Explore Big Slough Wilderness
The Big Slough is a 3,639-acre tract of swampy wilderness that is dominated by hardwoods. Old logging roads and the Four C Hiking Trail penetrate the slough, revealing a lush landscape of sycamore, hickory, oak, and loblolly pine.

Save the Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker lives only in dwindling stands of old-growth longleaf pine. Males, distinguished by a scarlet nape (or"cockade"), rarely reveal their flashy chests to the human eye, preferring to press it up against a tree. Colonies of the woodpecker can be found on Route 7 east of Ratcliff and on Route 227 northwest of town.

Catfish at Ratcliff
At the 45-acre Ratcliff Lake, you can count on catfish, bass, and bream. Float out into the center of the lake or just drop in a hook from shoreline in the shade beneath a canopy of trees. If you're a reservoir dog, Texas reservoirs are teeming with crappies, panfish, white bass, catfish, and largemouth. River dogs may prefer angling action on the Neches River where they can expect to duel with bass, flathead, panfish, and blue catfish.

Car Cruise around Ratcliff Lake
There's a cassette-guided auto tour around Ratcliff Lake. So pop in the cassette and cruise the loop. The historical loop skirts the haunting ruins of the Central Coal and Coke Company (4-C) sawmill. The mill was in operation from 1902 through 1920. And listen, if the history lesson doesn't do it for you, fret not - -you can always pop in some rock and roll.