Possum Kingdom Lake
Possum Kingdom Lake
4.5
About
Recreational area that is considered one of the premier resort spots in Texas, which includes a variety of outdoor opportunities such as golfing, fishing and scuba diving.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
74 reviews
Excellent
49
Very good
22
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
RobertSuzanne
Tucson, AZ179 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
This is a very large, beautiful lake but there are not many places to access the water. It may only take 10 minutes to cross the lake by boat, but it takes almost two hours of driving to go all the way around to the other side. The State Park was very nice, plenty of camping sites, a store and small restaurant with a delicious hamburger, but the designated swimming area is small.
Written May 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma
Houston, TX17 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Possum kingdom lake is a great week getaway. We stayed at a friends house. There is plenty to do at possum kingdom. you can jet ski, go cliff jumping, wake board, and even water ski! We also enjoyed hiking and fishing! Fishing is a great night activity. Fish come out a lot at night. Another fun thing to do is a paddle board obstacle course. It’s a fun family competition. I will definitely go there again with my family.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
budget_travel_girl
Fort Gregg-Adams, VA14 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
Take Route 16 South of the Dam. You will see a Whataburger sign and the restaurant is contained inside a country store. Just after the Whataburger is a subdivision on the right called Sportsman's World. Drive in until the road forks. Go right at the fork. Turn left onto Hell's Gate Loop. Turn into Hell's Gate Point drive. Park at the dead end. The trail is to the left of the security gate of the burned down house.
Written May 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M J
Austin, TX7,859 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
My husband and I enjoyed our day trip to Possum Kingdom Lake. We enjoyed the Possum Kingdom state park, the dam and scenic drive down Texas highway 16. The bridge that crosses over the Brazos River at highway 16 is super nice. The bridge does not look special just driving across but park along the highway with the fisherman and view it from the side. It is beautiful. Do not miss see the lake and dam view at the end of Observation Point Road. The view is fantastic. Also, drive to the end of Red Bluff Road and you will see a great view below the dam. It is only 1 mile off of highway 16.
Written August 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CraftBeers
Plano, TX24,861 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
Possum Kingdom Lake was created by damming up the Brazos River in Palo Pinto county. The lake snakes around a lot. Aerial drawings of the lake look like a Chinese dragon. There are over 300 miles of shorelines. Because of the layout the lake has a northern side and a southern side. It may only take 10 minutes to cross the lake by boat, but it takes almost two hours of driving to go all the way around to the other side.
The lake is heavily weighted towards homeowners. Houses of all sizes are built along the shorelines or on cliff tops. Some have dock access to the lakes, others do not. There are a few public boat docks, but they are far and few between. There are several marina's spread around the lake to gain access. In general, Possum Kingdom does not really have shorelines. What shorelines do exist are taken up by homeowners. That means that vacationers pretty much have to stay on the lake. There are not beaches or other places to pull up.
Boating on the lake is very enjoyable. Tripadvisor edits swear words, so I am improvising the spelling of the coolest attraction on the lake. "H-E-double hockey sticks" Gate is beautiful. The high cliff walls that jut into the lake had a section break away. It created an island on one side and a cliff on the other. The two create a stone gate you can boat through. The cove on the other side is a very popular destination for boaters. You have to have a 100 ft anchor to set up shop. You will see small ski boats to large yachts anchored in this cove. Over Labor Day weekend, there is a cliff diving event off the gate.
Boating, skiing, jet skiing, fishing, and swimming are all available on the lake. There are places where you can rent boats and equipment. There are some restaurants and bars around the lake, but they are very sparse.
I love visiting this lake and staying at a friends home on the lake. It's awesome to sit on the porch and watch the lake activity. Having a personal dock to boat in and out is wonderful. I am not a real fan of Possum Kingdom as a vacation lake. The lack of public access, no places to pull the boat over, and virtually no decent restaurants and bars is a negative as a vacation destination.
The lake is heavily weighted towards homeowners. Houses of all sizes are built along the shorelines or on cliff tops. Some have dock access to the lakes, others do not. There are a few public boat docks, but they are far and few between. There are several marina's spread around the lake to gain access. In general, Possum Kingdom does not really have shorelines. What shorelines do exist are taken up by homeowners. That means that vacationers pretty much have to stay on the lake. There are not beaches or other places to pull up.
Boating on the lake is very enjoyable. Tripadvisor edits swear words, so I am improvising the spelling of the coolest attraction on the lake. "H-E-double hockey sticks" Gate is beautiful. The high cliff walls that jut into the lake had a section break away. It created an island on one side and a cliff on the other. The two create a stone gate you can boat through. The cove on the other side is a very popular destination for boaters. You have to have a 100 ft anchor to set up shop. You will see small ski boats to large yachts anchored in this cove. Over Labor Day weekend, there is a cliff diving event off the gate.
Boating, skiing, jet skiing, fishing, and swimming are all available on the lake. There are places where you can rent boats and equipment. There are some restaurants and bars around the lake, but they are very sparse.
