Caddo Lake, November 2021

Having a week off for Thanksgiving always gives me a nice opportunity to head out in search of fall.  The season simply doesn't have much of a visual presence in the DFW Metroplex.  This year I decided to look in an area I'd heard good things about but not yet visited -- Caddo Lake.

I made the three-hour drive from home and stopped at the National Wildlife Refuge first.  These areas are typically feast or famine in terms of how much wildlife I actually see.  This one was a famine in that department, but at least I got to feast my eyes on some brilliant fall foliage like this American Sweetgum.

I got my first exposure to the lake's famous Bald Cypress at a picturesque boat ramp on the refuge's east end.  I knew I'd missed peak foliage thanks to photos from a week earlier I'd seen online, but the needles that remained did sport a brilliant fall orange.

I kept a wary eye out for alligators when I mucked out a bit for this shot.  The day seemed warm to me, but possibly not warm enough for cold-blooded reptiles.

After a drive around the refuge it was on to Caddo Lake State Park where I'd reserved a camping spot for the night.  I set up my tent and headed out to hike a loop featuring the park's three short trails.  I first passed Sawmill Pond and some interesting silhouettes from branches and moss.

I liked the contrast between the pond's west and east shores provided by the low afternoon sun.

That same low sun allowed the trees to cast striking shadows on the duckweed-covered pond surface.

The sun was still fortunately high enough to capture some vibrant colors.  And some of the cypress still had a decent amount of needles.

The hiking trails had their own beauty, especially all the wooden bridges sprinkled about.  The smell of the fallen leaves was also hugely uplifting.

After a pleasant if chilly night in my tent, I packed up and headed back to the pond to see what sunrise offered.  Being surrounded by hills meant that I didn't get to see much of the actual sun, but the predawn colors were still impressive.

The pond was perfectly still, which doubled the impact of the unique cypress trunks courtesy of their mirrored reflections.

I had to drive a little ways to find it, but I'm pleased to once again report that you can find fall in Texas!