Paris Ranch: 288 Acres of Wildlife-Rich Land Bordering Gambill Wildlife Refuge | Lamar County, Texas
Paris Ranch delivers what most recreational buyers spend years searching for—288 acres of diverse terrain directly across from the Gambill Wildlife Refuge and Lake Gibbons, where thousands of migratory waterfowl create seasonal spectacles visible from your own land. This working cattle property combines the infrastructure of a productive ranch with the wildlife habitat, water features, and elevated building sites that define exceptional recreational land in Northeast Texas.
Picture morning coffee on your hilltop while geese and ducks flight across Lake Gibbons in waves during migration season. Imagine afternoon hunts for whitetail deer along hardwood creek bottoms, spring mornings calling eastern wild turkey through mature oaks, and September dove shoots around six stock tanks scattered across the property. Paris Ranch makes this lifestyle accessible—just twelve miles from the conveniences of Paris while surrounded by large landowners and the City of Paris’ Lake Gibbons preserve that buffer your privacy and enhance the wildlife carrying capacity of the entire area.
Water defines exceptional recreational land, and Paris Ranch delivers with six stock tanks distributed across 288 acres plus seasonal creeks that flow through hardwood bottoms during rainfall events. This reliable water system patterns wildlife movement, concentrates deer during feeding hours, attracts migratory waterfowl throughout fall and winter, and provides the foundation for both livestock management and hunting success.
The stock tank system draws from natural drainage patterns created by the property’s varied topography, maintaining water levels throughout the grazing season while creating edge habitat where wildlife thrives. Riparian corridors along seasonal creeks produce the dense cover whitetail deer use for bedding and travel, while open water draws wood ducks, teal, and other waterfowl that flight between the property and neighboring Lake Gibbons.
Behind the existing 1960s ranch-style residence, the property’s topography reveals an exceptional building opportunity: a hilltop site with commanding views across rolling pastures to Lake Gibbons and the Gambill Wildlife Refuge beyond. This elevated position provides the foundation for a custom home where the landscape becomes your living room.
The current three-bedroom residence functions well as an operational headquarters while you plan and build, allowing buyers to maintain ranch operations without disruption. Many landowners choose to retain an existing home for guests, ranch hands, or hunting camps while their primary residence takes shape on the superior building site above.
The combination of hardwood creek bottoms, open hay meadows, and brushy fence lines creates quality deer habitat with the edge environments that concentrate deer movement. Stock tanks provide water sources that pattern travel corridors, while the adjacent Gambill Refuge increases wildlife carrying capacity across the immediate area. Lamar County supports healthy deer populations, and the diverse terrain on Paris Ranch offers multiple stand locations from creek-bottom blinds to hay meadow observation points.
Northeast Texas supports native eastern wild turkey populations, the subspecies distinct from the Rio Grande birds found in central and south Texas. The Pat Mayse Wildlife Management Area northwest of Paris maintains an active turkey restoration program, and the region’s mature hardwoods provide roosting habitat while open pastures offer the strutting grounds gobblers require during the spring breeding season. Paris Ranch’s mix of timber and open ground supports turkey through all seasons.
Stock tanks attract both resident wood ducks and migratory species during fall and winter months. The property’s proximity to Lake Gibbons and the 600-acre Gambill Wildlife Refuge concentrates waterfowl populations that fly between water and agricultural feeding areas. The refuge has historically hosted up to 7,000 geese at peak migration, with birds regularly crossing the property as they move between the refuge and surrounding grain fields.
Hay meadows, grain fields, and stock tank edges produce consistent dove action during September seasons. The property’s mix of cover types supports quail, rabbit, and squirrel populations, while feral hogs can be managed year-round—providing both recreational opportunity and agricultural benefit through population control.
Paris Ranch operates as a functional cattle and hay property with cross-fencing that allows controlled grazing across multiple pastures. The six stock tanks distributed throughout the acreage provide water for livestock rotation, eliminating the infrastructure investment many recreational buyers face when they want to run cattle alongside their hunting program.
Hay meadows support forage production, while open pastures allow year-round grazing when supplemented with stored hay. Road frontage along County Road 33060 provides straightforward access for equipment and livestock transportation, connecting to FM 79 and Loop 286 without navigating congested areas. The existing ranch headquarters offers covered workspace for day-to-day operations, equipment storage, and the practical necessities of managing a working property.
Lamar County traces its history to the 1820s when settlers first arrived in the Red River valley, and the region retains the agricultural character and community values established over two centuries of Texas ranching heritage. Paris, the county seat since 1844, offers the amenities of a regional center, medical facilities, shopping, dining, and services, while maintaining the friendly character that draws families seeking alternatives to urban sprawl.
The area’s climate supports diverse agricultural operations with mild winters, warm summers, and approximately 45 inches of annual rainfall spread throughout the year. A 228-day growing season allows extended grazing periods and reliable hay production. Pat Mayse Lake and Wildlife Management Area, Lake Crook, and the Gambill Wildlife Refuge provide public recreation within minutes of the property, while Paris’ historic downtown square, the iconic Eiffel Tower replica with its red cowboy hat, the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site, and the Trail de Paris offer entertainment and cultural amenities for family outings.
Paris Ranch benefits from Lamar County’s position at the intersection of multiple federal and state highways that connect the property efficiently to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, regional East Texas destinations, and Oklahoma markets to the north. Loop 286 surrounds Paris, providing access to highway corridors without navigating downtown traffic, while US Highway 82, currently being widened to a four-lane divided highway across Lamar County, serves as the primary east-west route.
The property’s location delivers reasonable access to both metropolitan amenities and regional East Texas destinations:
• Paris, Texas – 12 miles, approximately 18 minutes via FM 79 and Loop 286
• Hugo, Oklahoma – 35 miles, approximately 40 minutes via US 271 North
• Mount Pleasant, Texas – 52 miles, approximately 55 minutes via US 271 South
• Texarkana, Texas – 98 miles, approximately 1 hour 40 minutes via US 82 East
• Tyler, Texas – 115 miles, approximately 2 hours via US 271 South
• Dallas, Texas – 110 miles, approximately 2 hours via US 82 West to I-30
• DFW International Airport – 114 miles, approximately 2 hours 15 minutes via US 82 and I-30
General Aviation – Cox Field (PRX): Cox Field serves as the aviation gateway to Paris and Lamar County, located approximately 18 miles east of the property. The airport features a 6,002-foot paved primary runway capable of handling business jets and larger general aviation aircraft, with additional crosswind runways and full services including 100LL and Jet-A fuels. Originally constructed as Cox Army Airfield during World War II, the facility transitioned to civilian use after the war and provides convenient access for private aircraft owners.
Commercial Air Service:
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – 114 miles, approximately 2 hours 15 minutes. Major international hub with nonstop service to destinations worldwide.
• Dallas Love Field (DAL) – 114 miles, approximately 2 hours 15 minutes. Southwest Airlines hub with extensive domestic network.
• Texarkana Regional Airport (TXK) – 98 miles, approximately 1 hour 40 minutes. Regional commercial service provides connecting flights without navigating Dallas-area traffic.
• Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) – 115 miles, approximately 2 hours. Regional commercial service with connections through Dallas.
• East Texas Regional Airport, Longview (GGG) – 119 miles, approximately 2 hours. American Airlines service to Dallas/Fort Worth provides regional connection option.
