Ray Roberts Lake State Park

Ray Roberts Lake State Park sits on a lake of roughly 29,000 acres between Denton and Gainesville, in Denton, Cooke and Grayson counties, about 1 hour 15 minutes north of downtown Dallas. It’s best for lakeside camping, swimming beaches, mountain biking and a long riverside trail. The park is split into two main units, Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch, so pick one before booking.

On This Page

• Isle du Bois or Johnson Branch: Which Unit to Pick
• Swimming Beaches
• Hiking, Mountain Biking and Horse Trails
• Kayak Rentals and Paddling
• Fishing and Boat Ramps
• Camping at Ray Roberts Lake
• Are There Cabins at Ray Roberts Lake?
• Best Time to Visit
• What Visitors Say
• Getting There
• Know Before You Go
• Nearby Parks
• FAQ
• Sources and Official Links

Isle du Bois or Johnson Branch: Which Unit to Pick

The two main units of Ray Roberts Lake State Park face each other across the lake and work as separate parks, each with its own entrance, headquarters, campgrounds, beach and boat ramp. Pick the unit before booking.

Isle du Bois Unit (South Shore, Near Pilot Point)

Isle du Bois is the busier side.

• The main swim beach, a playground, the larger day-use area and an interpretive center
• The only unit with horse campsites (14) and group walk-in camps (2, up to 24 people each)
• Electric sites with driveways up to 95 feet, the better choice for big RVs
• A lighted fishing pier, about 4.5 miles of paved trail and a link to the Greenbelt horse trails
• Closest to Lone Star Lodge & Marina for kayak rentals and lodge rooms
• Fills first on summer holidays; on Memorial Day 2025 staff sent overflow visitors to Johnson Branch

Johnson Branch Unit (North Shore, Near Valley View)

Johnson Branch is quieter and less developed.

• Repeat campers describe it as calm, especially on weekdays
• More walk-in tent sites (70) and shady campsites along the creek and the water
• A swim area with small islands, the Kid Fish Pond and a nature center
• Electric sites with driveways up to 73 feet
• Most of the ranger programs on the park’s events calendar
• A few visitors in the past two years found rangers and game wardens strict here, especially about alcohol and boat checks at the ramp

Swimming Beaches

Swimming is allowed in the designated swim areas at both main units of Ray Roberts Lake State Park. There are no lifeguards, so children need life jackets.

• Isle du Bois: the main sandy beach, next to the day-use area, the playground, Group Pavilion 1 and the boat ramp. Visitors mention a free life jacket loaner station, and one local says the water is less murky than at Lewisville Lake or Lavon Lake
• Johnson Branch: Post Oak Beach, with shade trees and small islands in the swim area. Reviewers say the back of the swim area is shallow and less crowded
• Accessibility: a beach wheelchair and an all-terrain wheelchair can be reserved by emailing either unit
• Dogs: not allowed in the water or on the land around a designated swim area. Some visitors let leashed dogs swim along the shore away from the beach

The Isle du Bois beach gets crowded on summer weekends. Arrive in the morning and pack out all trash.

Hiking, Mountain Biking and Horse Trails

Ray Roberts Lake State Park has three trail systems: one at each main unit and the 20-mile Greenbelt along the river below the dam. The terrain is mostly flat Cross Timbers woodland and prairie, so most trails are easy to moderate. Dirt trails close after rain, so check the trail status page before going. All trails were open on Oct. 19, 2026.

Isle du Bois Trails

Johnson Branch Trails

Greenbelt Corridor

The Greenbelt is the longest trail in the park.

• Runs about 20 miles from Ray Roberts Dam south toward Lake Lewisville along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River
• About 12 miles are open to horses and 10 miles are hike-and-bike only
• Trailheads on FM 455, FM 428 and US 380
• No drinking water anywhere on the Greenbelt. Carry plenty
• The bottomland sections flood. Visitors say the southern stretch is the part most often closed

Trail Tips

Two notes from TPWD and riders.

• Water: TPWD notes no drinking water on Rocky Spur, Red Bud Run or Wagon Wheel Crossing, so pack water for any dirt trail
• Bike loops: one experienced rider found the Isle du Bois bike loops short and not very technical

Kayak Rentals and Paddling

Ray Roberts Lake State Park doesn’t rent kayaks, canoes or paddleboards. The one confirmed rental on the lake is Lone Star Lodge & Marina, on the east shore near Pilot Point.

