We recently made a stop at Lake Crabtree County park in order to fulfill our Junior Naturalist Program requirement. We participated in their fishing program, but we also spent some time exploring the park beforehand. They have two playgrounds, sand volleyball, and tons of picnic shelters, in addition to the lake that offers boating and fishing.
As we entered the park I was surprised at the size of it! We drove past 4 different turn-offs and a giant open field before we finally turned towards the fishing pier. There’s a picnic shelter, playground, restroom facility, and sand volleyball court right off the parking lot at the fishing pier.
Older Kids Playground
The playground near the pier is designed for older kids. It has monkey bars, a climbing wall, and slides on a metal structure. It was accessible for my one year old to climb up the stairs, but there were quite a few gaps where I was concerned he could fall so it wasn’t a great spot for him. We spent some time exploring and then decided to/had to walk down to the restroom (dang toddlers with small bladders).
Tot Lot Playground
From there we could see another playground down the trail so went to check it out. It was a playground designed for younger toddlers, which was perfect for us. It had two small structures that were lower to the ground, plus a fun interactive nature sounds exhibit. I didn’t expect it to work, but it played sounds like crickets and howling wolves. That kept my kids entertained for a while!
Crabtree Casters Fishing Program
After exploring it was time to get to our fishing class! The Crabtree Casters class meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm. There was a staff member waiting for us on the dock with fishing gear and bait for us to use. Lake Crabtree is catch and release only and there are signs posted that if you keep and eat the fish you will get sick. Adults need a state fishing license to fish, but kids do not. The staff member gave us the rundown and then let us pick a fishing pole. They don’t want anyone actually casting their line due to safety reasons so they just have you drop the hook in the water by the dock. I’m sure there’s a story behind that rule that I don’t want to hear! 😬
The instructor did help us get the first worm on the hook, but after that we had to do it ourselves. My 4 year old ended up catching a fish and the instructor helped us remove it safely from the hook and toss it back in the lake.
I’m really glad I had my husband go with me to help in this class because I don’t think I could have assisted two preschoolers with fishing and also wrangle my toddler. However, I was extremely glad that the pier is fully enclosed except for one part on the walkway so that helped keep everyone safe around the water!
Other Programs at Lake Crabtree
Check the calendar for more events at Lake Crabtree! While we were there I saw this sign for nature crafts on Monday through Thursday from 10am until noon, but it’s not listed on the calendar online. It might be a fun outing to explore the park and participate in the class! Let us know if you try it out!
