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Houston to Caddo Lake State Park road trip: best stops

The drive from Houston to Caddo Lake State Park takes about 3 hr 45 min (north of Houston), by real roads from ZIP 77002. Along the way we found 51 stops within a short detour: 5 coffee shops, 3 bakeries, 7 ice cream and treats and 25 places to eat.

The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Houston) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.

Plan this trip All day trips from Houston

Where you are going: Caddo Lake State Park 3 hr 45 min from Houston

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

State park

Caddo Lake State Park

Paddle Big Cypress Bayou under bald cypress draped in Spanish moss at the edge of 26,810-acre Caddo Lake, with 2.5 miles of trails and historic CCC cabins.

Half day
Year-round
Texas State Parks day-use fee (per person; kids 12 and under free)

Heads-up: Rent a canoe at the office; Hell's Half Acre paddling trail is for experienced paddlers. Alligators live here. No license to fish from shore. Busy March to November; reserve. Two historic cabins are ADA accessible. Buy firewood locally…

Official site

Map of the stops between Houston and Caddo Lake State Park

Open the interactive map

First third Middle third Last third Caddo Lake State Park

First stretch 16 stops

Pat's Donuts Donut counter-service · Porter
About 23 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 04:00-13:00
Starbucks Coffee shop · Porter
About 24 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 05:00-21:00 Website
Porter Donuts & Kolaches Donut counter-service · Porter
About 24 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Sa 05:00-13:00; Su 06:00-13:00
Supreme Hibachi and Sushi Buffet Sushi restaurant · Porter
About 24 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th,Su 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Hartz Chicken Buffet Restaurant · Porter
About 24 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 10:00-21:30 Website
Yummy Tummy Bakery Bakery · New Caney
About 25 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Starbucks Coffee shop · New Caney
About 27 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 05:00-21:00; Sa-Su 05:00-21:30 Website
Hartz Chicken Buffet Quick bite · New Caney
About 27 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Snowflake Donuts Donut counter-service · Keefer
About 29 min into the drive · detour about 4 min
Zip Lines Attraction · Keefer
About 30 min into the drive · detour about 4 min
Extreme Slides Attraction · Keefer
About 30 min into the drive · detour about 5 min
Shipley Do-Nuts Donut counter-service · Cleveland
About 41 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
Cleveland Historical Museum Museum · Cleveland
About 41 min into the drive · detour about 4 min
Popping Smoke BBQ Barbecue restaurant · Livingston
About 1 hr 4 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
El Burrito Mexican Restaurant Tex-mex restaurant · Livingston
About 1 hr 4 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Starbucks Coffee shop · Livingston
About 1 hr 6 min into the drive · detour about 2 min

Middle of the drive 9 stops

Sonic Burger place · Corrigan
About 1 hr 25 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th 06:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-23:00; Su 08:00-22:00
The History Center Museum · Diboll
About 1 hr 38 min into the drive · detour about 6 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00
Naranjo Museum of Natural History Museum · Lufkin
About 1 hr 45 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Starbucks Coffee shop · Lufkin
About 1 hr 47 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Su-Th 05:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 05:00-22:00 Website
The Donut Palace Bakery · Lufkin
About 1 hr 48 min into the drive · detour about 5 min
Orange leaf Ice cream counter-service · Lufkin
About 1 hr 48 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Marble Slab Creamery Ice cream · Lufkin
About 1 hr 48 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Arely's Cakes Bakery · Lufkin
About 1 hr 50 min into the drive · detour about 7 min
Texas Forestry Museum Museum · Herty
About 1 hr 53 min into the drive · detour about 3 min Website

Last stretch 1 stops

Joe Pine Coffee Coffee shop · Marshall
About 3 hr 23 min into the drive · detour about 7 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Sa 07:00-21:00

Questions about the drive from Houston to Caddo Lake State Park

How long is the drive from Houston to Caddo Lake State Park?

About 3 hr 45 min by road, heading north from the middle of ZIP 77002. Traffic and weather change that.

What are the best stops on the way from Houston to Caddo Lake State Park?

Good ones to start with: Pat's Donuts (Porter), Starbucks (Porter), Porter Donuts & Kolaches (Porter), Supreme Hibachi and Sushi Buffet (Porter) and Hartz Chicken Buffet (Porter). The page lists 26 in all, in driving order.

Where can I get coffee or a bakery stop between Houston and Caddo Lake State Park?

Starbucks in Porter, Yummy Tummy Bakery in New Caney, Starbucks in New Caney and Starbucks in Livingston. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.

Where can I eat on the way to Caddo Lake State Park?

Supreme Hibachi and Sushi Buffet in Porter, Hartz Chicken Buffet in Porter, Hartz Chicken Buffet in New Caney and Popping Smoke BBQ in Livingston.

Are there viewpoints or quick sights on the way?

Zip Lines in Keefer, Extreme Slides in Keefer, Cleveland Historical Museum in Cleveland and The History Center in Diboll.

More about Houston and Caddo Lake State Park

Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.