Discover Burleson County

In Burleson County, a range of travel interests come together: water sports at Somerville Lake, hiking and cycling trails, birdwatching, and places with Czech-Moravian, German, Hispanic, and Italian history. This lets you decide whether to focus your time more on outdoor activities, nature observation, or historic sites.

Water sports and trails around Somerville Lake

Somerville Lake offers opportunities for water sports and has a total of eleven boat ramps. This gives you two specific starting points for activities on the water. At Lake Somerville State Park, the trails are open to hikers and cyclists. The Lake Somerville Trailway is 13.4 miles long; horses are permitted on it and on most trails at Nails Creek. The information about permitted uses can help you narrow down your focus for outdoor activities.

There are also different options for fishing: Alligator Loop offers fishing along Yegua Creek, and Birch Creek also offers fishing opportunities. The Sandy Slough Trail follows Yegua Creek through mature hardwood forests and seasonal wetlands. This places water-based activities alongside a trail through forest and wetland landscapes.

Observe nature and experience the landscape

The Scenic Viewpoint offers opportunities for birdwatching and views of the main tributaries that feed Lake Somerville. Flag Pond is a managed habitat for migratory birds and other native wildlife. Those interested in birds and habitats will find dedicated nature experiences alongside fishing and water sports. The seasonal wetlands along the Sandy Slough Trail and the habitat at Flag Pond offer different points of interest: in one, the trail passes through forest and wetland, while the other focuses on protecting migratory birds and native wildlife.

Settlement history and historic sites

The region's history can be traced through several cemeteries and churches. Caldwell Masonic Cemetery contains more than 2,700 graves and is considered an important testament to the heritage of Caldwell and Burleson County. Its gravestones reflect Czech and German heritage. The cemetery became a public cemetery in 1950. These details connect the size of the grounds with their significance in preserving the region's history.

The New Tabor area of Burleson County was settled around 1870 by Czech-Moravian immigrants seeking fertile land and religious freedom. New Tabor Brethren Church built a church building in 1893. A tornado destroyed it in 1915, and it was replaced later that same year. Local families established San Salvador Mission Church in 1908; before then, religious services had been held in private homes. The church was named after the patron saint of Cefalù in Sicily, the hometown of Italian immigrants who arrived here in 1894.

The history of Catholic settlement also reflects different periods. The Catholic settlers who arrived in this area in 1884 named their settlement Frenstat after the Moravian community of Frenstat Rod Radhost, which they had left. St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery is closely associated with numerous settlers of Czech and Hispanic descent. In Caldwell, the Catholic community built a church dedicated to St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, in 1895. Four years later, it acquired the adjoining land for Caldwell Catholic Cemetery; the first burial took place in September 1899.

Another historic landmark is the Site of Camino Real, where the modern highway follows the historic El Camino Real. Together with the settlement and church histories, this makes for an itinerary that is quite different from the activities at the lake.

Discover more destinations: Somerville, Caldwell, Wheeler County, Nacogdoches, Hunt County, Mclennan, Tom Green, and Scurry County.

For the regional travel overview: Texas.