huntsville state park alligator attacks

Huntsville State Park is in Sam Houston National Forest and part of the Piney Woods area of East Texas. Liked the hiking trails, scenery etc. Copyright 2015 WAFF. Do let park staff know if you encounter a nuisance gator that has lost its fear of people. It is against state law, and a provoked alligator is likely to bite. There are fish cleaning stations near each pier. We take our kayaks with us and can launch them from that area. Take and wear your shower shoes. Families were back in the clear waters of Blue Spring State Park on Wednesday, tubing and swimming down the narrow run that becomes packed … From where we live now it's about an hour drive to get there so it's been our family's top choice for a weekend getaway camping trip. See more ideas about texas state parks, kayaking, state parks. Mar 3, 2017 - kayaking, Texas State Park. With six lakes, the park is home to plenty of alligators. My husband and I arrived early 2:30 on Friday to ensure we got two side by side camping sites and on the water edge. Motor boats are allowed in the lake but they are restricted to idle speed so you don't have to worry about getting swamped or run over by "speed boats". The body of 62-year-old James Okkerse was found at the bottom of a channel in Blue Spring State Park. We flagged down a park ranger that came by shortly after and he took care of the situation.Don't forget to take your own firewood as you are not allowed to scavenge fallen timber within the park (although some folks do anyway). The Huntsville SP trail map notes that the trail is “named for the Big and Little Chinquapin Creeks (that the trail crosses), not the oak tree. The permanent Federal CITES Alligator Possession Tag will be affixed to the harvested alligator by Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries personnel at the check station at Roland Cooper State Park. Don't kill, harass, molest or try to move alligators. Larry Swearingen, 48, received the lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for his part in the brutal strangling of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter in December 1998. The camping sites are assigned when you arrive at the park. Rules and regulations for City of Huntsville parks Trails & Greenways. The day before the fatality, there were two sightings of the 12-foot alligator … that can be caught here. Gator attack a reminder of how dangerous the reptiles can be Texas Parks and Wildlife estimates there to be at least 500,000 alligators in Texas, with a … Lake Raven is a small man made lake and the camping areas of the park wrap around the lake. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Huntsville offers more than 60 public parks, recreation areas and two nature preserves Park Rules. A 2-year-old Nebraska boy was dragged by an alligator into a lagoon near Disney’s upscale Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Parks are open one hour before sunrise and closed one hour after sunset, unless otherwise posted. ! The lake, and state park, is teeming with alligators. We have 21 miles of trails, playgrounds, a bird blind and nature center. more. Especially a stretch of the CCC that almost looked like a tree graveyard.I'll definitely go back, but wil try a campsite in the 80s or 90s as I said before. Park host was extremely... The homeowner said he went outside for a smoke when he saw the gator by his dog's food. Locate a park! The body was discovered at about 9:30 a.m. by a kayaker, who … The sites are at the far end of the Colonel camping area. Today, no Chinquapins exist in the park.” The Triple C trail is 8.5 miles along the park boundary and honors the Civilian Conservation Corp that helped construct the park beginning in 1937. Pay a small entrance fee, and head out along the nature trails. Paths are good, some... Take a virtual tour with our interactive trails map. I know my wife was a bit startled the first time we kayaked together here and encountered a gator within 30 seconds of launching. Click here for more information about state laws on reptiles and amphibians and for more information on the Gator Gambler. FWC statistics catalog 383 unprovoked alligator attacks between 1948 and 2016. Be careful with children and pets!! 75 reviews of Huntsville State Park "Huntsville State Park is the place for the outdoorsy guy/gal who wants it all: canoeing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, cooking out, and even paddle boating! An alligator, 4 to 7 feet long, dragged the victim under water in the Seven Seas Lagoon about 9pm on June 14, 2016, at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa just outside ofT Orlando, Florida. It's not a great fishing lake but there are bass, catfish, sunfish, etc. However, be aware that the access point is very, very muddy so you will need either some rubber boots or make provisions to enter your kayak in a way that you don't have to step in the mud. An alligator attacked 13-year-old Kaleb Hurley … families with kids). read more, Liked the hiking trails, scenery etc. Our 3 days were very quiet. Restrooms are opened each morning and closed each evening. ... birdwatching, cycling and, of course, alligator-watching. I got my reservations about 6 weeks in advance. Right inside of Lake Kissimmee State Park is Lake Kissimmee, Florida's third largest lake. Our youngest daughter had a close encounter with one dog on our last trip when she went for a jog and the animal approached her in an aggressive manner. Canoes and paddle boats can be rented by the hour. History. Best Cajun ... Lake Raven, Huntsville State Park. Phone: We love the park but the fishing was sub-par and alligators were in plain view the park is so peaceful and we went through the university. We did the “long” hike around the lake, 6.8 miles, nice through the woods. My in-laws have a motorhome and there is plenty of room for that plus a trailer and 2-3 more vehicles. They seemed a bit larger and, more importantly, the fire rings were closer to the picnic table. The showers can get a bit grungy after heavy use but that's typical of most public parks. Huntsville State Park is in Sam Houston National Forest and part of the Piney Woods area of East Texas. There is a nice boat launch on the west side of the park.We have always found the restrooms to be well maintained during our visits. I camp in a tent with as little gear as possible, so I don't like bringing in a folding chair.The trail was great. This alligator is not afraid of people. If that's the case, I recommend calling ahead and making reservations. