Choke CanyonBrochure |
Interpretive Guide of Choke Canyon State Park (SP) in Texas. Published by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
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INTERPRETIVE GUIDE
Javelina
Choke Canyon State
Park is a great place to
enjoy the natural world
around you. Try your
luck fishing, take a hike
or ride a bike on one of
the trails, spend the night
at one of our campsites or
shelters, or just explore!
Any way you choose
to experience the park,
please enjoy it safely and
responsibly!
White-tailed Deer
WELCOME TO CHOKE
CANYON STATE PARK!
• Make sure your trash and especially your used fishing line ends
up in the proper waste bin. Trash can hurt animals and plants in
the park.
UNWIND AND RECHARGE
• The nature and history of the park are here for everyone to
enjoy; please don’t take anything away from future visitors.
IN THE BEAUTY THIS
• Please drive, bike, and hike only in designated areas so you don’t
disturb any wildlife or plants. It’s their home, after all.
SPECIAL PLACE OFFERS.
• Make sure all of your food is secure inside so it doesn’t tempt the
wildlife to investigate!
NATURE
• Leave feeding to nature. Feeding wild animals will make them
sick and more likely to cause harm to people.
LIES
ALL
AROUND YOU IN SIGHTS
AND SOUNDS YOU WON’T
EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY.
WHETHER IT’S ON THE
TRAILS OR ON THE
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
Choke Canyon State Park – South Shore Unit
Lake Corpus Christi State Park, near Mathis, TX
Goliad State Park, Goliad, TX
Choke Canyon State Park – Calliham Unit
358 Recreation Rd. 8, Calliham, TX 78007
(361) 786-3868 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/chokecanyon
WATER, GET OUT AND
ENJOY YOUR PARK!
© 2019 TPWD. PWD BR P4502-0129F (7/19)
In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at
the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.
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.
Texas State Parks is a division of the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
CHOKE
CANYON
S TAT E PA RK
C H O K E
C A N Y O N
S T A T E
P A R K
FOR THE
BIRDS!
Texas Tortoise
A PLACE WILDLIFE
CAN CALL HOME
Many types of wildlife, including some
special to South Texas, call Choke
Canyon Reservoir and State Park home.
None makes more of an impact on the imagination
than the American alligator. Often seen sunning
themselves on the shores or patrolling the waters
of the reservoir or 75-acre Lake, these prehistoric
residents can reach over 14 feet! On the furrier side
of things and moving through the honey mesquite,
javelinas, also known as collared peccaries, are no less
interesting. Look for them foraging along the brush
line, often in family units with young in tow. These
are not the feral hogs taking over the south, they’re
native Texans!
American
Alligator
With its variety of habitats
and abundant resources,
Choke Canyon is an excellent place for you to see birds
of every shape and size.
Some call the park home
year-round, others just visit
Turkey
in the winter, and some
spend just a few weeks while heading north or south.
The bright colors of the green jay and Bullock’s oriole
and the melodic songs of the northern
cardinal and long-billed thrasher
remind you of how beautiful
nature can be. Watch the
skies for Harris’ hawks
hunting in teams, power
poles for crested caracaras
watching for carrion, the brush
line for wild turkeys strutting their
stuff and listen at night for the
common pauraque’s call.
Crested Caracara
Harris’ Hawk
CREATION OF A LAKE,
LOSS OF A TOWN
T
his area was once a part of Calliham,
Texas, a small community boasting the
first oil and gas wells in the south Texas
area. Investors in oil and gas helped to establish the
town from which a 68-mile-long pipeline was built
to deliver the first natural gas supply to San
Antonio. The industry continues to thrive in the
area surrounding the park.
As the years progressed, many people moved away
from Calliham and the population fell to about 120.
Meanwhile, the population of Corpus Christi grew.
In order to address water needs, the Bureau of
Reclamation built Choke Canyon Dam creating
the reservoir in 1982. The town of Calliham was
relocated three miles south of its original location
to make room for the reservoir.
The Choke Canyon Dam under construction, 1982.
Photo courtesy U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.