Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center
| Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center | |
|---|---|
| Sheldon Lake State Park | |
The John Jacob Observation Tower | |
| Location | Houston, Harris County, Texas |
| Nearest city | Jacinto City, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°52.22′N 95°10.37′W / 29.87033°N 95.17283°W |
| Area | 2,789 acres (11.29 km2) |
| Established | 1955 |
| Visitors | 48,491 (in 2022) |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center is a 2,800-acre outdoor education and recreation facility in northeast Harris County managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The site is located along Sheldon Lake reservoir. The federal government constructed the reservoir on Carpenter's Bayou in 1942 in order to support growing war-related industries along the Houston Ship Channel. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired the reservoir in 1952 to provide a refuge for migratory waterfowl, a public fishing lake and a fish hatchery. It opened in 1955 as the Sheldon Wildlife Management Area. The hatchery closed in 1975, and the land began to revert naturally to forest, ponds and marshes. The site was designated a state park in 1984.