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. If anything, this damage has made the hike a bit more haunting. Just an hour away from Houston proper, it's the perfect day-trip getaway. We saw a couple alligators in the water several hundred feet from our camp site. that can be caught here. Those seemed less used on this trip. There is water only at the camp site 102 and 104 and the cost is $15 a night. HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - Early Wednesday morning, Huntsville police responded to a home located on Azealia Road for reports of a loose alligator in someone's backyard.When police arrived, they found the foot-and-a-half alligator very upset and on the loose. Canoes and paddle boats can be rented by the hour. Great fast, fun trails. There are two nice fishing piers, one in each section of the park (east or west). You can get an annual park pass when you arrive.The restrooms and showers were average for a Texas state park. During the week it is quiet and you feel like you almost have the park to yourself. Huntsville State Park is in Sam Houston National Forest and part of the Piney Woods area of East Texas. It's not a great fishing lake but there are bass, catfish, sunfish, etc. A Gray Media Group, Inc. Station - © 2002-2021 Gray Television, Inc. Mostly cloudy skies and isolated rain showers will be expected this evening with overnight low temps dropping to freezing by Sunday morning. View locations, amenities, and parking directions for local trails & greenways Contact. Lane Graves, 2, male. While fishing last weekend at Cedar Hill Park in Chambers County, several members of a Huntsville family decided to enter the waist-deep water. Motor boats are allowed in the lake but they are restricted to idle speed so you don't have to worry about getting swamped or run over by "speed boats". The park and restrooms are extremely well maintained. Lake Raven is a small man made lake and the camping areas of the park wrap around the lake. Canoes can be rented by the hour or by the day: I'd recommend the $30 all-day rental. In the early 1930s, at a meeting of the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce, it was suggested that a park be built around Huntsville. Whitt, who is allowed to own alligators because he is a licensed alligator exhibitor, says that owning gators without a license can bring serious charges. Be aware that there are alligators in the lake and although I have never heard of any kind of attack on humans by the gators here it can be a bit unnerving for some folks to encounter them in their canoes, kayaks, etc. For others you might want to look somewhere else more secluded when schools out. We get a couple of the spots on the water side, 12, 14 and 15 are the ones we try for if available. Please DO NOT FEED! Veterans Museum of Texas, Hotels near Aunique Ranch Gypsy Cob Vanner Horses, Hotels near Samuel Walker Houston Museum & Cultural Center, Hotels near (IAH) George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Hotels near Sebring Career School - Huntsville, TX, Samuel Walker Houston Museum & Cultural Center, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Huntsville, Game & Entertainment Centers in Huntsville. Huntsville State Park is a 2,083.2-acre (843 ha) wooded recreational area, six miles (10 km) southwest of Huntsville, Texas, within Walker County and the Sam Houston National Forest. Animal Control responded and picked up the alligator. Recently a seven-foot alligator was videoed by TWRA Region 1 personnel in West Tennessee at the Wolf River WMA in Fayette County. We did the “long” hike around the lake, 6.8 miles, nice through the woods. We recently bought a 28' travel trailer so we are looking forward to taking it to Huntsville in the near future. There is a lot of wild life to remind you why its nice to escape into wilderness every now and then. Huntsville State Park. The canoes and paddle boats rented for $10 an hour or $25 for 3 hours. Alligator Dos and Don’ts. Texas Parks and Wildlife is investigating a video that appears to show a dog being killed by an alligator in what the post said was the Trinity River in Riverside, Texas. Find a Park. We usually stay in the Raven Hill camping area. What's not known is whether it was someone's escaped pet. The campsites are large, but I'd try one of the sites between 80 and 100. State laws prohibit owning alligators and similar animals as pets. Average Weather in October in Huntsville Texas, United States. Weston Whitt owns the Gator Gambler exhibit and gift store in Ardmore. We got sites 102 and 104. Trails. Adapted from "Living with Alligators," Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Although the parking lot is always full, as is the day use picnic area; the trails are empty. Lake Livingston State Park wraps around the lake's southeastern shore. There are two nice fishing piers, one in each section of the park (east or west). The Texas Department of State Health… All rights reserved. Lake Raven is a small man made lake and the camping areas of the park wrap around the lake. His father and mother tried to rescue him; the father was attacked by … Be aware that there are alligators in the lake and although I have never heard of any kind of attack on humans by the gators here it can be a bit unnerving for some folks to encounter them in their canoes, kayaks, etc. The park has 2-miles of hiking trails, but for gator spotters the best path is a 0.1-mile long boardwalk that begins at the park’s northern trailhead at Bayfront Park (GPS coordinates to the trailhead: 30.629963, -87.918242). The Gator Gambler warns that if you keep an alligator, if the gator doesn't get you, the law has teeth that can be hazardous, too. My husband, 9 friends and I spent the weekend (2 nights) in Huntsville State Park 4/26-4/28. We saw several more alligators in the water when we rented canoes and paddle boats. