Part of my journey visiting all 88 Texas State Parks.
Have you ever found yourself standing between two very different versions of your life — not sure which one you belong to, but somehow knowing that both of them are yours? That’s exactly where I was when I stepped into Lake Bob Sandlin State Park. On one side, the lush green canopy of East Texas pines reaching up toward the sky. On the other, an open savannah stretching wide and unhurried. And right in the middle of it all, a beautiful, quiet lake.
It felt like nature had built the perfect metaphor just for me.
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A Park That Holds Two Worlds at Once
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park sits at the meeting place of two ecosystems — the dense East Texas Piney Woods and an open grassland savannah — with a gorgeous lake threading them together. It’s the kind of place that takes you by surprise. You walk in expecting one thing and find yourself somewhere richer, more layered than you imagined.
For me, it mirrored something I’ve been working through in my own life. I have one foot in my e-commerce world — making soap, formulating skincare, running a small business that I love. And the other foot is slowly stepping into something quieter, more intentional. A slower pace. A more reflective life. These two versions of me don’t always feel like they fit together neatly. But standing at that lake, watching the pines meet the open savannah, I thought — maybe they don’t have to. Maybe it all just works.
The Brim Pond and a Book I Read Long Ago
One of the spots that stopped me in my tracks was what I think of as the brim pond. Trees leaning in. A big weathered log stretching across the water. The wind moving through the branches. The sun finally breaking through.
It pulled something up from deep in my memory — a book called Girl of the Limberlost. I read it years ago, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking inside the world of that story. There’s something about places like this — tucked away, full of green and quiet — that reaches back through time and finds the version of you who used to dream in those pages.
I sat down there and sketched. The log. The edge of the pond. The way the light was falling.
It was one of those moments I would have rushed through a few years ago. I’m glad I didn’t rush through it now.
The Sketch
The finished sketch captured those logs at the edge of the pond — the way they rested across the water as if they’d always belonged there. I always bring my sketchbook to the parks because drawing forces me to really see a place. You can’t sketch something you haven’t looked at carefully. And careful looking, it turns out, is a form of rest.
The Carrot Seed Complexion Bar
I brought my Carrot Seed Complexion Bar on this visit — not because it was planned, but because it lives in my bag the way good habits do. It’s one of those products that spans what I think of as the full story of skin: women in their twenties and thirties reach for it, and so do women like me in their sixties and beyond. It bridges the gap. It doesn’t ask you to be one age or another.
Which, honestly, felt exactly right for this park.
What Lake Bob Sandlin Reminded Me
You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t have to choose one ecosystem over the other. The pines and the savannah and the lake — they all coexist. They’ve been doing it for a long time. And so can we, navigating change, balancing different phases, holding the different parts of ourselves with a little more grace.
You just have to keep moving forward. Doing the best you can. It all works — you and it, together.
I believe in you. I believe in me.
FAQs About Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
Where is Lake Bob Sandlin State Park located?
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park is located near Mount Pleasant in East Texas, about two hours east of Dallas. It sits at the edge of the Piney Woods, near the town of Pittsburg in Camp County.
What makes this park unique?
The park sits at the intersection of two distinct ecosystems — the East Texas Piney Woods forest and an open savannah landscape — with the beautiful Lake Bob Sandlin at the center. That combination makes it one of the more visually striking and ecologically interesting parks in the state system.
What kinds of activities are available at the park?
The park offers camping, fishing, swimming, hiking trails, and wildlife watching. The lake is known for bass fishing, and the forested trails offer a peaceful, shaded walk through East Texas pines.
Is this park good for a day trip or an overnight stay?
Both work beautifully. As a day trip, you can easily spend a morning or afternoon hiking and taking in the lake views. For an overnight stay, the camping facilities let you settle in and experience the park at a slower pace — which is honestly how I’d recommend most people approach any Texas State Park.
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park is Park #12 in my journey to visit all 88 Texas State Parks. Follow along at Susan Soaps and More on YouTube and here on the blog.