Inks Lake State Park: Where Nature Meets Mild Annoyance (A Review by a Reluctant Camper)
Alright, listen up, fellow nature enthusiasts (or, in my case, nature-adjacent sufferers). My name is Marcus, and I’m what you might call a… discerning outdoorsman. My passions include observing feathered fiends through high-powered binoculars, pondering the cosmos with my trusty telescope, and generally avoiding direct sunlight. So, when my relentlessly cheerful niece, Chloe (10, going on TikTok star), strong-armed me into a camping trip to Inks Lake State Park, let’s just say I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Especially since she promised a "nature is healing" video.
But, being the (mostly) loving uncle that I am, I packed up my gear, gritted my teeth, and braced myself for a weekend of forced fun. And, surprisingly, it wasn't entirely terrible. Here's the lowdown on Inks Lake, from the perspective of a man who prefers his nature with a side of air conditioning.
Finding the Place: A GPS Nightmare
Getting to Inks Lake State Park wasn't exactly a walk in the park (pun intended, I guess). My GPS, bless its digital heart, decided the most direct route involved a "scenic" detour down a dirt road that probably hadn’t seen pavement since the invention of the automobile. I swear, at one point I thought we were going to end up as a cautionary tale in a "lost in the Texas wilderness" documentary. Eventually, we found the park entrance, but not before Chloe got some "epic off-roading" footage for her TikTok. Joy.
Camp Setup: The Chair and the Chaos
Setting up camp was an… experience. My first priority was deploying my GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker camp chair, a marvel of engineering that allows a man of my… stature… to relax in the great outdoors. It's basically a portable throne. Of course, wrestling it out of its bag involved a Herculean effort and a few muttered curses. You can find the chair here: GCI Outdoor Pod Rocker. Meanwhile, Chloe was already planning her campsite aesthetic, complete with fairy lights, strategically placed rocks, and, of course, a backdrop for her TikTok videos. Priorities, people! I was pretty sure she was trying to make a video where a squirrel runs through the shot, and she calls it 'Mother Nature'.
Campground Rules: The Red Light District (of Rule-Breaking)
The Inks Lake State Park campground rules are, for the most part, fairly standard. Quiet hours, keep your pets leashed, don't feed the wildlife (unless you want to be swarmed by ravenous raccoons). One rule I almost stumbled over, however, was the "red-filtered light only" policy for stargazing. Apparently, regular flashlights mess with your night vision (and the night vision of everyone else trying to enjoy the cosmos). Of course, as I was happily fiddling with my Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope, illuminating the area with my bright red, but not filtered flashlight, Chloe piped up: "Uncle Marcus! You're breaking the rules! I'm gonna tell!" Little snitch. I quickly rectified the situation, but not before receiving a lecture on responsible stargazing.
Bathrooms & Showers: A Study in Public Humiliation
Let's be honest: campground bathrooms are rarely a highlight. The facilities at Inks Lake were… functional. Cleanliness was acceptable, but privacy? Forget about it. You could hear every cough, every conversation, every… well, you get the picture. Chloe, of course, had a different complaint: the lighting was terrible for selfies. I swear, that girl's life revolves around documenting every moment for her digital followers.
Activities: Stars, Birds, and Forced Marches
Now, for the actual activities. Stargazing was the main draw for me, and Inks Lake, as I discovered on a helpful article about dark sky locations on Vistalocation.com, has a designated dark sky area. Setting up my Celestron NexStar 8SE was a bit of a production (I swear, that thing has more parts than a Boeing 747), but once it was aligned, the views were… well, actually quite impressive. The Perseid meteor shower was in full swing, and I grudgingly admitted that watching shooting stars streak across the sky was a worthwhile experience. You can find the same telescope here: Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope. There was some light pollution from nearby towns, but overall, the night sky was a sight to behold.
During the daylight hours, I was determined to indulge in some birdwatching. And Inks Lake did not disappoint! I managed to spot several Painted Buntings, those little jewels of the bird world, and a few Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, gracefully catching insects in mid-air.
Then there was the "hike." Chloe insisted we conquer the Pecan Flats Trail.
This involved me, sweating profusely and trying to identify birds, while she filmed me for her "nature is healing" TikTok masterpiece. I’m pretty sure I saw a Tufted Titmouse, but all Chloe saw was content.
Campground Ambiance: Nature vs. Nashville
The sounds of nature at Inks Lake were generally quite pleasant. The hooting of owls at night, the chirping of crickets, the gentle lapping of water against the shore – all very relaxing. However, this tranquility was occasionally interrupted by the sounds of other campers. Specifically, a nearby group decided that 10 PM was the perfect time for a loud country music singalong, and another camper seemed to think that running a generator all night was perfectly acceptable. I longed for the sweet, sweet silence of my own couch.
Food: Freeze-Dried vs. S'mores
My culinary experience at Inks Lake was… minimalist. I opted for a freeze-dried Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki meal. It's convenient, it's filling, and it tastes vaguely like chicken. What more could you ask for? Well, Chloe apparently wanted s'mores roasted over the campfire, and microwavable popcorn cooked in the car using a power adapter. The s'mores were messy and delicious, and the microwavable popcorn smelled vaguely of burning plastic. You can find the Mountain House meals here: Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki.
The Night Sky Over Inks Lake:
Final Verdict:
So, would I recommend Inks Lake State Park? Well, that depends. If you're a nature-loving, social media-obsessed 10-year-old, you'll probably give it a solid 5 stars. For a curmudgeonly birdwatcher and amateur astronomer who prefers his nature with a healthy dose of peace and quiet, I’m going with a generous 3 out of 5 stars. The stargazing was great, the birdwatching was decent, and the company… well, let’s just say it was memorable. But the noise, the crowds, and the sheer chaos of a TikTok-fueled camping trip left me longing for the sanctuary of my own backyard. Still, I guess spending time with family isn't always the worst thing in the world. Even if it does involve questionable food, loud music, and a whole lot of forced smiles.