Lake Corpus Christi State Park

Dad called it Mathis Lake. Mom still does.

I think about that and other memories as I cross through the stone-fenced entrance. I take directions from rustic wooden signs; their yellow engravings point the way down the winding path that leads me to the park gate.

It’s Sunday, my preferred getting to the park day, and the Ranger, who greets my arrival, does so with an inviting smile and welcoming tone. After confirming my stay, he hands me a park map, heads me in the right direction, and I’m off to my new home for a few days. I note the excitement I feel as the exploring begins.

Home Sweet Home. I have spent a bit of time converting the cargo trailer into a sort of base camp for my travels. This trip is the maiden voyage, and I’ll determine what works, what doesn’t, and what else it needs. This is a water and electricity area of the park. I have a generator and could have gone to a water only area, but for the shake down, I decided this to be my best bet. The park is relatively quiet, a perk that comes with mid-spring stays during weekdays.

Lake Corpus Christi State Park is one of the oldest state parks in Texas and has offered recreation to visitors for over 80 years. The state leased the park area from Corpus in 1934 and holds that lease until 2032. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the refectory, known as The Castle (below), along with a boathouse, bridges and other structures. Only the refectory remains.

The Civilian Conservation Corps refectory, built in the 1930’s, is the only building still in existence for visitors to see and appreciate.

The lake level has dropped significantly. I can tell that as I make my way around the park for a first-day drive about. I have a few goals for this trip. I’m hoping the birds are here, especially the Green Jays; I have a keen interest in seeing the boathouse ruins that are normally submerged; and I want to settle in my mind what it is that makes this park special, its identity if you will.

Here, the normal water line is easily seen in this view from an unmarked trail located in the CCC Pavilion area. The dam is located at the water’s farthest edge in the photo.

The History

The Nueces River fuels the lake and has since the 1920’s, when it was then named Lake Lovenskiold. It is now owned and operated by Corpus Christi and serves as its water supply.

This is the back side of the refectory, or the water side of the building. I do not know what its current use is, but it would be a nice place for gatherings, such as reunions, weddings, etc. Perhaps it is reservable.
This view of the refectory is from the steps area located at the top of the bluff.
The steps lead down to another landing with a nice view of the lake. From there, the journey stops. At one time, something must have continued on, but that is all gone now.
Feel free to write your own caption here.

The Trails

The park has three named trails: the Longhorn, Kiskadee and Catfish Point. One of the things I wanted to do was see if I could get down to the old boathouse, which was mostly visible because of the drought. I found a well-used unmarked trail at the refectory that does exactly that.

The shoreline at the trail’s end is evidently well known. While I was there, several people set up for the night to fish there from the rocky shoreline. It was really windy and quite cool.

I spent most of my time around the Kiskadee Trail. I say Kiskadee, but it was really the trail that sort of runs beside it. Both are accessible from the refectory parking area. This little trail was fun to hike, and I saw a lot of javelina sign. There is a small bench on the trail that is a nice place to sit and enjoy the bird song. The Kiskadee trail has interpretive signs, so I’m sure it is the busier of the two trails.

The Wildlife

While I did see deer on numerous occasions, the birds were the main attraction, and their song was impossible to miss.

A Long-Billed Thrasher, a South Texas songbird, makes its presence known.

The park has a winter-feeding program that ends in March. I was there in April and thought, well there goes my chances of seeing birds at the bird blind. I couldn’t have been more wrong. They were in abundance all around the Kiskadee Trail and really wherever I went. I can even say I had a bird encounter of the weird kind when I was looking for the old boathouse. I was entering an opening on the side of the bluff below the CCC refectory, and there, to my right, at eye level sat not one, but two Black Vultures. Soon, I found out there were more on the side of that bluff, and as I made my way down to the shore, I saw the reason: a fish carcass lay on the beach below. One handsome fellow stayed in place long enough for a portrait.

Black Vulture

Walking down the Kiskadee Trail, I saw a very colorful bird flying in and out of the nearby bushes. It was, in fact, a Great Kiskadee. It appears the trail was aptly named.

Great Kiskadee

White-winged doves were the least skittish of all the birds, and they were very patient with my camera shenanigans.

As I moved about the birding area, I heard bird song that sounded like it was coming from some type of exotic bird. Being in South Texas, I thought this was entirely possible. In fact, it sounded like more than one. It wasn’t though. Northern Mockingbirds are amazing.

Northern Mockingbird
White-winged Dove

This little guy showed up while I was hanging out in the bird blind. It was very busy moving and scratching around. They are very fast and can leave quickly. I tried to be as still and quiet as I could, but the Canon shutter is very loud in these close-up encounters (maybe 15′ away). The wren stuck around long enough for this photo.

Bewick’s Wren

And a favorite, a Green Jay, made a showing, but I was too slow to get the shot. I think there were two. I only saw them for a few seconds, and then they were gone. I never saw them again.

The Shoreline

These photos were taken of areas that would normally be submerged. I found an old artificial bait but left it there. Almost every stick up had line wrapped around it. I even saw an old iron anchor.

Facilities and Final Thoughts

Corpus Christi State Park is a very clean park. On my final day there, I checked out the new restroom and shower facility located in the Day Use area. The unit was very spacious inside with multiple showers and restrooms, each offering different levels of privacy. The grounds of the park were very well maintained, and it was obvious to me that the work done here was one of dedication and loving care.

I came to the park looking for its identity, that one thing that makes it Lake Corpus Christi State Park, and I now believe you have to take the place in its whole to truly understand its significance, its reason for being. Maybe that’s the point after all; that some state parks cannot be defined as simply as pointing to a river, or a plant species, a wide-open vista or a historical event. Lake Corpus Christi State Park offers recreation to visitors from both near and far away. They come to swim, to water ski, to hike, to fish, to bird, to picnic, to camp, to be with family, and to just relax and enjoy the sounds of nature. And, they have been doing it for over 80 years.

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