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 Recreation:
We hope your visit is a pleasant one and that you will come again and
bring friends and family with you when you come again.
Parks:
The Wallisville Lake Project has two parks and two recreation areas for
our visitors.
1.
Cedar Hill Park was opened in 2000 and is managed by Chambers
County by a lease agreement. On the northeast bank of Lake Charlotte,
Cedar Hill Park is named for the large cedar trees throughout the park.
Several shell middens in the area around Lake Charlotte show us that
this area was used by prehistoric Native Americans. By the time of the
Texas revolution, Lake Charlotte was a resort area with two-masted scow
schooners plying the waters from the Trinity River through Lake Pass and
into the lake. Nicholas Descomps Labadie, physician, pharmacist, and
entrepreneur had a plantation home on the shore of Lake Charlotte during
the 1830’s. Labadie served as surgeon for Sam Houston’s army and tended
the wounded at San Jacinto. He later traded his plantation to Michel B.
Menard of Galveston, Texas for wharf rights and built Labadie’s Wharf
near the foot of 26th street in Galveston, where he operated
a shipping firm that imported lumber. Lake Charlotte is named for
Labadie’s mother, Charlotte Barthe Labadie. To get to Cedar Hill from
I-10 take the FM 563 exit and go north on FM 563 to Lake Charlotte
Road. Turn left (west) onto Lake Charlotte Road. The park entrance is
on the left just across from the Sherman family’s cemetery. A pavilion
with tables, grills, and trash cans can accommodate large groups. Small
groups may also use the individual covered and /or shaded picnic
tables. Vaulted toilets are available for visitor convenience. Almost
three miles of graveled trails with boardwalks out into the cypress
swamp along the bank of Lake Charlotte are excellent for birding and
small animal wildlife viewing. Bald eagles are known to fish from Lake
Charlotte. The cypress swamps along the banks of Lake Charlotte are
also excellent for paddling canoes and kayaks. A hand-launch area is
located at the lakeshore side of the loop road in the park. A limited
amount of primitive style camping is allowed at Cedar Hill Park. Please
contact the Chambers County Commissioner’s Pct. 3 office at 281-576-2243
for permits and fee information. Please utilize trash cans for waste
items left over from your recreational use of the park.
 2. Hugo
Point Park was opened in 2003 and is also managed by Chambers County
by a lease agreement. On the west bank of Old River Lake, Hugo Point
Park is named for Hugo Franssen, who came to the United States from
Holland and became a US citizen in 1844. He and his wife, Metta, came
to Texas about 1854 and settled on the west bank of Old River in the
Cove community, from where he operated a freight boat between Cove and
Galveston. Hugo, Metta, and several other family members are buried in
the family cemetery surrounded by a fence in the park. Please respect
their privacy during your visit. To get to Hugo Point from I-10 take
the FM 565 exit and go south on FM 565 to Gou Hole Road. Turn left onto
Gou Hole Road and follow it out to the gate at the end of the public
road. Turn left into the park. Day use facilities include a large
pavilion, individual picnic tables, restrooms, playground, a two-lane
boat ramp, parking for vehicles with or without trailers, and a handicap
accessible trail out into the marsh with an accessible observation
tower. Hugo Point is a day use park only, no overnight camping is
allowed. Please contact the Chambers County Commissioner’s Pct 4 office
at 281-383-2011for information about pavilion reservations. Please
utilize trash cans for waste items left over from your recreational use
of the park.
 3.
