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POLK COUNTY, TEXAS
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PolkTX · Things to Do

Things to do

Public places worth a drive, inside Polk County. Every entry links to the source it came from. Hours and fees change — call before you load the car.

A wooden boardwalk curving away through pine and hardwood forest at Lake Livingston State Park, with shallow standing water beside it on the right.

Before you go

Four things that catch people out here.

1

Hours and fees change without notice. Small museums and county facilities close for holidays and for staffing. Call ahead.

2

Lake Livingston is not all in Polk County. The reservoir touches several counties. Places on the far shore — Coldspring, Point Blank, Trinity — are somewhere else, under a different park authority.

3

Hunting seasons affect trails. Federal land in the Big Thicket allows hunting in fall and winter. Check the unit page before you go and wear orange.

4

Tribal land is sovereign land. The Alabama-Coushatta reservation sets its own access rules. What a travel site said five years ago is not what is open today.

On the water

3 places in Polk County

Brown Texas Parks and Wildlife entrance sign reading Lake Livingston State Park.

Lake Livingston State Park

Livingston · Polk County

A 635-acre state park on the southeastern shore of Lake Livingston, about seven miles southwest of town off FM 3126. Pine and hardwood forest, hiking and biking trails, boat ramps and a park store and marina. Opened 1977, managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Address
300 State Park Road 65, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
Park open daily 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.; park store and marina daily 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Cost
$6 daily per person 13 and older; 12 and under free
Good for
Camping, day hikes, bank and boat fishing, birding, a swim in summer.
Camping and day-use entry are reserved through TPWD, and busy weekends fill. TPWD states the park often reaches capacity, so entry is not guaranteed without a reservation.
Official Site Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1
The Lake Livingston Dam spillway seen from downstream, gates open and discharging.

Lake Livingston Dam

Livingston · Polk County

The dam that impounds Lake Livingston, owned and operated by the Trinity River Authority. TRA describes the lake as the largest single-purpose reservoir in Texas at 83,000 surface acres and 450 miles of shoreline, completed in 1971, and the dam as 2.5 miles long and the only dam on the main stem of the Trinity River.

Address
Trinity River, about seven miles southwest of Livingston, TX
Good for
A look at the spillway and the scale of the lake; a landmark on the way past.
This is working flood-control infrastructure, not a park. TRA controls access and gate releases. For current lake level and gate status go to TRA, not here — PolkTX is not an alerting authority.
Official Site Facebook Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1
Picnic tables and a grill under tall pines and hardwoods on mown grass at Tigerville Park, with Lake Livingston visible through the trees.

Tigerville Park

Livingston · Polk County

A day-use park on Lake Livingston owned and operated by the Trinity River Authority. TRA describes a free public boat ramp, restroom facilities and day-use picnic amenities.

Address
4460 FM 3126, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
Open park, day use. No set hours posted.
Cost
Free public boat ramp.
Good for
Launching a boat, a picnic by the water, bank fishing.
Day use only — there is no camping here, and TRA does not publish opening hours or a phone number for the park. TRA is the authority on ramp conditions and closures, not PolkTX.
Official Site Facebook Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Parks and trails

4 places in Polk County

Big Thicket National Preserve — Big Sandy Creek Unit

Dallardsville · Polk County

The Big Thicket's northwest unit, nearly 14,000 acres inside Polk County. Three developed trails cross upland pine forest, beech-magnolia-loblolly woodland, a cypress bog and the Big Sandy Creek floodplain. The Big Sandy Trail is the only trail in the preserve open to bicycles and horses.

Address
Big Sandy Trailhead, Sunflower Road, roughly 3 miles west of FM 1276, near Dallardsville, TX
Cost
No entrance fee
Good for
Long day hikes, mountain biking, horseback riding, backcountry camping, birding.
Hunting is permitted in this area October 1 through the end of February — wear orange. Trail is hard-packed dirt with exposed roots and stream crossings that get muddy after rain. Check the NPS page for closures before driving out.
Official Site Map
Verified 2026-09-06
Sources · 1

Joe Pedigo City Park

Livingston · Polk County

City park on the US 59 bypass north of town. The city lists baseball and softball fields, a soccer field, a pavilion, picnic shelters, concessions and restrooms.

