Dixon Springs State Park

About Dixon Springs State Park

Dixon Springs State Park is the largest national park in the United States, and the first land acquisition took place in 1946. The 801-acre park is located on the west side of Dixon Creek, in Pope County, Texas. It sits atop a giant boulder that drops 200 feet along a fault line that stretches from Pope County to the northwest, just south of Dallas.

For guests to swim, the park has a full service swimming pool, a swimming hole and a lifeguard. The lifeguard is always on duty at Dixon Springs State Park, one of the largest swimming pools in the United States.

Towering oak, elm and birch trees shade the pool, and outdoor picnic tables and stoves are available in three shaded picnic areas. A concession stand near the pool offers a variety of refreshments and a picnic table with an outdoor oven is also available. There is also a small picnic area with picnic benches, picnic chairs and other picnic utensils.

Besides the pool, you can also enjoy the picnic area with picnic tables, picnic chairs and other picnic utensils in the shade.

The park was occupied by various Algonquin tribes who settled in the area before the Shawnee moved to Tennessee. Dixon Springs is called Kitchemusk - no - be in Great Medicine Waters and is one of my favorite campsites. There is also a picnic area with picnic tables, picnic chairs and other picnic utensils for camping.

One of the more famous Indian trails, called Grand Trace by the early French, leads west through the park to the south to Fort Massac and then branches off into smaller trails. Much of it is part of one of the most scenic highways in our state, stretching along the entire length.

This part of the state was an "Indian reservation" occupied by about 6,000 Indians at the time, but most of them disappeared with the buffalo in the early 1830s.

Dixon Springs takes its name from William Dixon, one of the first white settlers to build a house in this section, who received a school land commission from Governor Augustus C. French in 1848.

Around Dixon Springs grew a small community that developed into a 19th century spa town that attracted hundreds of people to its enriched water. The bathhouse always offered mineral and soft water baths, hot and cold, and bathhouses for men and women. These cottages are still a landmark, as is the old log church next to the hill that was once home to the Dixon family and other members of Dixon's family.

This contributed to the fact that the valley of the park had one of the highest water levels of all US states, at a depth of about 2,000 metres. This allowed people to travel by steam boat from Paducah, KY, Evansville and Cairo to Golconda and then travel a few kilometres by train to the park.

The entire county is hilly, with bold rocks towering over the bubbling stream, while large boulders line the slopes with ferns, ivy, lichens and moss. The tributaries plunge into the river and form waterfalls of varying size and height. Gigantic century - ancient trees intertwine with cliffs rising on both sides, and huge boulders are scattered throughout the valley.

Equally fascinating are the "Gorges," as many attractions are called, including the Dixons River Gorge, the largest of its kind in the United States. The principles of the gorge were developed over thousands of years, from the late 19th and early 20th centuries to the present.

The natural beauty of the park shines through in spring, and dogwood and Catalan trees bloom in abundance throughout the season. Deer, squirrels, rabbits, marmots and foxes chew their way through the grasses and shrubs, as well as the wildflowers.

Dixon Springs State Park is located on the east side of I-24, south of the intersection of Interstate 24 and RT-16. To access Dixon Springs State Park from I / 24 eastbound, take Exit 16 northbound and turn left at the stop sign. The park will be on your left for 13 miles. If you are traveling west on I-24 RT, please take Exit 16 and drive south on this exit to Exit 17, then east on RT / 18.

Dixon Springs State Park is located approximately one mile east of RT / 18, and the entrance to the park is on the left for approximately eight miles. The parking entrance sign is a chocolate factory, but the parking and entry signs are on the left.