Eddie D. Jones Park is managed as an adventure park. More than 12 miles of primitive and rugged mountain biking trails and 10 miles of equestrian trails traverse mixed pine-oak-hickory and bottomland hardwood forests. All trails are open to birders.
The topography is undulating, with short hills and valleys alternating through mixed pine-hardwood and hardwood slope forest types. Expected woodland species include Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chuck-will’s-widow, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Flicker, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pine Warbler, and Wood Thrush during both breeding and migration months.
Winter residents in the uplands include Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Purple Finch, and White-throated Sparrow.
The trail at the main parking lot leads down through bottomland hardwood forest and along a couple of tributary sloughs of Cypress Bayou as well as near a couple of ponds. Breeding birds occupying this moist set of habitats include Wood Duck and Blue-winged Teal, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Green Heron, Broad-winged Hawk, Barred and Eastern Screech Owls, Acadian and Great-crested Flycatchers, along with Yellow-breasted Chat, Prothonotary, Kentucky, Common Yellowthroat, and Hooded Warblers.
Winter additions in these bottomlands include Eastern Phoebe, American Goldfinch, House Wren, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Song and Swamp Sparrows, and Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Park staff are on duty during business hours. Additional amenities include parking, identification signage, restrooms/water, and a small visitors center. Primary recreational activities here include mountain biking, birding, hiking, and nature photography. Trails are not handicapped-accessible. The park is also the site of Chimp Haven, a 200-acre chimpanzee sanctuary.
