About 75 miles east of Tyler State Park, near Lady Bird Johnson’s hometown of Karnack and only three miles west of the Louisiana border, is Caddo Lake State Park, bordering the largest naturally formed lake in Texas. It covers an area of 480 acres beside Caddo Lake; an area once occupied by Caddo Indians, a tribe advanced in civilization.

The park is exactly located northwest of Marshall in Harrison County, consists of more than 8000 acres along Cypress Bayou. The park was opened in 1934. Caddo Lake was the only natural lake in Texas until it was dammed in the early 1900’s. The park’s original improvements were made by the Civilian Conservation Corps. 3

Wildlife and Plant life
This area has cypress trees, American lotus, and lily pads, waterfowl, alligators, turtles, frogs, snakes, raccoons, minks, nutrias, beavers, squirrels, armadillos, and white-tailed deer. It is one of only 15 U.S. sites recognized by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, dedicated to worldwide protection of wetland ecosystems. The overall area encompasses a sprawling maze of bayous, sloughs, and channels through pine and hardwood forest.

Activities
Here you can enjoy canoeing and boating picturesque maze of bayous - thick with ancient bald cypress trees. Visitors to the park enjoy camping, hiking, swimming, picnicking, nature study, fishing and boating. There are canoe rentals in the park and pontoon boat tours daily. You can also enjoy hunting and fishing over here.

Game fishes on the Texas side of the lake are managed under statewide regulations with the exception of largemouth bass. Largemouth bass is the most popular sport fish at Caddo Lake with good numbers of trophy-size bass available. The lake also supports quality crappie, white bass, and sunfish fisheries. Channel, blue, and flathead catfish are present and provide good seasonal fishing opportunities.

Amenities
There are number of amenities available in this park for the visitors. The campsites are located among pine and hardwood trees and near a lake that has cypress trees growing in it. Many trees are covered with Spanish moss. Here you fill get pine-log cabins, Campsites with electric, sewer, and water hook-ups, screened shelters Camping areas, trailer sites, natural trails and interpretive center.

This place is the best for spending a peaceful vacation with family and friends. Around this area you have excellent trekking trails which you can take in order to enjoy a refreshing hike. So, visit this place in order to get some peace and solace away from the busy city life.

Every sate natural park in Texas has its own special features. One of the many well maintained parks of Texas is Davis Mountains State Park. This marvelous park situated in the Davis Mountains in Jeff Davis County, Texas. The area of this park is 2708.9 acres. Some other parks that you can easily find near this place are Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park and the Carlsbad Caverns.

This park is also very near to the Fort Davis National Historic Site and you can easily access it through a four miles hiking trail. From this park you can enjoy excellent views of the Davis Mountains.

Activities
Although you can enjoy various activities at this park, but this park attracts a lot of visitors from all around the state who are mainly interested in biking and hiking. People enjoy these two activities the most because besides enjoying these activities they can also admire the park’s charming canyon formed by Keesey Creek. Another place that hikers like is the park’s Limpia Canyon Primitive Area.
Other activities that you can indulge here are bird watching, stargazing, cruising Skyline Drive, camping, and sightseeing, nature study, picnicking and backpacking.

Wildlife and plant life
This park tends to get more rain than the near by desert area, therefore a variety of plants can be found here, some of them include pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, Emory oak, Gray oak, one-seed juniper. Small trees include tree cholla, Torrey yucca, and catclaw acacia, as Scarlet bouvardia, little-leaf lead tree, trompillo, evergreen sumac, fragrant sumac and plum.

Much wildlife can not be found here but still observe Montezuma Quail, mountain lions, bears, Javalina, Scrub jays, white-wing doves, curve-billed thrashers, and rock squirrels.

Facilities
Facilities here include restrooms with and without showers; campsites with water and electricity; campsites with water, electricity, sewer, and cable TV connection. Here you will also find a group picnic area with tables, an outdoor amphitheater, picnic sites, and a playground, an interpretive center, 9 miles of hiking trails and a Texas State Park Store.

