Discover Sabine County

Toledo Bend covers 186,000 acres and has more than 1,200 miles of shoreline; the lake borders Texas and Louisiana. Around Sabine County, waterscapes meet places of history and science. That gives you a choice of different priorities when planning your trip: paddling routes with specified lengths, nature along the shore, or historic sites.

Toledo Bend and its landscape

At Lakeview Campground, Toledo Bend Reservoir is present on three sides. The campground also marks the eastern starting point of the Trail Between the Lakes. The Toledo Bend – Lost Frontier Paddling Trail offers another perspective on nature: its area is home to a diverse range of wildlife, native aquatic plants, and the forests typical of creek banks. The lake’s size and these specific natural features offer different points of reference if you want to focus your stay on the landscape and water.

Paddling routes by length and course

The Six Mile North Public Boat Launch, at 10099 State Highway 87 South in Hemphill, Texas, is listed as an access point to the water. Three named paddling routes differ in length and course. The Toledo Bend – Lost Frontier Paddling Trail is a 5.3-mile beginner-friendly loop. The Palo Gaucho Bayou Run offers nine miles of paddling along the upper sections of Palo Gaucho Bayou. The Mid Lake Run is eleven miles long and follows the shore toward the main lake.

Open water and quiet creeks are part of the landscape described along the Mid Lake Run. The three distances—5.3, nine, and eleven miles—make it easier to compare their overall lengths at a glance; the routes also differ in their form as a loop, their location along the bayou, and their course toward the main lake. When planning a paddling trip, you can therefore take both distance and the form of each route into account.

History and memorial sites

Sabine County Jail was built in 1904 and used by the county until 1982. The former jail is known as the Sabine County Jail Museum and Vergie Speights Memorial Library; it features historical exhibits and rare books. The Historic Jail Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the opening hours before you arrive.

The Gaines-Oliphant House is among the earliest Anglo-American structures in Texas from the period before the Republic of Texas. It is also the only surviving structure from James Gaines’s plantation, ferry, and tavern operation at the crossing of the Sabine River. Visitors can park at a gravel pull-off and view the house from a short distance. Since access conditions can change, checking before your visit is recommended.

The Lobanillo Swales are also part of the area’s history: they are among the largest known surviving physical traces of El Camino Real de los Tejas. In Hemphill, the Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum “Remembering Columbia” commemorates the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. It also serves as an educational center for children and adults, supporting learning in science and technology. Alongside older traces of roads and buildings, these places offer remembrance and science as distinct themes to consider when planning your trip.

If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these themes can help with planning: waterways, nature, history, or science. Consider which of them matter most for your trip and use them as a guide when choosing.

Discover more destinations: Brookeland, Hemphill, Orange, Shelby County, Jack County, Parmer County, Erath, Runnels.

For the main travel overview: Texas.