Cassels-Boykin County Park
is located on the 142,700-acre Sam
Rayburn Reservoir. The park provides year-round
access to the northern part of Lake Sam Rayburn,
which is noted for excellent fishing, boating,
duck hunting, and skiing. Other water related activities also are
quite popular.
Currently:
The park has 27 campsites.
Ten (10) are multi-use
sites which are paved and 17 are tent or
picnic sites.
Seventeen (17) sites have
water and electricity.
There are two restrooms in
the park. No showers are available.
A trailer dump station is
available.
A boat ramp is available.
Architectural
renderings depicting proposed park improvements.
James Slack Interview.
This video shows James discussing the
project in May, 2007 with Yana Ogletree on City
Hall Update.
The Lake
Enhancement Task Force of the
Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce has
formulated a strategy to improve the facilities at
Cassels-Boykin Park to increase tourism and
stimulate the economy on northern Sam Rayburn
Reservoir and in Angelina County.
Cassels-Boykin Park,
located near Zavalla, is owned by the Army Corps of
Engineers, but is on long-term lease to Angelina
County. Income generated from boat launch, camping,
and other fees at this 110-acre location currently
totals $20,000 - $30,000 per year, which is used to
maintain the facility.
The proposed improvements
of the park include a handicap-accessible fishing
pier, swimming area, improved restroom facilities,
five-lane boat ramp, 100 car-trailer space parking
lot, caretaker residence, landscaping, signage, and
an access road. The project will also include a
large pavilion, named in honor of Dr. Bill Shelton,
one of the pioneers of this endeavor, an outdoor
enthusiast and a true hero to all those whose lives
he touched. The total estimated cost of the project
is $5,000,000.
Funding has already been
received from a private foundation for
preliminary planning and engineering of this
project. A $500,000 Boating Access Grant from Texas
Parks & Wildlife has also been awarded to Angelina
County.
The potential economic
impact of the Cassels-Boykin Park
Project is immense, according to studies conducted
by Texas A&M University for Texas Parks & Wildlife
on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in 2002. The study
concluded that the total annual economic value of
recreational fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir was
$15,100,401 in 2001.
Dr. Bill Shelton lived a life of passion
for his patients’ healing but also for the outdoors.
After fishing Sam Rayburn Reservoir for nearly 40
years,
he spearheaded a group that saw the potential for
Cassels-Boykin Park to
serve the needs of our children and the physically
challenged and all of East
Texas to a much greater extent. He worked tirelessly
to ensure access for
these individuals and to give all citizens an
opportunity to enjoy this beautiful
resource by creating facilities for fishing, as well
as family gatherings,
weddings, reunions, and fishing tournaments. His
enthusiasm for seeing this
project reach its fruition remained until his death
in October 2006. Today,
our dream of enriching our community through the
Cassels-Boykin Park is
becoming a reality.
Dr. Bill Shelton lived a life of passion
for his patients’ healing but also for the outdoors.
After fishing Sam Rayburn Reservoir for nearly 40
years,