Hiking Trail
Your trip to Davis Mountains State Park would not be completed unless and until to go on a hiking trip.  There is a wonderful hiking trail nearby called the Tall Grassland Trail. Near by to this place are many attractions and other parks that you can visit while on a holiday.  This park does not receive too much rainfall, only in august would you find a little rain.

This park not only provides you excellent facilities and activities but also give you a chance to admire the breathtaking beauty of the Davis Mountains.

This enthralling sate park is situated just north of Tyler, Texas.Tyler State Park Smith County covers an area of 985.5 acres in Smith County. The park received its original improvements from the Civilian Conservation Corps and opened to the public in 1939.This mesmerizing park has a 64-acre lake which has crystal clear water and people can enjoy many activities over here.

Flora and Fauna
This park is very rich in wildlife and plant life. Anyone interested in fishing Tyler State Park Lake should consult with local guides and resources before heading out to fish. It is situated in the pinewoods, the steep dissected hillsides and the lake, with its associated vegetation, provides considerable habitat variety. Some of the plant and animals that you can find here are deer, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, as well as numerous species of birds. Popular fish include crappie, perch, catfish, and bass.

Recreational Activities
This park provides a number of recreational activities all the year around. Activities include picnicking; camping; boating, boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking; lake swimming and nature study. Playing golf is lots of fun at Pine Springs Golf Course; going for a hike along the Tyler State Park Trail will let you absorb the natural beauty of this neighborhood.

Weather
Tyler State Park gets a normal amount of rainfall; the month with most of the rain is May, and August meanwhile is the driest month. July average high is 97 degrees, SW breeze and January average low is 32 degrees.

Facilities
If you are staying at Tyler State Park Smith County then you can enjoy a number of facilities. The staff of this place is very friendly and cordial. Services include Trailer dump stations, Campsites with water, electricity, and sewer, restrooms with and without showers, Screened shelters, an amphitheater on the lake shore, A group camp with 6 screened shelters for overnight use and a dining hall with a full kitchen for day-use only and a seasonal grocery store that sells souvenirs and fishing supplies and rents canoes, paddle boats, kayaks and fishing boat.

This is a very attractive park which provides fun and adventure for the whole family. You can enjoy a relaxing afternoon boating in the lake, fishing for adventure and hiking with friends. At night entertain your self by dancing around the campfire with other guests or grazing at the sky filled with bright sparkling stars.

Enchanted Rock is a huge, 640-acre pink granite dome situated between Llano and Fredericksburg in the Hill Country of central Texas, about 90 miles north of San Antonio. This Rock is located inside the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. This rock is one of the world’s oldest rocks and it is the favorite destination for many hikers, photographers and rock climbers.

The wildlife and plat life of this area is very diverse and unique as the rock it self. Billion years of exposure and exfoliation has made the rock what it is at the present time.

Plant life of Enchanted Rock
Huge areas of bare rock are thoroughly responsible for the variety and abundance of plant life at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. .More than 500 different species of plants grow at this place. You can see vibrant lichens on the rock exteriors, tall elms, pecans, and hickories all along Sandy Creek.  The usual plants include live oak, pear, agarita, mesquite Texas persimmon and prickly in large quantity.

Post oak, blackjack oak and Texas hickory are the usual plants of east Texas, but other than these cat’s-claw mimosa, bear grass and soap tree yucca of Trans-Pecos Texas also grow here. A tropical fern known as the Blechnum occidentale is found only at Enchanted Rock and at some isolated areas in tropical Florida in the United States of America. The basin bellflower grows along the lower slopes in spring and early summer, and rock quillwort grows during the wet periods.

The four chief plant communities of Enchanted Rock are open oak woodland, mesquite grassland, floodplain, and granite rock community. Many unusual and beautiful plants come under these sections. Some of the plants are Elm, pecan, hackberry, black hickory, Live oak, post oak, blackjack oak, Indian grass bushy beard bluestem, frost weed, and switch grass.

Photo shoot at Enchanted Rock
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area show a varied atmosphere, from the solid granite of the main rock to the damp, mossy creek beds along the base.  These things when photographed look more amazing and thrilling. While you are at this place you can take pictures of abundant, moss-covered live oaks, wildflowers, white-tailed deer and massive lichen-covered boulders.

