Grounds

Lake Winedale

Formerly the site of the Wagner cotton gin, the shore of Lake Winedale is a lovely spot for visitors to enjoy. Bird Watching is great! Picnic tables are available for a bring-your-own lunch on the lawn. Please be sure to register at the Visitor Center before your visit. 

Nature Trail

Naturalist Gideon Lincecum (1793-1874) brought his knowledge of Choctaw herbal healing from Mississippi to Long Point, just a few miles from Winedale, in 1848. He collected hundreds of plants in Central Texas and wrote extensive commentaries on their medicinal qualities. The Gideon Lincecum Arboretum was originally created in the late 1970s with markers for native plants, trees, and grasses.
Click Here to Learn More

In 2017, the Gideon Lincecum Master Nationalists revived the trail on a smaller scale and relocated the marker to a more accessible area. As part of the Blackland Prairie and Post Oak Savannah ecosystems of Texas, the trail provides access to native grasses, wildflowers, trees, and pollinator bushes leading to a natural pond where bald cypress and dragonflies abound.

Pollinator Garden

svisitor enjoying pollinator garden

The pollinator garden in front of the Winedale Visitor Center was created by the Gideon Lincecum Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists in 2017. A guide to the plants in the garden can be found on the front porch.

Orchard

bare trees in orchard at winedale
photo from Texas A&M AgriLife R&E Center

Created in partnership with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, the goal of this orchard is to provide a modern experimental orchard where regional residents can learn techniques of pruning and see how well new varieties of peaches, figs, pomegranates, and jujubes grow in this area. Fruit Orchard Programs are usually scheduled in March. Check events for information. The Winedale community earned its name from the wines produced. It was common for homesteads in those days to have orchards and gardens for personal use.