Join Nacogdoches Naturally for a day trip to Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in the Davy Crockett National Forest on Saturday, April 6.
Participants will meet at 8 a.m. at SFA’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., and ride on SFA vans or caravan in their own vehicles to the recreation area. Travel time is approximately 40 minutes, and the group is expected to return to Nacogdoches at approximately 4 p.m.
Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It surrounds a picturesque 45-acre lake that was once a log pond and a source of water for the Central Coal and Coke Company sawmill, which operated from 1902 to 1920. The recreation area has been closed since April 2011 when a tornado hit the park, but it recently reopened for day use.
Area residents are invited to register for the trip and enjoy the beauty of East Texas in the early spring. Backpacks, binoculars, magnifiers, field guides and fishing gear will be available for interested families. There also will be canoes and kayaks for families to use on the lake. Nacogdoches Naturally will provide a picnic lunch for the group.
“The day trips that we offer are a great way for families to visit local recreation areas with minimal planning and packing responsibilities,” says Kerry Lemon, project director. “Our staff is there to assist, educate and engage families in fun recreational activities.”
Activities are designed to cultivate outdoor skills and an awareness of outdoor education with the goal of families developing a lifetime appreciation of the natural world. All programs are family-friendly and appropriate for all ages.
Nacogdoches Naturally Family Outdoor Adventures is a project sponsored by SFA Gardens in the Arthur Temple College of Forest and Agriculture and funded through a More Kids in the Woods grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-U.S. Forest Service.
Cost for the event is $15 per family using a personal vehicle. If SFA van transportation is needed, the cost is $25 per family. The registration deadline is Thursday, April 4. Space will be limited, so participants are encouraged to register early. For more information, contact Kerry Lemon at (936) 468-5586 or lemonkb@sfasu.edu.
