When submitting eBird observations at the Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot in the state park. Use the general hotspot when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations or if no other hotspot or personal location is appropriate for your sightings.

Check in at the main park entrance (either the Birch Creek Unit on the north side of the lake or the Nails Creek Unit on the southwest side of the lake) first to obtain your entrance permit. There is a per-person entrance fee to use the state park. 

A state park pass might be a wise investment if multiple people are birding or if you think you will be accessing a Texas State Park multiple times over the next 12 months.

Check here to see if a state parks pass is right for you: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/park-information/passes/park-passes

Waterfowl in the winter.

Be cautious about waterfowl hunting season and consider wearing Hunter Orange.

Check in at the main park entrance first to obtain your entrance permit. There is a per-person entrance fee to use the state park.

A state park pass might be a wise investment if multiple people are birding or if you think you will be accessing a Texas State Park multiple times over the next 12 months.

Check here to see if a state parks pass is right for you: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/park-information/passes/park-passes

Four units make up Lake Somerville State Park. Birch Creek Unit is on the north side of the lake (in Burleson County), while Nails Creek Unit (in Lee County) is on the southwest side. The 13-mile Lake Somerville Trailway connects the two units. Somerville Public Hunting Land is nearby, also on the lake.

Birch Creek and Nails Creek offer access to the lake for fishing, boating, paddling and swimming. On land at either unit, you can camp, picnic, hike, ride mountain bikes, geocache, and go birding. Explore miles of multiuse trails.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began building Lake Somerville in June 1962. Deliberate impound­ment of water began in January 1967.

The dam is located on Yegua Creek, 20 miles upstream of where it joins the Brazos River, and about two miles south of Somerville. The lake covers 11,630 acres and has an 85-mile shoreline. Its main purposes are flood control, municipal water supply and recreation.

TPWD leased the complex from the federal government in 1969 and opened it in 1970. TPWD manages the Somerville Public Hunting Land under a license agreement and in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Flag Pond is a 350-acre impoundment in the Yegua Creek watershed along the Trailway. A private hunting club originally developed the pond in 1926.

Enjoy, but do not disturb historical places. If you find an artifact, leave it in place and let park staff know.

The Lake Somerville Trailway connects Birch Creek and Nails Creek units via a trail around the west end of Lake Somerville. The Trailway’s 26 miles of interconnected trails and loops let you explore the shoreline.

Those miles of trail cross through yaupon, post oak, hickory, blackjack oak and water oak forests, and pass scenic overlooks and water crossings.

All trails are open to hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Please be courteous to other trail users.

Note: Obtain permits at either unit's headquarters. Equestrian parking for the Trailway is permitted at the access gate on CR 125 and CR 140. Contact the park for the most recent information.

Access the primitive group camping areas along the Trailway. Fires are allowed in established fire rings except when county-wide burn bans are in place. This site does not have potable water. Several chemical toilets are along the trails.

Well water for horses (not humans) is at Newman Bottom and Wolf Pond.

• Interactive Trails Map
• Trails Map (PDF)

Flag Pond

Follow the Trailway about 4 miles from Nails Creek Unit (9 miles from Birch Creek) to Flag Pond, home to birds and other wildlife.

The pond is a 350-acre impoundment in the Yegua Creek watershed. It’s a natural depression which serves as wetland habitat for waterfowl in the winter. A private hunting club originally developed the pond in 1926.

A system of trails and the Flag Pond Observation Center  surround the pond today. You can view wildlife and take photographs from all angles.