings of 50 persons or less are available for a fee. To make required advance reservations, contact the National Recreation Reservations Service (NRRS) in New York at 877/444-6777. Their business hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. seven days a week. Reservations may also be made on the internet at www.reserveusa.com. Double Lake is stocked with bass, bream and catfish. Boaters and fishermen can fish from one of three piers or can take advantage of a limited access boat ramp with parking nearby for trailers. Swimmers can relax on a sandy beach after taking a cool plunge. Only boats with small electric motors are allowed on the 23-acre lake. Showers, drinking water and toilet facilities are located throughout the campground areas. Visitors can savor the outdoor flavor by hiking the marked 5-mile trail leading to the Big Creek Scenic Area, an eyeful of nature at its finest. For a longer trek, there's access nearby to the Lone Star Hiking Trail which offers an opportunity to see the "back country" of east Texas. In an effort to preserve Double Lake Recreation Area for others in the future, no off-road vehicles are permitted to roam the area. An 8-mile-long mountain bike trail meanders around the lake.
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