Address
925 U.S. 59 Bypass North, Livingston, TX 77351
Good for
Youth ball games, a pavilion for a group, a picnic stop off the bypass.
Fields are used by local youth leagues, so they are often booked. Call the city before planning around them.
Official Site Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Matthews Street Park

Livingston · Polk County

City park a few blocks off downtown. The city lists a playground, tennis court, trails, a pavilion, picnic areas and a swimming pool.

Address
702 Matthews Street, Livingston, TX 77351
Good for
A playground stop, tennis, a short walk, a shaded picnic.
The city pool is here, and it keeps its own hours and admission - see the Matthews Street Swimming Pool entry. Pool questions go to Parks & Recreation at 936-327-5242.
Official Site Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Barney Wiggins Memorial Park

Livingston · Polk County

City park on Highway 146 south of town. The city lists a rodeo arena, a livestock barn and a pavilion.

Address
1601 S Houston Street (Highway 146 South), Livingston, TX 77351
Good for
Rodeo and livestock events, a pavilion for a group.
This is an events and arena facility rather than a playground park. The city states the Annual Polk County Youth Rodeo is held at the rodeo arena here in July.
Official Site Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

History and culture

6 places in Polk County

Polk County Memorial Museum

Livingston · Polk County

County history museum a block off the Main Street district. Permanent exhibits cover mastodons, Native American and pioneer settlement, riverboats on the Trinity, the Civil War, the East Texas timber industry, the railroad era and a Main Street storefront collection. Rotating exhibits through the year.

Address
514 W Mill Street, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
Closed during the remodel. No reopening date announced.
Good for
An hour indoors, school and group outings, anyone new to the county who wants the long version.
The museum says it is closed while it is being remodelled and has not announced a reopening date. WHAT THE REMODEL IS: The county registered the work with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in July 2025 as a $200,000 renovation: new parking including two accessible spaces, and interior remodelling for two new accessible restrooms. Filed to start that August. TDLR has recorded no completion inspection, so the work is not signed off. The county has not published a reopening date and neither does PolkTX. Check the museum’s site or Facebook page, or call (936) 327-8192, before making the trip.
Official Site Facebook Call Map
Verified 2026-09-12
Sources · 1

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Reservation

Livingston · Polk County

The reservation of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, on State Park Road 56 southeast of Livingston. The tribe’s own site lists Lake Tombigbee Campground and its tourism and hospitality operations, and the tribe owns Naskila Casino.

Address
571 State Park Road 56, Livingston, TX 77351
Good for
Camping at Lake Tombigbee, tribal events, and the casino the tribe operates.
What is open to visitors changes, and the tribe is the only authority on it. Call (936) 563-1100 or check alabama-coushatta.com before planning a visit. This is sovereign tribal land, not a park.
Official Site Facebook Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Polk County Court House

Livingston · Polk County

The seat of Polk County government, on Church Street in downtown Livingston. County offices and the Commissioners Court are here.

Address
101 W Church Street, Livingston, TX 77351
Good for
County business, a look at the courthouse square, a starting point for downtown.
This is a working courthouse, not a museum. Court and office hours are not published here — check polktx.gov or call the relevant office before going.
Official Site Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Heritage Park

Livingston · Polk County

An open park next to the Polk County Memorial Museum. The Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Time Travel describes an old log-hauling locomotive and the 1933 Jonas Davis Log Cabin as marking the location of the museum and Heritage Park — the locomotive a reminder of the county’s timber and logging history.

Address
Adjacent to the Polk County Memorial Museum, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
Open area park. No set hours posted.
Good for
A short stop by the museum, the log cabin and the locomotive; a walk in the open.
An open area park with no gate and no posted schedule. The museum next door is a separate site and is currently closed for its remodel.
Facebook Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1
Logo courtesy of Livingston Main Street

Livingston Main Street

Livingston · Polk County

The city’s downtown revitalization program and the historic commercial district it covers. Livingston Main Street was recognized as a 2023 Accredited Program by Main Street America and Texas Main Street, one of about 90 Texas Main Street cities overseen by the Texas Historical Commission.