• What it rents: single and tandem sit-on-top kayaks for paddling the cove near the marina, plus pontoon boats and double-decker boats with a water slide
• How it works: kayaks book online by the hour. Life jackets and paddles are included
• Age rule: the renter must be 21 or older; riders can be any age
• Prices: shown only in the online booking system, so check there

Lake Ray Roberts Marina on the west shore near Sanger is a full-service marina with fuel, slips and a store, but its website says boat rentals are “coming next season.” Call (940) 458-7343 before counting on a rental there.

Bringing a kayak or board works well at either unit. Both park maps mark a paddling area, and reviewers say Isle du Bois is a good spot for paddleboarding on calm mornings. Paddlers can also follow the Elm Fork of the Trinity River through the Greenbelt below the dam, but that stretch closes in floods. Check the trail and paddling status first.

Fishing and Boat Ramps

Ray Roberts Lake is known for largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and catfish. The lake record largemouth weighs 15.18 pounds.

• License: no license needed to fish from the shore or a pier inside the state park
• Piers and cleaning stations: a lighted fishing pier at Isle du Bois, and fish cleaning stations at both main units
• Kid Fish Pond: at Johnson Branch, holds channel catfish and bluegill, plus rainbow trout
• Boat ramps: multi-lane ramps with boarding piers at Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch, plus ramps at the Jordan, Sanger, Buck Creek, Pond Creek and Pecan Creek units. Johnson Branch has no marina
• Zebra mussels: they live in the lake. Clean, drain and dry boats before leaving

Camping at Ray Roberts Lake

Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), which runs the state parks, lists about 188 campsites at Isle du Bois and 174 at Johnson Branch, about 360 in all. Neither unit has full hookups (sewer), but both have dump stations, restrooms with showers near the electric loops, and a park store that sells firewood.

Campsite Types

Isle du Bois (TPWD fees, per night):

• Water and 50-amp electric (13 sites, $30): in the Deer Ridge and Quail Run loops
• Water and 30-amp electric (102 sites, $25)
• Double sites with water and 50-amp electric (3 sites, $60)
• Walk-in tent (53 sites, $15): in the Hawthorn and Wild Plum areas, a 1/8 to 1/4 mile walk from parking
• Horse campsites (14 sites): 6 without electricity ($15) and 8 with water and 50-amp electric ($30) in Bluestem Grove
• Group walk-in camps (2 sites, $30): up to 24 people, a 1/4 to 1/2 mile walk

Johnson Branch (TPWD fees, per night):

• Water and 50-amp electric (11 sites, $30): Juniper Cove and Walnut loops
• Water and 30-amp electric (93 sites, $25)
• Walk-in tent (70 sites, $15): in the Oak Point, Dogwood Canyon and Willow Cove areas, up to a 1/4 mile walk
• Water only (4 sites, $15): in the Blackland Prairie loop

TPWD calls the walk-in sites “primitive,” but they aren’t backcountry sites. A walk-in site is a tent site a short walk from parking, with a tent pad, and water and restrooms nearby. Visitors report that Hawthorn has a restroom without showers and Wild Plum has a pit toilet. Bring a cart for gear.

Reservations and Camp Rules

Reserve through Texas State Parks reservations or by phone at (512) 389-8900. The window opens 5 months ahead at 8 a.m.

• Demand: lakeside sites and summer weekends book up first. Weekdays and fall are far easier; one camper found the Isle du Bois campground about 5% full once school was back in session
• Site rules: each site holds up to 8 people. Check-out is noon, and quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. with no music or generators
• Entry: camping fees include park entry, so campers don’t need a separate day pass
• Late arrivals: call the unit before 5 p.m. (Isle du Bois) or 4:30 p.m. (Johnson Branch) on the arrival day. Confirmed campers get a gate code
• Shade: check site photos while booking. Shade varies a lot from site to site, and it matters in July and August

Are There Cabins at Ray Roberts Lake?

No. TPWD lists no cabins or screened shelters at Isle du Bois or Johnson Branch. The only roofed lodging inside the park is Lone Star Lodge & Marina, a private operator in the Jordan Unit, on the east shore about 2 miles west of Pilot Point.

• Rooms: king rooms and double rooms (two full beds) in two wings beside the main lodge, each with a private bathroom
• Larger groups: a hospitality suite and a 2-bedroom “Star Apartment” with a full kitchen
• Booking: through the lodge at (940) 686-0261, not through TPWD
• Food: no full-service restaurant on site, so plan meals in Pilot Point or bring them
• Open: all year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

The lodge used to be called Lantana Lodge, a name older articles still use. Private cabin rentals around Pilot Point aren’t part of the state park.

Best Time to Visit

May and early June are the best months for swimming at Ray Roberts Lake State Park, before the worst heat. October and November are best for camping, with milder weather and emptier campgrounds.

