Drives Texas East Texas and the Piney Woods
Caddo Lake: Jefferson to Uncertain
FM 134, FM 2198, TX 43 · Jefferson → Uncertain
The drive
This short drive links two of East Texas's most storied places. It starts in Jefferson, a town on Big Cypress Bayou that was the leading river port of northeast Texas in the 1870s, when steamboats ran from here to Shreveport and New Orleans; its historic district still has dozens of mid-1800s homes and churches. FM 134 heads south-east out of town through low bayou woods to Karnack, where it briefly joins Highway 43.
Just past Karnack, FM 2198 turns off toward the lake, passing the entrance to Caddo Lake State Park and ending at Uncertain, a small lakeside village of cabins and boat launches. Caddo Lake is a maze of bayous and bald cypress hung with Spanish moss. The drive is flat and gentle; the point is the woods and the water at the end. It pairs with FM 729 along Lake O' the Pines, which finishes near Jefferson.
Along the way
- Jefferson
- Uncertain
Good to know
- Caddo Lake State Park charges a small daily entry fee per adult if you go in, and it often fills up from March through November; reservations are recommended for day use and camping.
- Alligators live in Caddo Lake; keep a distance at the water's edge.
- The area is under an emerald ash borer quarantine: don't bring firewood in from elsewhere.
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 from Jefferson to Uncertain on FM 134?
Jefferson to Uncertain, by FM 134 and FM 2198, is 16.6 miles and takes about 20 minutes.
Is there a fee to drive to Caddo Lake?
No. FM 134 and FM 2198 to Uncertain are free state roads; only Caddo Lake State Park, beside FM 2198, charges entry if you go in.
What is Caddo Lake known for?
Caddo Lake, at the end of FM 2198 in Uncertain, is known for its bayous and bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, with paddling trails and fishing.
Where is Lady Bird Johnson's childhood home near Caddo Lake?
Lady Bird Johnson grew up in Karnack, on this drive; her childhood home is about 2½ miles south-west of town on Highway 43.
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More drives near here
Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.