I love visiting this lake and staying at a friends home on the lake. It's awesome to sit on the porch and watch the lake activity. Having a personal dock to boat in and out is wonderful. I am not a real fan of Possum Kingdom as a vacation lake. The lack of public access, no places to pull the boat over, and virtually no decent restaurants and bars is a negative as a vacation destination.
Written August 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NashK
Boston, MA166 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
I stayed Memorial Day weekend at The Cliffs resort on Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas. (I reviewed that as well, so check that out too!)
Things I suggest you check out that are nearby:
1. Picture spot along the last part of the drive to The Cliffs. There's a little place to pull over on the side of the road.
2. Hike and Bike Trail---this is closer to The Harbor Grille (I reviewed this too, so check that out) than to The Cliffs. Maybe 5-10 minute drive. I didn't have time that day to check out all of the trails, but the map looked like the area offered several trails. There is a restroom that was pretty clean when we were there too. The one I went on was not very challenging, it was more like a nice stroll up a hill (ok, maybe a little more challenging than that!)
Things I suggest you check out that are nearby:
1. Picture spot along the last part of the drive to The Cliffs. There's a little place to pull over on the side of the road.
2. Hike and Bike Trail---this is closer to The Harbor Grille (I reviewed this too, so check that out) than to The Cliffs. Maybe 5-10 minute drive. I didn't have time that day to check out all of the trails, but the map looked like the area offered several trails. There is a restroom that was pretty clean when we were there too. The one I went on was not very challenging, it was more like a nice stroll up a hill (ok, maybe a little more challenging than that!)
Written May 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John A
Parker, CO18 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
We are snowboarding Texas at Texas state parks. Possum Kingdom State Park is the nicest one so far and we are the only campers here. Water and power supplied, camping at waters edge, quiet and bueatiful.
Written January 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff R
Minden, LA97 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
My wife and I were staying in Mineral Wells for business. We decided to drive up to the lake to look around one evening. We found a nice little bar/grill to grab a burger and enjoyed our time driving around the bends of the lake. We saw road runners and tons of deer. Lots of boats on the water. We saw several places to camp or have a picnic. We didn't get out and explore, but we are definitely talking about coming back with the family sometime. Beautiful lake area.
Written July 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shaugn S
Mill Valley, CA16 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
Possum Kingdom Lake, PK as we call it, offers something for everyone! Comfortable and casual place where you can float at Hells Gate with friends while sipping an ice cold beer, go for a hike, trail run or mountain bike ride on the more than 20 miles of PK Hike & Bike trails, play a challenging round of golf at the Cliffs, and visit one of the local restaurants offering a delicious meal!
Written January 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sandyp48
Santa Ana, CA28 contributions
May 2017 • Family
We were visiting for my niece's college graduation in Tyler and afterwards headed up to a condo that my sister's family has on the lake last weekend. It was a delightful get-away, and the cliffs are an amazing site. A neighbor took us in his boat and we went into the Devil's Gate harbor......during the competition it's pretty crowded, we hear. But in May, the weather was great and the lake was so nice.... a few went in the water and said it was cold, but tolerable. In the summer, the water gets to85 degrees. There are hiking trails that have been cleared but we didn't do any hiking. Mostly, we relaxed and enjoyed the get-away from the DFW area......
Written May 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
we do not want to go by boat to watch fire works at hells gate this year and the YMCA camp is closed. Where can we drive and park to watch?
Written June 26, 2020
Lduncan44
Plano, Texas
Is the water at Possum Kingdom beaches muddy and brown? Or nice to swim in?
Written June 1, 2018
We enjoy swimming at Sandy Beach. The water is not crystal clear but it’s not muddy.
Written July 4, 2018
chickiemoosupreme33
Los Angeles, California
I'm writing a book that takes place in Possum Kingdom Lake in the 70s. Are you able to drive up the cliff, or do you have to walk. How long would driving take if you can drive, and how long would walking take?
Written August 9, 2017
Which cliff? Lake is surrounded by more than one. Go to google earth and use the tools to calculate distance.
Written August 9, 2017
Could you tell me about transportation from DFW airport to The Cliffs resort TX?
Written March 22, 2017
Can you rent a motorboat to waterski, is there cliff diving available, and are there other things to do in the area
Written July 9, 2016
Yes you can rent from Naylor by the Water or Lush Resort both have Facebook sites. Cliff diving is not allowed but we do have Red Bull Cliff Diving event every year in June. Things to do Golf at the Cliff's Resort, Boating, hiking also live bands at Boondocks PK and at Rockin S. Beautiful lake fun times
Written July 10, 2016
Hi. Am visiting this place on June 18th weekend. Is this a good. Will the lake and water be muddy? Which is the best place for tent camping here(water and electricity). I would greatly appreciate if anyone can give pointers on this. I have researched all the website. They do not tel which is the best place to camp or do not see it in reviews too.
Written June 17, 2016
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