There are two main trails inside the park, one is the Summit Trail and the other one is the Loop Trail. While you are on the Loop Trail you can make a four-mile trek around the domes. The Loop trail shows a completely stunning side of the park. On this trail you can photograph eroded and lichen-encrusted rock formations along the base of the rock and wild deer. From the summit of the gigantic pink rock you can have the full view of the beautiful scenery of Texas hill area.

Fredericksburg was founded in the 19th centuries by Baron Otfried Hans Von who was the new commissioner general of the society for protection of the German immigrants in Texas which is also known as the nobleman society and is named after the name of king Frederick of Prussia.

Fredericksburg is situated 60 miles north of the St. Antonio and is just 18 miles away from the enchanted rock state natural area.

Enchanted rock state natural area
The enchanted rock state natural area is situated 18 miles away from the Fredericksburg. It is in fact situated towards the northeast of the hill country region of the hill country region which is 18 miles from the Fredericksburg along the ranch road 965. It rather isolated and is not on a direct route to anywhere else and hence some determination is really needed to visit the place. The park is now a natural landmark and part of the state park system which is one of the most popular sites in Texas for many reasons.

Enchanted rock trails
Near the state park entrance is a 46 site campground which is really for tent/cars only. Two trails start nearby and the visitors really find their way in any one of them. They are as follows:

1. Summit trail
An easy fairly direct to the top of the highest rock (half a mile and elevation is about 625 feet).

2. Loop trail
This is a circular 4 mile path that passes around most of the different granite peaks.

A loop hike
It is really nice to travel the half the loop trail which is the far side of the enchanted rock summit and then take a short cut across the ravine (Echo Canyon) where we then join the summit trail which then take us to the max out of the peak.. The southern division of the loop trail climbs through pine woodland and past large granite boulders with many multicolored wildflowers during spring. There is a short side trail to a viewpoint of distant lands to the west, while the main path continues past a primitive camping area and a large pond (Moss Lake) with fish and turtles, then meets the Echo Canyon junction. The trail through here passes one of the main rock climbing areas, and then meets the summit trail half way to the top.

Enchanted rock summit
There are plants and boulders over the lower slopes of the rocks but the summit is really granite with occasional fissures and hollows. There is a 360 degree view from the top with no outstanding landmarks at the top.

I really feel that you will definitely love this place and it is really a gift of nature and we are really blessed to see such site.

As far as the Santa Cruz is concerned, it is a part of the pacific coastal range. If you will move through the coastal region of the California then you will find through the San Francisco this lush and green mountain range of the Santa Cruz. They form a ridge between the San Francisco peninsulas through the south of San Francisco. This separates the Pacific Ocean from the San Francisco bay. And you will really be amazed after seeing the lush and green mountains for which the Santa Cruz is famous for.

This marks San Francisco at the northern end and Salinas at the southern end. The range passes through San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey County. And as far as the San Francisco peninsula is concerned I must say that you will find the Santa Cruz to form the ridge as I have told earlier.

As far as the length of the San Francisco is concerned I must tell you that the state route 35 runs along the ridge and is known as the Skyline Boulevard.  As far as the major routes are concerned I must say that the SR 92 From Half moon bay to San Mateo, SR 84, SR9, SR17, and SR52 and so on.

The Santa Cruz Mountain has been legally defined as American Viticultural area after 1981. The Santa Cruz Mountain AVA has produced some of the best quality wine and if you are the lover of the vine then you will definitely find this place to be great.

Climate
The Santa Cruz mountain range has the Mediterranean type of climate and I must tell you that you will find the majority of annual precipitation falling between the month of November and April. According to the national weather services this is more than 127 cm or 50 inch. Heavy summer fogs really cover the whole mountain region including the slopes and valleys. This results in drizzle and fog drip caused by the condensation over the redwoods which sustains the moisture loving red wood forest. Due to the rain shadow effect the precipitation on the eastern side of the slope is less as compared with the other regions. I must say that it is only 27 cm which is quiet less as compared to the condensation in the other areas of the Santa Cruz mountain range. Natural weather temperature ranges from 3-4 degree centigrade to 13-14 degree centigrade.

