Clever Critters at Tyler State Park at Tyler, Texas

Those Google reviews of Tyler State Park are true, the raccoons are BOLD, especially around the screened shelters. Roving around in gangs, they are a cast of characters with one that has a lopped tail, babies and grandparents, the entire circus. When you are privately cocooned and safe in a tent, the waves of little hands and bodies leaning on the sides shaking the test start, the shadows and raccoon sounds shifting around outside. The raccoons have skills that have been refined over the years: moving large rocks that are blocking doors to enter screened shelters, staking out behind bushes in order to see when the car trunk is open and unaccompanied for 15 seconds during unpacking, training cute stray kittens to be mini raccoons so they can get closer to human food. Zazzle (the name given to him for the weekend) is the kitten who would sit on his haunches with his little paw up like his adopted raccoon family, begging for food. He was much more successful than his raccoon brethren. The raccoons will come straight up to the campsite and fight under your chair for food and then share amongst themselves the gluten free bread taken from your open trunk, and finally enjoying the warmth of your campfire. They will counter-surf during your large party at the pavilion, with dozens of shinning eyes amongst the trees waiting for when your back is turned. Tyler State Park is their party and we are just here to provide the food and entertainment. If you do not like uninvited party guests, lock up everything, including all plastic containers that do not include food, by early afternoon. At least they are all cute.