Bois d'Arc Trail - Bonham State Park

Some trails are known for their scenic vistas. Others are known for their challenging terrain. The Bois d'Arc Trail offers neither of these. Instead it offers a chance to hike through history. Bonham State Park was built from 1933-1936 by Company 894 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The men of the CCC built the park's lake along with the concession building (currently headquarters), boathouse, picnic tables, barbecue pits, foot bridges, and water tower. Much of the work of the CCC can be found along the 2.7 mile long Bois d'Arc Trail.

Bonham State Park is on the small side, coming in at 261 acres including a 65 acre lake. The park contains roughly seven miles of hiking trails. While this park may be small in size, it is filled with beauty and history. The park's small size and easily connected trails make it possible to hike all the trails in a single day without ever moving your vehicle. 

The Bois d'Arc Trail is accessible from a couple of different locations. If you are only wanting to check out the work of the CCC, it is best to start your hike in the group tent area. If you are up for longer hike, you may want to begin your hike on the Gnarly Root Trail and use it to connect to the Bois d'Arc Trail. This was the location from which I began my hike.

Not far from the junction of the Gnarly Root Trail and the Bois d'Arc Trail you find your first piece of CCC work - a pump house. Erected in 1936, it once provided water for the park. Today is it in a state of disuse and is fenced off.

After passing the pump house, the trail runs along the park's northern boundary and takes a few twists and curves before turning south. I lost track of the trail along this segment. I found my way back to the trail by following the fence line (park boundary) and using a mapping app on my phone.

As you continue your way down the trail and make your way through the forest, you will come across various picnic tables, seating areas, and fire pits built by the CCC which were built using locally sourced cream-colored limestone.  I inquired with a park ranger as to why these items are located in the forest away from the park's present primary amenities. He stated that the items were part of the park's original day use area. When the park was first built, the forest did not exist which allowed for a view of the lake. One has to wonder, if these limestone blocks could talk, what stories would they tell?

The CCC segment of the trail contains some splendid forests. However, the trail twists, curves, and crosses itself several times in this area. Navigation of some sort is recommended to help you find your way through the forest (I personally used the All Trails app on my phone). Even if you do not have navigation, you are never far from the park boundary or a road, so getting completely lost is not likely.

The trail exits the forest and connects to the group tent area via a small footbridge built in 1935 by the the CCC. If your only interest in this trail is the CCC work, this is a good location from which to begin your hike. If you are looking to extend your hike, from this point you can walk a short distance by road and connect to the Lake Loop or Armadillo trails. 

The Bois d'Arc Trail is nothing extraordinary, but I found the works of the CCC fascinating and worth my while. Bonham State Park may be a smaller state park, but it is packed with beauty and history. If you are looking for a day of leisurely hiking, this park is an excellent place to visit. For a hike filled with history, check out the Bois d'Arc Trail!

More Information:

• Bonham State Park
• Bonham State Park and the CCC
• Bonham State Park Facebook
• Bonham State Park Instagram
• All Trails