Atlanta

INTERPRETIVE GUIDE THANK YOU FOR VISITING! While enjoying this natural beauty, please remember that everything you see in the park is protected. Artifacts, rocks, plants, and animals (even snakes) are all part of the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. Help us keep park recreational use sustainable for the future and protect these resources by leaving things as you find them. FURTHER READING RECONNECT WITH THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF NORTH EAST TEXAS. ATLANTA STATE PARK SITS ON THE FORESTED REDDIRT BLUFFS ABOVE LAKE WRIGHT PATMAN. THIS HIDDEN GEM OF A STATE PARK PROVIDES AN ESCAPE FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF Abeles, Neil. 13, February 2013. Outlaw used ferry in quest for vengeance. Texarkana Gazette. Texarkana, Texas. Perttula, T.K. (editor) 2004. The Prehistoric and Caddoan Archeology of the Northeastern Texas Pineywoods. Prehistory of Texas. Texas A&M University Press, College Station. NEARBY STATE PARKS • Caddo Lake SP, Karnack, TX (903) 679-3351 • Daingerfield SP, Daingerfield, TX (903) 645-2921 • Martin Creek SP, Tatum, TX (903) 836-4436 Atlanta State Park 927 Park Road 42, Atlanta, TX 75551 (903) 796-6476 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/atlanta MODERN LIFE, AND A CHANCE TO WALK THE SAME TRAILS AND Cover photo: Red-bellied Woodpecker PATHS AS THE PIONEERS AND THE CADDO WHO CAME BEFORE. © 2022 TPWD. PWD BR P4508-0027K (7/22) TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. This publication can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/park-pubs ATLANTA STATE PARK S T A T E P A R K THE EVER-PRESENT FOREST The ever-present forest nestled in Atlanta State Park watches over the area’s inhabitants. They watch the stoic bald eagles that make their nests in towering pines, and the curious armadillo who scratches and claws at the dirt for grubs. The wise southern red, black, and white oak trees saw the birth of Lake Wright Patman. They were there when the Army Corps of Engineers blockaded the Sulphur River in 1948, and during the establishment of the 1,475-acre state park in the late 1950s. The solid and sturdy black hickories looked out across the land as record rainfall flooded Lake Wright Patman in 2016. For four months, standing water covered large sections of the forest floor. This event disturbed and restarted the process of growth in the forest. Today, these trees watch over the hikers, campers, boaters, and hunters who recreate in the park each year. Still, the forest’s memory goes back further. The trees that saw the increase in population along the Sulphur River Basin seeded the Shortleaf and Loblolly pines that stand today. These evergreen giants kept an eye on the wagons brought by the settlers. Those pioneers traveled the Bobo Ferry Trace for a new beginning. Before there were settlers, the Caddoan people called the rugged Northern Piney Woods home. The life-giving water of the Sulphur River attracted the Caddo. They fished, hunted, planted, and gathered their food along the banks of the river and trees. Before the Caddo called this area home, prehistoric nomads hunted under the forests and fished the winding rivers and streams. Today sits a Texas State Park, but the ever-present forest remembers those that came before. A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY A community is a group that shares a common bond, and Atlanta State Park is home to many communities. The sociable pelican migrates for the winter to commune and feed in the waters of Lake Wright Patman. Locals often bring their children and grandchildren to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The park offers amazing hiking, paddling, and camping opportunities. The day-use areas provide a space for birders, stargazers, and photographers. Whatever community you come from, Atlanta State Park has a little something for everyone. KATE SHERMAN, TPWD A T L A N T A