Signs point the way at Cass County Park

Cass County Park on Wright Patman Lake may be the “Park With A View” as it proclaims, but one has to find and get there to see it.

And several lifelong residents of the county will say they’ve never been there.

The reason for that may be that signs directing the way are often homemade. This is not a state highway department-managed park.

The small, out-of-the-way venue is a county-owned park and is staffed mostly by volunteers—members of the Friends of the Park association.

The park is at the end of several twists and turns of a small lane. To begin, one turns west of U. S. Highway 59 near Domino at the site of Lakeway Baptist Church.

After that, one is on one’s own. All signs count.

One historical reason for this is that the several coves and inlets around Wright Patman Lake’s shores were simply private landings in the early days before the lake was formed. Hunters, fishermen and families found and used them. Not so many others.

So today, one goes to the county park for the best view of Wright Patman Lake. Every campsite—every footstep, in fact—one can keep the lake in view from ground level. Sunsets are spectacular and wildlife close by.

That level worked against the park January 2016 when the flood of the lake-level rise came and brought lake water 10 feet over the park.

The park was not certain to recover, but it has because of the volunteers. Next week, Cass County Life will present the remarkable story of two families who are members of Friends of the Park and who’ve donated months of their time and talent to restoring The Park With A View.

Staff photos by Neil Abeles ■ When a visitor arrives at the Cass County Park’s gate, the beautiful Wright Patman Lake is already in view.

When you get to the Cass County Park, this is the big sign. Understated would be an understatement.

■ Well, the car passing by had the right of way, but did the stop sign work for the other driver on the way to Cass County Park?

■ This is a fairly recent sign added to help drivers back to that “noisy” U. S. Highway 59 after several days of quiet on Wright Patman Lake.

■ Walking or riding, no one could ignore this sign at the entrance to the Cass County Park station manager’s office.