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. During months with freezing temperatures, restrooms remain closed to protect the pipes. You can see the devastation the droughts of the past few years have caused, but it's still a great trail. It was a quite camping area of the park except for the million frogs at night and birds in the morning. A body was discovered Friday morning on the north side of Lake Shelby in Gulf State Park. At Huntsville State Park, you can camp, hike, bike, picnic, fish, swim, paddle, geocache and study nature. And any regulated animal you cannot keep in your home and possess as a pet," says Whitt. But on weekends/holidays that place is packed ( esp. Take pictures from a distance and don't disturb the alligator. Jump in the Pool. There always seems to be plenty of hot water.The rangers and park hosts do a good job of keeping the noise down at night and the rangers have been helpful when we had issues with folks not keeping their dogs leashed. On our last trip I took a couple of old wooden pallets and set them end to end to where we could use them as kind of a dock on one side of our selected entry point.Huntsville State Park is in Sam Houston National Forest and part of the Piney Woods area of East Texas. The homeowner said he went outside for a smoke when he saw the gator by his dog's food. The following rules and regulations apply to all City of Huntsville parks. "It actually can become a felony if you've got so many.". Alligators live in the park; read our alligator safety tips. This park fills up fast on the weekends so get your reservations early. There are two nice fishing piers, one in each section of the park (east or west). They have 18 alligators, mostly rescued. NEAR HUNTSVILLE, TX-- It's no surprise folks in Texas like to fish. They have a lot of campsites overlooking the lake and quite a few trails to hike. On a warm night last July, state park employees were rushing to evacuate audience members from Palo Duro Canyon’s amphitheater, which sits between sunset-brushed rocks in Texas’ panhandle. The investigation is underway to find out where the alligator came from. "I would have to say common sense tells you it's illegal because they're dangerous.". Florida has 339 documented alligator attacks from 1948-2006 with incidents also reported in South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and Alabama. The 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail, a portion of which has gained National Recreation Trail status, winds through the Sam Houston National Forest. She is at least 7 ft long and will swim right up to the dock. He further informed me that they could be found at the interpretive center. Our 3 days were very quiet. This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. They are categorized as follows: The entrance fee is $5 a day so consider getting an annual park pass (for all state parks) for $70. Lake Raven is a small man made lake and the camping areas of the park wrap around the lake. Hiking - Hiking is a popular way to enjoy the forest and its beauty. He said that they had attacked his black Lab, and he wanted me to write the owner a citation. We hiked three beautiful trails for a total of about ten miles. This latest sighting is one of several confirmed sightings of alligators in Southwest Tennessee. Which I wouldn't say is a con if you have little ones . Always try to go at least once a month. Lots of shade too. I camped in site #60 and hiked The Chinquapin trail and part of the CCC trail. The site where I stayed had a large concrete picnic table which was nice, but it was so far from the fire ring, that I had to sit on the ground to be close to the fire. April 15, 2015 at 9:17 AM CDT - Updated July 12 at 2:13 AM, How to Program your Midland Weather Radio, information about state laws on reptiles and amphibians, COVID-19 in Alabama: 831 new confirmed cases on Saturday. In June 2011, David Bostwick was attacked by an alligator while canoeing with his son on Rock Springs Run near Kings Landing. Both sites were large, had a picnic table and fire ring with grill. But if Lake Livingston is your favorite spot, it might be time to pull up bait and relocate. GATOR ATTACKS IN TEXAS: Though there are hundreds of thousands of alligators on the landscape in southeast Texas, attacks are rare. HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - Early Wednesday morning, Huntsville police responded to a home located on Azealia Road for reports of a loose alligator in someone's backyard.When police arrived, they found the foot-and-a-half alligator very upset and on the loose. Alligator attacks have occurred elsewhere in the state park. "They're a regulated animal. read more. There are fish cleaning stations near each pier. You just might find a BIG alligator catching some rays as you go. This is one of the places my husband and I like to disappear to when we have a couple days off. 1414 North Memorial ParkwayHuntsville, AL 35801(256) 533-4848. Ask Adchsmack about Huntsville State Park, Ask Aberryman00 about Huntsville State Park, Ask tx_design about Huntsville State Park, Ask realangel21 about Huntsville State Park, Ask Stevereno_12 about Huntsville State Park, Hotels near H.E.A.R.T.S. On one occasion, an irate park visitor reported that two pit bulldogs had been running loose on the eight-mile trail at Huntsville State Park. In Decatur, parks and recreation officials warned residents to be on alert after a gator was spotted near walking trails at Point Mallard State Park. Yaki-Snack Attack. June 14, 2016. There are some nice trails around the park for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Luckily although there have been some significant tree losses here due to drought it is has not been hit as hard as some others (Livingston State Park for example) and the tree canopy is still pretty heavy.Living in the Houston area since 1976, I have been to Huntsville State Park a number of times over the years.

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