Address
Downtown Livingston, TX 77351
Good for
A walk around the square, downtown shops, seeing what the program has restored.
Program office
925 US 59 Bypass North, Livingston, TX 77351
Contact
Lynn Riley, Special Events / Main Street Manager
This is a district and a city program, not a single address. The program office is out on the bypass; the district it works on is downtown, which is where you would actually walk. Individual shop hours vary.
Official Site Facebook Call Email Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Fain Theater

Livingston · Polk County

A historic Livingston theater. Its Facebook page describes it as under revitalization.

Address
113 E Polk St, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
No hours published.
Under revitalization. There is no published phone number or schedule, and PolkTX has not confirmed that anything is open to the public yet — check the theater’s Facebook page before making a trip.
Facebook Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Family

4 places in Polk County

Livingston Skatepark

Livingston · Polk County

An outdoor public skatepark just off downtown Livingston, with metal ramp structures built by American Ramp Company. Free, unsupervised and open to the public.

Address
107 N Tyler Ave, Livingston, TX 77351
Cost
Free
Good for
Skateboards, scooters and BMX. Best in the cooler part of the day.
No lights, so it is a daylight facility. No restrooms on site. Pads are not required, which means nobody is checking — bring your own gear. Metal ramp surfaces get hot in an East Texas summer afternoon.
Map
Verified 2026-09-06 · first-hand, no published source

Matthews Street Swimming Pool

Livingston · Polk County

The City of Livingston municipal pool, inside Matthews Street Park. The city runs summer swim lessons — Water Babies, Water Waddles for three-year-olds, and lessons for ages four and up — and the pool is home to the Livingston Sea Lions swim team, ages 6 to 18.

Address
702 Matthews Street, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
Open swim Monday–Friday 1:00–5:00 p.m., Saturday 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Closed Sunday except for booked pool parties.
Cost
Open swim $5.00 for ages 3 and older; 2 and under free. Swim card, 10 swims, $45.00. Individual season pass $150.00. Family season pass, family of 4, $250.00, additional member $30.00.
Good for
Open swim in summer, swim lessons, a swim team for school-age kids.
Season dates are not published here — the flyer these hours come from carries no year, so call 936-327-5242 to confirm the pool is open before you drive over. Everyone entering the front gate pays admission, children 13 and under must be with an adult 18 or older, and the city states the pool can close when swimming is judged unsafe, with no refunds or rainchecks.
Official Site Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Livingston Trade Days

Livingston · Polk County

An outdoor market held on set weekends in Pedigo Park, in two covered pavilions and open-air lots. Artisans, crafts, vintage collectibles and antiques. Opened 1999, managed by the City of Livingston with support from the Livingston Specialty Merchants’ Guild.

Address
Pedigo Park, 925 U.S. 59 Bypass North, Livingston, TX 77351
Hours
Show weekends only: Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. 2026 dates: March 14–15, May 16–17, October 17–18 and November 14–15.
Cost
Free admission and free parking.
Good for
A browse on a show weekend, local makers, vintage and antiques.
It runs on four weekends a year, not every weekend — check the dates before driving in. Dates listed are the city’s published 2026 schedule; confirm the 2027 dates with the city when they post.
Official Site Facebook Call Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

Elwood Field

Livingston · Polk County

The flying field of the Livingston Always Ready to Fly (ARF) radio-control club, an Academy of Model Aeronautics chartered club, #4094. The club describes a 300-foot grass runway surrounded by hay fields.

Address
FM 350 North, about 4.5 miles north of Livingston, TX
Good for
Watching or flying radio-control aircraft; club events.
A club field, not a public park. The club gives directions rather than a street address — 4.5 miles north of Livingston on FM 350 N from US 190. Check with the club before turning up to fly.
Official Site Facebook Map
Verified 2026-09-07
Sources · 1

How this page is built

Read this before you trust it.

Every place here is checked against a primary source — the agency, the operator or the owner — and carries the date it was checked. Entries we could not confirm are held back rather than published with a plausible guess.

No park, business or attraction pays to appear on this page, and paid placement elsewhere on PolkTX has no effect on what is listed here or how it is ordered. If something is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it and say so.

Most recent verification: 2026-09-12.

Elsewhere on PolkTX

The rest of what there is to do here lives on its own pages.

lake

Lake Livingston

Level, boat ramps and conditions.
events

Events

Rodeos, markets and parades that come round every year.
sports

School sports

Scores, streams and athletics pages for county districts.
directory

Every business

The full county directory, by category.

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