Cedar Hill State Park in Texas, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-11-11. Check linked official notices before travel.

At Cedar Hill State Park in Texas, you can spend a day at Joe Pool Lake, walk through Penn Farm or ride a DORBA loop. Decide which outing matters most before you book a day pass. Wet ground can close the dirt trails while the farm remains an option.

Joe Pool Lake and Penn Farm

The gravel swimming beach has a playground, restrooms, picnic tables and grills close by. At Penn Farm Agricultural History Center, a self-guided visit takes you past farm buildings and shows how machinery changed the way the Penn family worked.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Prepare for heat and lake outings

Carry water on the trails and wear a helmet if you ride. Wear a life jacket when boating or paddling. Swim only at the designated beach, which has no lifeguards. Keep pets and glass containers out of the swim area. The park’s September–April prescribed burns can close trails, campsites and day-use areas. Check before traveling. Check the Texas Parks and Wildlife water safety guidance before launching.

Share the loops and buy firewood locally

On the DORBA loops, cyclists go clockwise and yield to hikers. Hikers travel counterclockwise. Firewood movement is restricted because of emerald ash borer, so buy wood near where you’ll use it. Some campsites have invasive Argentine ants. These ants do not sting, but the park advises campers to prepare to treat around vehicles and gear.

Book day passes and developed campsites

The park often reaches capacity. Reserve day use or a developed campsite through the Texas State Parks reservation system or call 512-389-8900. To reserve an accessible campsite, call that number and ask the Customer Service Center. Campers can reserve up to 14 consecutive nights and must leave for one night before returning. Check your confirmation email for the gate code if you arrive after hours. More than two vehicles at a campsite incur USD 5 per extra vehicle per day. Hike-in sites cannot be reserved. They are available only when the trails are open. Campfires are prohibited at the hike-in sites.

Use the entrance on West FM 1382

Set your destination to 1570 West FM 1382, Cedar Hill, TX 75104. The official trail map shows headquarters at the main entrance and labels the beach, ramps and trail routes.

Nearby parks and preserves

• Cedar Mountain Preserve. Park at 1206 FM 1382 for a short, flat paved loop or walk to the soft-surface trail.
• Cedar Ridge Preserve. The entrance is on Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas. The preserve closes on Mondays.

Pick a loop or fish from the shore

Choose a 3-, 8- or 12-mile DORBA loop (4.8, 12.9 or 19.3 km). The park rates all three as challenging. At the lake, try the perch pond with kids, fish from a lighted jetty or bring your own boat for one of the two ramps. You can fish from shore or a pier inside the state park without a fishing license. Joe Pool Marina is permanently closed.

Camping and accessible fishing

Developed sites have water and electricity, with showers and restrooms nearby. The listed rates are USD 25 nightly for water and electric sites, USD 30 for full hookups and USD 10 for hike-in sites, plus daily park admission.

The park accessibility guide identifies wheelchair-accessible full-hookup sites, accessible fishing jetties and a boardwalk to the perch pond. Call the park to reserve an assistive chair for a day visit. The guide gives a separate email for overnight chair requests.

Limestone hills, prairie and a family farm

Joe Pool Lake borders limestone hills and pockets of prairie. The protected grassland is part of the historic Texas Blackland Prairie.

A century of work at Penn Farm

The Penn family worked the farm for more than a century. Historic and reconstructed buildings at the center show changes in rural life from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. Call the park if you want to arrange a guided group visit.

Prairie habitat

Look for birds in the grassland and along the wooded edges. The Blackland Prairie remnants provide habitat for prairie wildlife and migratory birds.

Contact Cedar Hill State Park

Call Texas Parks and Wildlife staff at 972-291-3900 or email [email protected].