Purtis Creek State Park in northeastern Texas encompasses 1,582.4 acres around a 355-acre lake created in 1980 when the United States Soil Conservation Service dammed Purtis Creek for flood control. The state acquired the land from private owners in 1977, and the park opened in 1988. Long before that, Wichita and Caddo people used the area as hunting ground, and later settlers were drawn by its abundant game in the early to mid-1800s. Within the Oak Woodlands Natural Subregion, the park supports varied wildlife and fish and today centers on quiet outdoor recreation, including fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and swimming.