Trinity River Island Recreation Area first opened to the public in
1999, but was not completed until 2003. Operated by the US Army Corps
of Engineers, TRIRA is an island between the main stem of the Trinity
River and the engineered navigation channel. From the Houston area take
the exit 806 off I-10 and follow the feeder road to the large brown
Corps of Engineers sign for Trinity River Island Recreation Area and
turn right (south) through the pipe gate onto Lock & Dam Road. Follow
Lock & Dam on south to the recreation area across the bridge at the
dam. From the Beaumont area take exit 807 off I-10 and cross under I-10
at the underpass. Turn right (west) onto the south feeder road and
follow the feeder road to the large brown Corps of Engineers sign for
Trinity River Island Recreation Area and turn left (south) through the
pipe gate onto Lock & Dam Road. Follow Lock & Dam on south to the
recreation area across the bridge at the dam. All facilities here are
handicap accessible and include both covered and uncovered picnic
tables, fishing access on both upstream and downstream sides of the dam,
a two-lane boat ramp, life jacket loaner station, restrooms, trash cans,
parking for regular, handicap access, and vehicles with trailers or
RV’s, the Project Office complex with our Visitor Center, and accessible
walkways. Please use the handrail areas above and below the dam and the
banks along the river for fishing access. For your safety, fishing is
not allowed from the bridge or the dam structure. The picnic tables,
fishing access, walkways, restrooms, parking, and boat ramp are all open
24/7. The Visitor Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to
4:00 PM and Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays from 8:00 AM to 5:00
PM. We’re closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
 JJ
Mayes Wildlife Trace
is a 4 mile all weather road atop the levee along the west bank of the
Trinity River. Opened in 2003, the Trace gives visitors a close-up view
of the marshes and river bank habitats and many of the wildlife species
living within the boundaries of the Wallisville Project. The Trace is
named for Joshua Jackson Mayes, one of the early Anglo settlers in the
Wallisville area of Chambers County. His ranch grew to be one of the
largest cattle operations in the county. Mayes served in both the
Mexican War and the Civil War. Both JJ and his wife, Sarah, are buried
in the Wallisville Cemetery, just east of the Project. A picnic area
under a forest of stately old live oaks, planted by the Mayes family,
near the entrance welcomes you to the Trace. The Sawmill Trail begins
at the parking area just beyond the “4 way” intersection. This trail
meanders along the river bank down to the lock. About half way down the
trail runs into the handicap accessible loop. The loop can be accessed
from the main Trace at two parking areas. The loop also has boardwalks,
benches, and overlooks on the west bank of the Trinity. The loop is
just under a mile in length. At the lower end of the Trace, a pavilion,
restrooms and parking area are available. Remember that this is the
Gulf Coast area and be prepared for mosquitoes as you leave your
vehicle. The Trace is open seven days a week except Thanksgiving and
Christmas from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Birding:
As a Site Partner with the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, the Wallisville
Lake Project is recognized as a crucial habitat area for both
neotropical migrants and resident avian species. The Trinity River is a
major corridor for migration both north and south. The Mouth of the
Trinity River Waterbird Rookery hosts 12 species of nesting colonial
waterbirds. Both Cedar Hill Park and Hugo Point Park have trails and
boardwalk areas for hiking and birding. The JJ Mayes Wildlife Trace is
both a driving and walking birder’s paradise. Stop by the Visitor’s
Center at Trinity River Island Recreation Area for maps and information.
Fishing:
Anglers can find their heart’s desire in the waters of the Wallisville
Lake Project. Depending on tides, winds, and fish movements, salt water
species can be caught one day and fresh water species the next, or maybe
even on the same day. The Trinity River record yellow bullhead catfish weighing 66 pounds was
caught just north of the I-10 bridge. And bull sharks have been
collected also near the I-10 bridge. Redfish cavort in Lost Lake and
southern flounder too big to fit in a cooler have been caught near the
dam structure. A valid Texas fishing license is required for persons 17
years and older up to those born before September 1, 1930.
(TPWD Fishing)
Fishing is allowed just about everywhere on Project waters with the
following few exceptions: No fishing is allowed at the Mouth of the
Trinity River Waterbird Rookery, No fishing is allowed off the bridge at
the entrance to the Project Office, and No fishing is allowed off the
dam structure. Please pick up all accumulated refuse after your fishing
adventure and use our trash receptacles. Wading birds can become
entangled in discarded fishing line and drown.
Hunting:
Hunting on the Wallisville Lake Project is limited to the waterfowl season
for ducks and geese. Over the past few years, the early teal portion
of the season has had the best results. See our hunting map for
information about our location and the areas that are open or closed to
hunting. (Waterfowl
Hunting Map WLP here) Waterfowl hunting is allowed for
licensed hunters on a day-use basis and on a permitted seasonal blind
basis. Right click and "Save
Target As" to your computer or "Open" this .kmz file which
contains the points of the permitted duck
blinds within the project or this PDF.
For information on the seasonal permit process, see the Hunting section
of the Rules and Regulations page of our site. Also see the Rules
and Regulations page of our site for information about what can and cannot
be done on Project lands and waters. For information on state hunting
laws and season lengths see the Texas Parks and Wildlife Waterfowl Digest
for the current year. (TPWD
Waterfowl Digest) NO other type of hunting is allowed
at any time on the Project. This includes the hunting of feral hogs.
Feral hogs can be taken only by permits issued by Park Rangers.
Wallisville Lake Project
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 293
Wallisville, TX 77597
Phone: (409) 389-2285
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