You will definitely feel as if you are in heaven when you will see this mountain range. Lush green mountains and great redwood trees, I really feel that you will definitely find this region to be among those places in the entire world which are god gifted.

Castle rock state park is located at the peak of the Santa Cruz Mountain. It embraces 3600 acres of region coast redwoods, Douglas fir and madrone forest. And most of them have been left in the wild natural state. Steep canyons are sprinkled with unusual rock formation that is really very popular with the rock climbers. The forest here is lush and mossy crisscrossed by the long trails.

Dogs are not allowed to enter the trail. However the horses are allowed for some designated trails. These trails are element of an even more prevalent trail system that links the Santa Clara and San Lorenzo valleys with Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the Pacific Coast. Castle Rock is the initial point of the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, a 30 mile (48 km) trail that takes us to Waddell State Beach, north of Santa Cruz, CA. There are also two walk-in campgrounds within the park for overnight backpacking.

Discovery
As far as the discovery of this mountain is concerned I must tell you that this was at first discovered by the Vancouver who came from England. He was moving around in the monetery county which was situated along the pacific coast of the America. Suddenly he saw huge rocks and was quiet overwhelmed. He called this great site to be the castle. He had a painter with him on the way and he asked him to paint this beautiful scenery. He really decided to let his citizens back in the England and in other ships know about what e has really seen. In this way the discovery of this beautiful region took place.

Location
I must tell you that this park is located at the state route 35 which is just 4 km south east of the junction with state route 9.

The rocks which you will see here are really unparalleled to the other rocks found in different parts of the world. I do feel that Vancouver was really quiet enthusiastic about the scenery which he saw.
And he was really right in whatever he thought. At present this is one of the most important regions as far as the United State is concerned.

As far as different trails along this region are concerned, you will enjoy all the regions. And I must say that this in one of the hot destination of the rock climbers.

Rock climbing is not a joke. But it requires some of the best sights if you want to enjoy the real fun of the rock climbing. It is really a fun but you need location. And this place provides some of the great location for rock climbing. I think if you are a rock climber then you will definitely love it.

I do feel that wherever you will go around the world you will definitely find some kind of rocks. The central Texas too is not an exception. If you have the taste of collecting different types of rocks then you are at right place. However I would like to ask some questions to you. Do you like collecting rocks? Have you noticed that the rocks are different at different places of the earth? The rocks which you are collecting were really a part of the much bigger rocks in the past. In fact the whole parts of the earth even under the ocean are made up of the rocks. The scientists who study about the rocks are called geologists.

There are three different classifications of the rocks. They are as follows:

1. Igneous rocks

These are formed by the melted rocks that has been cooled and solidified. Many of these rocks are smooth and fine grained like quartz, granite and obsidian or the volcanic glass.

2. Sedimentary rocks

These rocks are formed on the surface of the earth either on land or water. They are formed by the accumulation of the layers of the sediments and small bit of other rocks, sand animal and plant material. Most of the sedimentary rocks are cemented together by the minerals or the chemicals and also by the electrical attraction. You will definitely find some of them to be loose. The layers are nearly parallel to the earth’s surface. You will also find many fossil remains with the sedimentary rocks.

3. Metamorphic rocks

These types of metamorphic rocks are formed when the igneous rocks or the sedimentary rocks are being treated with the high temperature and pressure well beneath the earth crust. They are not really melted; in fact they turn out to become a denser rock. The minerals are changed when they are treated with the liquid or are compressed. Granite gneiss and the biotitic schist are the two important examples of the metamorphic rocks.

You will really love to note that the central Texas is really blessed with much kind of rocks. You will definitely love this place if you are a rock collector.
Sometimes around the year 1902 and the 1910 there were three different rocks which were being discovered in the central Texas counties by Dave M. Arnold and the local land owners. All the three discoveries really sparked the treasure hunt in this area two of which were financed by the DR. Terrell of Haskell Texas until his death in 1909.

I do feel that all the rocks being which was being discovered really were great discoveries. These discoveries really took us to the period which is millions of years old. I must say that you will definitely find the central Texas to be better for your rock excavation.

