Pick your pleasure at Lake Bob Sandlin

Visitors find the livin' is easy at Lake Bob Sandlin — whether hiking, swiming, fishing or taking in the sun

PITTSBURG — Michael Reddington's shoes fill with water as he wades beneath the fishing pier at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park.

He doesn't seem to notice. The 11-year-old from Dallas is too busy showing off his first largemouth bass, a massive, glistening fish that he hoists from the water by a piece of twine that's been looped through its gills.

Like all great catches, this one comes with a story.

"My pole was bobbing and he kind of swam off, and he was so strong he pulled my line out," Michael says. "I finally got the pole (under control), and my dad pulled him up by the string."

Park Manager Paul Harris says experiences such as the one shared by Michael and his father are what have made Lake Bob Sandlin State Park, the recreational area on the north shore of Lake Bob Sandlin reservoir, a popular getaway for people who typically come from the Dallas metroplex.

Though the park has not been untouched by recent budget woes in the state park system, Harris said, its popularity has helped Lake Bob Sandlin avoid most of the budget cuts that have plagued other parks.

"It's only a two-hour drive from Dallas, but you feel like you're a million miles away," he said.

The 640-acre park straddles two ecosystems, the post oak belt and the Piney Woods. During a mid-morning drive through the park on Memorial Day weekend, Harris braked as he waited for a white-spotted fawn to amble out of the roadway.

"She's looking for Mama," he said.

Campers and day visitors can get a glimpse of the park's wildlife on five miles of hiking and biking trails, but many choose to laze away the day on the fishing pier or at the playground, swimming at the beach, or picnicking.

Every campsite was full on Memorial Day weekend, but at least one family had no trouble finding a vacant picnic table and grill within view of the beach. Videotaping her grandchildren as they played in the water, Mary Ann Hurst said she appreciates the park's many shade trees on warm days.

"This is a nice setup, nice shade for the kids instead of just sun," said Hurst, from the Dallas suburb of Glenn Heights. "It seems like a family place for kids."

The 9,400-acre lake is also popular with boat fishermen. The reservoir's water level has been about 5 feet below average, and the park's boat ramp has been closed for the past six months. Harris said he has to refer people to the public boat ramp across the highway from the park, cutting into revenues.

To make matters worse, he said, the park operated for about three months this winter without any part-time employees after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the agency that oversees the state parks system, cut part-timers from the budget. The park made do with its five full-time staff members, but Harris said it was a troubling time for the park.

"Every day it was like, 'Who's next?' " Harris said. "Not that I ever thought we were going to be closed down, but there were times when I worried about who we were going to lose."

Lake Bob Sandlin's allotment for part-time employees was later restored by the state Legislature. Harris said the park was spared because it is considered more likely than some to break even. The park brought in about $232,000 in 2005 and has budgeted about $277,000 for 2006, he said.

"The ultimate goal is to recuperate operating costs, and we're very close to doing that," he said.

Harris said upgrades to camp facilities, as well as fishing tournaments and kids' fishing days, could help push the park into the black. A cross country meet draws a crowd each fall, and the park occasionally hosts "star parties" in the summer with a donated 8-foot-tall telescope.

Good security and a family environment also make a difference, he said.

"We want them to come back," he said. "They have a lot of different options."

Back on the fishing pier, Michael was waiting for his next big catch. Whether the fish were biting or not, said Michael's father, Drew Reddington of Dallas, he was content to enjoy the peaceful moment with his son and daughter, 14-year-old Taylor.

"During the week, they're all involved in sports, and something's going on every night," he said. "When we get a three-day weekend, we go camping."

The Reddington family brings its pop-up camper to Lake Bob Sandlin once or twice a year, and Michael said the park offers much more than fishing.

"Most of the time I ride my bike and play with my dog," he said.

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About: Lake Bob Sandlin State Park is a 640-acre park on the heavily wooded north shoreline of 9,400-acre Lake Bob Sandlin, southeast of Mount Pleasant in Titus County. It was acquired in 1979 and opened in 1987.

Address: 341 State Park Road 2117, Pittsburg, TX 75686

Phone: (903) 572-5531

Directions: U.S. 271 to Pittsburg. West on Texas 11, North on FM 21, cross the lake, and the park is on the right.

Reservations: Recommended because campsites regularly fill up. Online, www.tpwd.state.tx.us. Phone: (512) 389-8900. Fax: (512) 389-8959.

Activities: Picnicking, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, in-line skating and fishing for largemouth bass, catfish and crappie. Eagles can be spotted during winter months. A variety of birds and wildlife can be viewed year round. Interpretive tours and nature walks are given on some weekends and by request. Souvenirs are sold at the park store.

Events: Occasional fishing tournaments, kids' fishing days, an annual cross country meet and "star parties," summertime star viewings with the park's 8-foot telescope

Facilities: Restrooms with showers; nine lakeside campsites with water and electricity; two primitive camping areas; 66 campsites with water and electricity; 12 screened shelters; eight limited-use cabins (air-conditioning and heating, bunk beds with mattresses, no linens, no inside plumbing); and a group picnic pavilion with six or eight tables, water and electricity, a large barbecue grill and restrooms.

Entrance fee: $2 per day, per person age 13 and older