General-

Located in the heart of the east Texas piney woods region, Lufkin is home to vast lumber and wood products industries.  Outdoor recreation available in Angelina dn Davy Crockett National Forests and huge Sam Rayburn reservoir.  The area produces more than a milliion board feet of saw timber annually and a major volume of pulpwood from short and longleaf pines, cypress, hickory, oak, gum and magnolia trees.

City parks offer picnicking and outdoor sports including golf, fishing, swimming, and tennis.  Sites of historical interest are marked throughout the city.  Home to Angelina Junior College.

Angelina National Forest-

Nearest entrance is 14 miles southeast on U.S. 69.  Angelina National Forest is the smallest in Texas with 154,307 acres in Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches and San Augustine Counties.  Recreation areas include:

• Bouton Lake - Southeast of Zavalla: 7 miles east on Texas 65, 7 miles south on Forest Service Road 303
• Boykin Springs - Southeast of Zavalla: 11 miles east on Texas 65, 3 miles south on FSR 313
• Caney Creek - On Lake Sam Rayburn about 14 miles southeast of Zavalla via Texas 63, FM 2390
• Harvey Creek - On Lake Sam Rayburn about 21 miles southeast of Zavalla via Texas 63, FSR 333
• Townsend - FM 105 east of Lufkin 28 miles, right on FM 1277 3 miles; right on FM 2923 2 miles

Davey Crockett National Forest-

Nearest entrance is about 11 miles west on Texas 94.  161,500 acres in Houston and Trinity Counties.  Recreation areas include:

• Big Slough Canoe Trail and Wilderness Area - On Neches River near Neches Bluff.  From Ratcliff, FM 227 north 2 miles, east 5 miles on FSR 547, north on FSR 511
• 4-C's Hiking Trail - A 19-mile trail between Ratcliff Lake and the Neches Bluff overlook south of Texas 21
• Kickapoo - About 1.5 miles southeast of Groveton on U.S. 287
• Neches Bluff - On Neches River about 7 miles southwest of Alto via Texas 21, FSR 511
• Ratcliff Lake - On Texas 7, 20 miles east of Crockett

Ellen Trout Zoo and Park-

Fully accredited zoo shows a wide variety of animals and birds.   The zoo is well known for its breeding programs for West African crowned crane and Louisiana pine snake.  Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (till 6 p.m. summer).  Loop 287 North.  Admission (936) 633-0399.

Sam Rayburn Lake-

Giant lake in the heart of the Angelina National Forest, it is one of the most popular recreation areas in East Texas.  The lake is the largest body of water wholly within the state covering 114,500 acres at normal capacity.  Corps of Engineers and National Forest Service parks, camps, marinas and recreational areas dot the 560-mile shoreline.  Open water for all types of boating activities, plus huge areas of flooded timber providing prime fish habitat.  Boat roads through flooded timber areas.  Fishermen take black bass, white bass, striped bass, Florida bass, walleye, crappie, catfish, and bream.  Lake record fish include largemouth bass at 12.75 lbs., blue catfish at 30.47 lbs, largemouth buffalo at 50 lbs, and spotted bass at 5.5 lbs.   For details on facilities, contact project headquarters at the west end of the dam on FM 255.

Medford Collection of Western Art-

More than 50 paintings by contemporary artists including Joe Beeler, James Boren, Raymond Ryan, and Ross Stefan exhibited at city hall.  Open Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at 300 E. Shepherd St.

Museum of East Texas- Housed in historic 1905 Episcopal Church.  Changing exhibits in art, science and history.  Permanent Rotary Gallery of Art features East Texas artists.  Open Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sat., Sun. 1 - 5 p.m. at the corner of Second and Paul streets (936) 639-4434.

Texas Forestry Museum-

Forestlands flora and fauna exhibits, leaf and tree identification, early logging machinery, firefighting equipment, old railroad depot, antique railroad and sawmilll steam engines, Mini-Woodland Trail.  Operated by the Texas Forestry Association; open daily 1 - 4:30 p.m. at 1905 Atkinson Dr. (936) 632-8733.