Tyler State Park offers clear lake, nice amenities

Park not as hard-hit by budget woes as others

TYLER — After Bill and Sharon Renaud bought a new RV, their first stop was Tyler State Park.

"We wanted to stay close to home our first time out — to make sure everything goes OK. We had heard about Tyler State Park and decided to give it a shot," Sharon Renaud said during the family's recent weeklong stay.

Bill, who works at All Seasons Windows and Doors in Longview, and Sharon, a stay-at-home wife and mother, were keeping a close eye on the couple's three children swimming in the park's 64-acre lake. Nine-year-old Alex was easy to spot holding his inflatable shark.

At a nearby campsite, Bryan Boyd and his wife and daughter from Corsicana were getting ready to go out for lunch.

"You can only have hamburgers and hot dogs so many times," Bryan's wife, Tammye, said.

Tammye Boyd, a child care center owner, said the family bought their camper in February and has plans to try out all the area parks. Their next stop is Daingerfield State Park.

Tyler State Park is one of their favorites because of the nice amenities and the quiet setting, Tammye Boyd said.

"It's just a great place. We love the pine trees," she said.

Bill Smart, the park manager, said keeping the amenities — showers, screened shelters and dining hall — well-maintained hasn't been easy.

"The grass is getting mowed. The bathrooms are being cleaned. Those essential items are being done, but other maintenance is getting set aside," said Smart, the manager for 3 1/2 years.

State budget cuts have taken a toll on the park and the entire system, Smart said.

He said Tyler State Park has been more fortunate than some, though, because it's "high visited and high profile." About 250,000 people visit the park each year.

Building repairs have had to be put off and one employee vacancy was left unfilled for almost a year.

The position was in the educational outreach program, so many school groups that wanted to come to the park had to be turned away.

To counter the increasing fuel and electricity costs, some fees at the park increased last September by $2 and the park's store, which carries snacks and gift items, has been marketed more.

"We've increased our revenue by $5,000 a month. It's been largely due to increased sales at the store," Smart said.

Smart said Tyler State Park has some unique features, such as a clear lake good for diving and swimming and premier biking trails, that keep it at the top of East Texans' list of recreational venues.

"The clarity of the lake — visibility is 10 to 12 feet. You don't get that in East Texas normally. It's good for swimming and scuba diving. And the bike trails are a huge draw for us. We have 10 to 20 bikers on the average everyday during the week. On the weekends we get probably 50 bikers," he said.

The operational budget for Tyler State Park for 2005-06 increased by $8,000 to $181,000 over the previous fiscal year. Smart said that wasn't enough to cover increased fuel prices or capital needs, though.

He said he would like to see all state parks receive adequate funding. Until the budget crisis is over, he said he is always willing to help out other state parks in any way he can, including by sharing employees with the parks that are understaffed.

He said Tyler State Park has 12 full-time employees and could use more, but " I'm not going to be hoggish to the detriment of my fellow parks."

Smart said he's optimistic that the state park system will receive proper funding, but until then, resourceful park managers will do what it takes to make sure parkgoers have a great stay.

"We're going to get by. We're going to give our customers what they need," Smart said.

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If you go

What: Tyler State Park

Where: Two miles north of Interstate 20 on FM 14 north of Tyler on Park Road 16

Address: 789 Park Road 16, Tyler, Texas 75706-9141

Phone: (903) 597-5338

Reservations: Online at www.tpwd.state.tx.us; by phone at (512) 389-8900

Activities: Camping, hiking, swimming, biking, fishing, scuba diving, boating and picnicking

Facilities: Restrooms, showers, tent sites, dump station, amphitheater, trails, boat ramp, fishing pier, screened-in shelters, dining hall, recreational vehicle hook-ups, trailer rally area and picnic sites.

Entrance: $3 per day per person, age 13 and older. Free entry with Texas Annual Park Pass

Overnight: $10 for tent camping; $22 for screened shelters