Sedimentary rocks are one of the three main rock types while the others are the igneous rocks and the metamorphic rocks. Sedimentary rocks are formed by the deposition and consolidation of the mineral and organic material and from the precipitation of minerals from precipitation of minerals from the solution. The process that forms the sedimentary rocks occurs at the surface of the earth and within the bodies of water. The rocks that are formed by the sediments cover the 75 to 85 % of the earth crust.

It includes common types such as the limestone, chalk, dolostone, sandstone and some type of breccias and shale. Sedimentary rocks are formed by the source of the segments and are produces by one or more of:

1. Clastic rock formed from the fragments of which are broken of from the parent rock by either weathering or erosion. Weathering is formed in situ and erosion is caused by water, ice or wind. This is followed by the transfer of the sediments to the place of deposition.
2. The biogenic activities.
3. And precipitation from solution.

I do feel that you should know about the weathering as well as the erosion in detail. I would like to put forward each of the one by one. They are as follows:

1. Weathering
Weathering is the decomposition of the earth rocks, soil and their minerals through the direct contacts of the planet atmosphere. The weathering occurs is situ and is always marked by no movements and hence should not be confused with the erosion which occurs due to the movement caused by the agents like water, ice, wind and gravity.

The two important types of the weathering are the physical and chemical weathering.  The physical weathering occurs due to the direct contact of the atmospheric agents like water, ice, heat and pressure.

2. Erosion
The erosion is marked by the movement. It is the movement of the solid in the natural environment. I usually occur due to the transport by ice, water and wind.

However the most parts of the earth crust is covered by the sedimentary rocks. I must say that where ever you will definitely find the sedimentary rocks.

The two type of weathering, which results into the formation of the sedimentary rocks are the mechanical weathering and the chemical weathering as I have stated above. You must really understand that the sedimentary rocks are mostly formed due to weathering.

Hence weathering is an important phenomenon which you should know in detail if you want to study sedimentary rocks in detail. In short you can divide the sedimentary rocks into two kinds of the rocks. They are the chemical sedimentary rocks and the organic sedimentary rocks.

I do feel that you will definitely find the research in sedimentary rocks to be very fruitful.

The metamorphic rocks are the result of the transformation of the existing rock type in a process which is called the metamorphism which also means the change of the forms. The protolith is subjected to the heat and pressure which brings about the physical as well as the chemical changes in the rock. The protoliths can be the sedimentary rocks, igneous rock or any other metamorphic rocks.

Metamorphic rocks forms a large part of the earth crust and are often marked by the texture and the chemical and the mineral assemblage. They are formed by simply being beneath the earth surface where they are subjected to high temperature and pressure.

They can be formed by the tectonic processes such as the continental collision which causes the horizontal pressure, friction and distortion. They are also formed when the rocks are heated up by the magma under the earths crust.

The study of the metamorphic rocks now exposed at the earth’s surface following erosion and uplift) provides us with the valuable information about the temperature and pressure which works far beneath the earth crust.

Some of the examples of the metamorphic rocks are slate, marble, quartzite and so on.

I do feel that you should know about the types of metamorphism. Some of the metamorphism types are as follows. In fact they are only two:

1. Contact metamorphism
Contact metamorphism is the name given to the changes that take place when magma is injected into the surrounding solid rock (country rock). The changes that occur are greatest wherever the magma comes into contact with the rock because the temperatures are highest at this boundary and decrease with distance from it. Around the igneous rock that forms from the cooling magma is a metamorphosed zone called a contact metamorphism aureole?

There are a lot to tell about the Contact metamorphism but I do feel that this much information is more than enough. However you should keep it in your mind that magma plays an important role in the production of the metamorphic rocks since the temperature required is maintained due to the presence of the magma only.

2. Regional metamorphism
Regional metamorphism is the name given to the change in great masses of rocks over a wide area. You should really keep it in your mind that whatever might be the area and whatever might be the type of the metamorphic rocks one thing is for sure and that is the metamorphic rocks are found below the earth surface and are formed due to the high temperature and pressure which is present beneath the earth surface.

I do feel that you will definitely find the study on metamorphic rocks to be more than interesting because you will discover so many new things about these types of rocks.