Peaceful Lake Livingston isn’t the most popular body of water in Texas, and that’s just how visitors and locals like it. Covering about 90,000 acres, it’s the second-largest lake in the state, so it’s easy to launch your boat from one of the 100 or so ramps and find a quiet, shady beach where you can spend the day swimming, fishing, or simply relaxing. And keep an eye out for wildlife — white-tailed deer, waterfowl, raccoons, armadillos, swamp rabbits, and even the occasional alligator live along the flat, wooded shores.

Livingston, the largest town in the area, is 10 minutes from the lake, but several small communities dot its shores. Swim in some of the lake’s prettiest blue water off quiet Blanchard on the eastern shore, or fish in one of the many coves around Point Blank on the western side. Bustling Onalaska sits on a peninsula on the northeastern side of the lake at one end of the picturesque Lake Livingston Bridge, and Trinity, the largest lakeside town, has a number of restaurants and shops, and one business that visitors have claimed is haunted.

With its warm days and abundant, blooming wildflowers, spring is the most pleasant time of year to stay in one of Lake Livingston’s vacation rentals. From early March to mid-May, bluebonnets, firewheels, Texas Indian paintbrush, and buttercups carpet the forest floor. But for a taste of small-town life, visit in summer, when the event calendar is chock-full of celebrations, including the Fourth of July picnic in the park, Saturday farmers’ markets, and regular Trade Day flea markets in nearby Livingston and Coldspring. Also, each June, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, whose territory is located east of Livingston, welcomes visitors to their annual powwow event.

Lake Livingston State Park

A small plot of protected land on the southeastern shore of Lake Livingston, this state park is nonetheless packed with opportunities for outdoor recreation. Rent canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards from the park store; participate in ranger-led activities; or hike one of the six short trails that wind through the park.

Fishing

Lake Livingston is well known among anglers for its white bass fishing, but you might also hook crappie or massive catfish, which are abundant. Unless you plan to fish from the shores of Lake Livingston State Park, you’ll need a license, which you can purchase at bait shops and sporting goods stores. The park store also offers loaner fishing poles.

Livingston Heritage Park

Glimpse the past at Livingston’s Heritage Park, home to a locomotive built in 1911 that once transported lumber between mill towns in the area, and the historic Jonas Davis Log Cabin. Other notable historical sites include the Old City Cemetery, which dates back to 1840, and Old Town Coldspring, which includes a replica general store and a two-room schoolhouse from the 1920s.