• Spring (March to May): the busy season starts in March. May is good for swimming before the worst heat
• Summer (June to August): the biggest crowds, with long gate lines and full parking lots on weekends and holidays. July and August are very hot, and biting flies come up in summer reviews
• Fall (September to November): after school starts, the campgrounds are close to empty. October and November bring milder camping weather
• Winter (December to February): outside the busy season, which runs March through November. Bald eagles sometimes winter on the lake, and Isle du Bois closes for a permitted hunt in mid-January

What Visitors Say

Google reviews of Ray Roberts Lake State Park from the past two years average about 4.7 out of 5 at both units.

• Crowds: summer weekends and holidays bring long lines at the gate and full parking lots at both units. After school starts, the campgrounds are close to empty
• Bathrooms: mostly praised as clean, with hot showers. A minority found them dirty, too few on busy days, or closed for repairs
• Heat and bugs: July and August are very hot, even inside the restrooms. Campers bring fans for electric sites, and some recommend waiting until October. Biting flies and bug spray come up in summer reviews
• Wildlife: white-tailed deer are everywhere and unafraid of people. Reviewers ask others not to feed them. TPWD counts 229 bird species, and bald eagles sometimes winter on the lake
• Rules: quiet hours and the ban on public drinking are enforced, which many families like
• Small complaints: park firewood is pricey and often green, and site signs are hard to follow on a first visit

Getting There

Ray Roberts Lake State Park has two main entrances on opposite shores, so set the right unit in the GPS. Isle du Bois is at 100 PW 4137, Pilot Point, on FM 455 about 10 miles east of I-35. Johnson Branch is at 100 PW 4153, Valley View, on FM 3002 about 7 miles east of I-35 (Exit 483).

Drive times, without traffic:

• Dallas: about 1 hour 15 minutes from downtown
• Fort Worth: a little over an hour from downtown
• Austin: about 4 hours 20 minutes

A few things to know before driving out:

• Summer weekends: expect long lines at the gate. Reserve a day pass, and arrive in the morning for the beach
• Greenbelt: trailheads are on FM 455, FM 428 and US 380, separate from the two main units
• Lone Star Lodge: in the Jordan Unit on the east shore, about 2 miles west of Pilot Point

Know Before You Go

Rangers at Ray Roberts Lake State Park enforce the rules on alcohol and quiet hours. These rules and tips matter most.

• Fees and passes: $7 a day for visitors 13 and older; children 12 and under get in free. The Texas State Parks Pass ($70 a year) waives entry fees
• Booking: day passes are not required, but the park often fills on summer weekends and holidays. Reserve a day pass up to 30 days ahead to guarantee entry; campsites open 5 months ahead
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at both main units and the satellite units
• Dogs: leashed (6 feet or shorter), never left alone, not in buildings, and not in or around designated swim areas
• Water and shade: bring drinking water for the dirt trails and the Greenbelt. Shade varies by campsite; check site photos when booking
• Difficulty: paved trails are easy; dirt trails are easy to moderate; the expert mountain bike loops are rough
• Alcohol: public drinking or display of alcohol is prohibited
• Firewood: gathering firewood is prohibited, and an emerald ash borer quarantine limits moving firewood. Buy it at the park store
• Closures: dirt trails and the Greenbelt close after heavy rain. Isle du Bois also closes for a permitted hunt in mid-January (noon Jan. 15 to 8 a.m. Jan. 18 on the current notice)

Nearby Parks

Three other TrekTexas guides are within about 2.5 hours of Ray Roberts Lake State Park.

• Cedar Hill State Park: about 1.5 hours south, on the southwest side of the Dallas area
• Lake Mineral Wells State Park: about 2 hours southwest, west of Fort Worth
• Lake Whitney State Park: about 2.5 hours south
• See more parks near Dallas

FAQ

Is Ray Roberts Lake safe to swim in?

Swimming is allowed only in the designated swim areas, and there are no lifeguards, so weak swimmers and children should wear life jackets.

Is alcohol allowed at Ray Roberts Lake State Park?

Not in public view: park rules prohibit public drinking or display of alcohol, and visitors say rangers enforce it.

Are boat rentals available at Lake Ray Roberts?

Yes. Lone Star Lodge & Marina near Pilot Point rents pontoon boats and double-decker boats as well as kayaks.

Sources and Official Links

Facts in this guide were last checked in October 2026 against these sources.

• Ray Roberts Lake State Park (TPWD)
• Entrance fees, campsites and lodging (TPWD)
• Trail list and trail status (TPWD)
• Park maps and directions (TPWD)
• Park alerts (TPWD)
• Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch reservations (Texas State Parks)
• Lone Star Lodge & Marina lodging and rentals

Featured photo: Morcup, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)