Fort Parker State Park

The 1,485-acre Fort Parker State Park contains 735 acres of rolling hills and the 750-acre Lake Fort Parker (also known as Springfield Lake), created by a dam on the Navasota River. The reservoir has over a mile of shoreline, two lighted fishing piers, and a concrete boat ramp. The nearby Old Fort Parker State Historic Site is a reconstructed fort complex, representing a private fort established in 1834 by Silas and James Parker. Comanches overran the fort in 1836, killing five Parker family members and capturing another five individuals, including Cynthia Ann Parker, who grew up as a Comanche. She was the mother of Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche chief. Key birds: Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, and Red-headed Woodpecker are present year-round. Anhinga, Chuck-will’s-widow, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Prothonotary Warbler, and Indigo Bunting occur in summer. Hooded Merganser; Bald Eagle; American Woodcock; and Grasshopper, Fox, and Harris’s Sparrows can usually be found in winter. This eTrail provides detailed information on birding strategies for this specific location, the specialty birds and other key birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, a detailed map, and helpful general information.