Joe Benton Park - Lake Nocona

When I was younger we used to go over to this lake to ride bikes around during the spring. It was never very busy and mostly was just a few people wanting a weekend get away here and there or a person wanting to use the boat launch.

There is no fee to come out to this place, so I decided to go back and check it out recently and see if it was worth a daycation to hit the water.

It is hot in Texas right now to say the least! Because of this most of the grass and other vegetation is pretty dry. There were some signs posted about no burning in the area so a campfire would have been out of the question had I decided to stay.

The area is scattered with camping sites and could accommodate tents only per its posted policy although there are no improvements such as dump stations or electrical hookups. These sites were rocky and uneven for the most part but you could find hard packed areas that were a little more smooth if you really looked.

There is a restroom available however it is small but serves the purpose of a restroom only. To be honest this restroom was not some place you would want to use unless you had to, it was more of a port-a-potty in a metal shelter.

I did notice a few scattered picnic tables. I remember when I was younger these made for a great place to sit down and have a meal, they were shaded and close to parking for those wanting to use this park for day use. Many of them needed to be reworked because their metal roof was peeling up from heavy winds.

Of the three public facilities this one had to be the middle of the three in way of upkeep and condition. There was nothing which made it overly exceptional. It was the most quiet of the three as well because the majority of those coming out to the lake either want improvements or the larger docks for fishing, and this has neither.

TIPS:

• Take your own toilet paper. A lot of people come through here because it is the more improved of three campgrounds in this area so they utilize the facilities for day use and sometimes it is not maintained as often as the traffic would dictate.
• Try boating from the launch. This lake is great for smaller boats like canoes or smaller fishing boats. In recent years it has endured some falling of the lake levels so I would recommend a smaller boat instead of a larger one.