Back
Sam Rayburn Parkway: RR 255, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas
Photo: Ricraider · CC BY-SA 3.0

Drives Texas East Texas and the Piney Woods

Sam Rayburn Parkway: RR 255

FM 255 · Colmesneil → US-96 north of Jasper

Leisurely29 mi30 min1,100 ft climbHigh point ≈ 400 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

This road runs east from US 69 near Colmesneil, across the top of Sam Rayburn Dam, to US 96 north of Jasper. It begins as FM 255 and becomes Recreational Road 255, the first road Texas ever classified as a Recreational Road, in 1970. The road climbs and dips over pine-covered hills in the Angelina National Forest to the dam, built from 1956 on the Angelina River and first filled in 1965, holding back Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the largest lake entirely within Texas.

On top of the dam the reservoir opens out beside the road. In Jasper County, from Highway 63 to US 96, the road is officially the Sam Rayburn Parkway, named in 2013 for the Texas congressman who was Speaker of the House for 17 years. The drive ends at US 96 north of Jasper. Highway 147 crosses the same reservoir farther north.

Along the way

  1. Colmesneil (US-69)
  2. Sam Rayburn Dam
  3. US-96 north of Jasper
Elevation
1,100 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 400 ft
ColmesneilUS-96 north of Jasper
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
ColmesneilUS-96 north of Jasper
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Twin Dikes Park, a Corps of Engineers park, is right beside the road just past the dam.
  • Recreational Road 255 carries on east of US 96 toward Toledo Bend Reservoir, but this drive ends at US 96.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check DriveTexas.

Questions about this drive

How long is the drive across Sam Rayburn Dam on RR 255?

Recreational Road 255 from US 69 near Colmesneil over Sam Rayburn Dam to US 96 north of Jasper is 29 miles and takes about 30 minutes.

Can you drive across Sam Rayburn Dam?

Yes. Recreational Road 255 runs across the top of Sam Rayburn Dam, between US 69 and US 96 in Jasper County.

Why is it called the Sam Rayburn Parkway?

In 2013 Texas named Recreational Road 255 between Highway 63 and US 96 in Jasper County the Sam Rayburn Parkway, for Sam Rayburn, the longest-serving Speaker of the US House.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 70 drives in Texas ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Sam Rayburn Parkway: RR 255, from Colmesneil to US-96 north of Jasper