Jefferson TX Map
Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake Map
The Fall of 2001 found Gclub at Caddo Lake again. This was our second time to the lake.
We decided to skip the "Catered" Canoe option a
Friday morning to finally our last hardy souls landing at the camp Saturday moring,
tired however ready to go canoeing.
Flora/Fauna:
Caddo Lake is a sprawling maze of bayous and sloughs covering, 32,000 acres of cypress swamp. The average depth of the
lake is 8'-10 ' with the deep water in the bayou averaging about 27.' An angler's delight, the lake contains 71 species of fish. It is especially good
for crappie and large-mouth and white bass. Naturalists can enjoy stately cypress trees, American lotus, and lily pads, waterfowl, alligators, turtles,
frogs, snakes, raccoons, minks, nutrias, beavers, squirrels, armadillos, and white-tailed deer.
James our VP of Base camp operations, made sure the fire was roaring during our rather warm
evenings. You controlled the fire affects by moving your chair back far enough to
not get burned yet still be within yelling distance to the other campers. :-)
To James' great joy, Donnie brought us a car full of wood to burn. He had been hauling
it around for about a month and was ready to get rid of the wood and the ant's that
came with it.
This was James' first and probably last canoe trip. Many Thanks to Linda for providing the
power to move the canoe down the river. James would learn of a powered tour boat which would
fill his quite comfortable desire to see the park not be in the park. I have promised to
provide a canoe with battery and trolling motor for his next trip. Still looking for the
parts.
All future trips will put in at the B & B and take out there as well- saving us the long,
boring and quite populated main channel and it's 1.5 hours worth of paddling.
Evening brought us to our good old catfish restaurant in Uncertain Tx. Unfortunately,
Sadia discovered she is allergic to catfish. The dessert is to die for, Blueberry cobbler
topped with copus amounts of ice cream. We were 18 for dinner and the place was swamped.
The staff is friendly and easy going, so when we began serving ourselves, coffee and bussing
our own table they took it in stride and said thanks for the help. We will definitely return
to uncertain Tx.
Caddo Lake was the only
natural lake in Texas until it was damned in 1900 when oil was found. According to a Caddoan legend, Caddo Lake was
formed by an earthquake. A Caddo Indian Chief was warned by the Great Spirit to
move his village from the low lands. The Chief ignored the warning and one day
while he and his men were out hunting the ground shook. When they returned,
their village was gone beneath the water of the newly formed Caddo
Lake. There could be some truth to this story. In 1811 New Madrid,
Missouri had an earthquake that measured 8.9. This could have knocked down
enough trees to form the great raft that dammed the Red River and formed Caddo
Lake.
Jefferson was founded in 1836 and is the 5th oldest town in Texas. The
first paddlewheel steamboat, Lama, successfully navigated Caddo Lake and
announced Jefferson to the South in 1845, also the year Texas entered the Union.
The concurrent births of a transportation system and a state made Jefferson a
major destination of the second early wave of immigrants to Texas.
Subsequently, the developing cotton industry and the means to move it to
market gave Jefferson the title of "Gateway to Texas". Soon the city's tonnage
shipped was second only to Galveston, Texas. Jefferson's wealth built culture
and drew the best and brightest. Jefferson's growth continued through 1872, when
again concurrent events led to its decline.
The first of these was Jefferson's failure to become a railhead city at
the time that land transit began to supplant water for the inland movement of
freight. Second, was the destruction in 1872 of the "Great Raft," a natural dam
that formed Caddo Lake. With Caddo Lake disappearing, water trade declined and
ended the possibility that Jefferson might get a second chance at becoming a
rail center.
Nonetheless, Jefferson with its grand homes and brick streets flourished
for some 30 years. Today, it lives again with museums and antique shops, its
brick streets clatter with horse-drawn carriages, and its buildings house
restaurants that rival those of the paddle wheelers plying the waters of Caddo
Lake en route to and from Jefferson. Most guests at Pine needle Lodge visit
Jefferson during their stay with us.
Trip Summary:
RATING: EASY:
Breakfast and Lunch Pack. Dinners are not included: We will be
Dining at restaurant Saturday night..
EQUIPMENT: Camping Gear: We will be visiting one of the most pretty lakes in Texas. Plan on mosquitoes, Sun, Rain, Warm Weather, Cool Weather. Recommended: Tent camping, Sleeping bag, Camper mat, Snacks, Beverages, Sun Block.
DIRECTIONS: Take Interstate 20 to Marshall, Highway
43 east to Karnack, then FM 2198 east to the state park and Uncertain, Texas.
Trip Outline:
We will car pool from Dallas-Austin-Houston areas to Caddo Lake State Park,
where we will meet up at the Mill Pond camping area. We will leave Friday afternoon and try and arrive by 7:00PM at the
camp site's. Camp out at Caddo Lake State Park (Showers and restrooms) on Big
Cypress Bayou. Canoe a 10 mile portion of Caddo Lake in a secluded section
where only canoes can go, past a forest of cypress, scores of water birds and
beaver houses-the forest primeval. Ideal for beginners. On Sunday explore historic Jefferson Texas.
Costs:
Camping Fee's , Restaurant meals, Kayak Rental. About $100/person
Trip Schedule/Muster Points: (Recommended Final:TBA)
Fri 11/09/2002 Arrive Caddo Lake State Park. 7-9pm.
Sat
11/10/2002 Breakfast at Campsite .
Sat.
11/10/2002 10am Muster for Beginning of our Scenic trip on
Caddo Lake.
Sat.
11/10/2002 Noon, Lunch on island in swamp area.
Sat
11/10/2002 5pm Return to campsite and clean up for
Dinner. Dinner in Uncertain Texas at a Catfish place. GREAT eating, Good Beer, Great Cobler
Sat
Sun 11/11/2002 TBA Optional kayaking day or "Antiquing" in
Jefferson Texas.
PLEASE RSVP : (email preferred)
Michael Railey
e-mail:
CELL: 469-387-2530