Eastland County: Lakes, Art and History
Accommodation in Eastland County
Eastland County can be explored through a variety of experiences: waters suited to specific fishing interests and places where history comes alive in museums, artworks and stories. Lake Cisco, the Outdoor Art Exhibit in Eastland and the story of Old Rip offer different points of focus for planning a trip. If you’re traveling with a variety of interests, you can consider these themes side by side and decide which places you’d like to use as a starting point for your stay.
Lakes and Fishing Interests
Lake Cisco is located three miles northwest of Cisco, in the northwestern part of Eastland County. Two public boat ramps are available there. Fishing is also a clear reason to include this lake in your plans: largemouth bass fishing is considered good to excellent in terms of fish numbers. A stay at Lake Cisco may be especially worth considering if you’re interested in this type of fishing.
Largemouth bass are also the focus at Lake Leon, which is known for tournament fishing for this species. It also has good populations of channel catfish, sunfish and white bass. Those comparing fishing opportunities in Eastland County will therefore find other named fish species here than at Lake Cisco. Olden Lake offers another point of interest: it covers 130 acres on the Leon River in Eastland County, and several campsites are located along its shores. Its specific size and location make the lake a distinct nature destination within the county.
History, Art and Stories
The Eastland County Museum offers a set visiting schedule and an overview of the region’s history. It is open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A permanent exhibit on the first floor tells the history of Eastland County. If you’d also like to include culture in your trip, you can take these hours into account when planning your day.
The story of Old Rip, a well-known horned lizard, is associated with the Eastland County Courthouse. According to legend, it was freed from the cornerstone of the former courthouse and found its final resting place there. Built in 1920, the Connellee-Majestic Theatre hosted numerous touring theater productions, musical events and plays. It has been a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 1988. In Ranger, the Roaring Ranger Oil Boom Museum is housed in a former train station. The Old Mobley Hotel is also part of the region’s history: it was the first hotel owned by Conrad Hilton and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
In Eastland, the Outdoor Art Exhibit features 41 works of art located near or at businesses. Each work is accompanied by a story about the artist’s life or an interesting detail about the original work. The exhibit thus offers a way to experience art through the individual works and the stories behind them. The Kendrick Religious Amphitheater is also located between Cisco and Eastland. It features a permanent religious diorama and an annual Easter pageant. The Old Rip Parade in Eastland is listed as an annual event.
Choosing a Location and Getting Oriented
Interstate 20 runs east to west through Eastland County, while U.S. Highway 183 runs north to south. When searching for a vacation rental, it may help to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip—for example, Lake Cisco, the artworks in Eastland or the Oil Boom Museum in Ranger. These places are not interchangeable search terms, but different points of reference for nature and cultural interests. Which area suits you as a starting point depends on which of these experiences appeal to you most.
For further orientation, you can also consider Eastland, Ranger, Cisco and Gorman. This lets you connect your choice of vacation rental with the places that interest you for your trip.
For an overview of the wider travel destination: Texas.
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