Our Mission

Friends of Lake Lomond is a 501c3 non-profit in Longview, Texas. We are devoted to partnering with the community to conserve, promote and enhance Echols Park at Lake Lomond through volunteerism, advocacy, innovative programming, and financial support in order to provide public green space and ensure access for current and future generations.

History of Lake Lomond

Lake Lomond was named by its founders after Loch Lomond, a freshwater lake in Scotland they admired upon visiting. The dam built at Harris Creek, that was used to create the lake, later became part of a road constructed in the 1940s by Gregg County where commissioners at that time misspelled the lake’s name by calling the thoroughfare “Lake Lamond Road”.

Lake Lomond was constructed in 1910 on what was farmland at the time, down the road from downtown Longview. It featured a bathhouse, pavilion, boat docks and other amenities. To this day, some of the original dairy buildings and barn structures remain on the property, holding a piece of history for the place.

Lake Lomond was named by its founders after Loch Lomond, a freshwater lake in Scotland they admired upon visiting. The dam built at Harris Creek, that was used to create the lake, later became part of a road constructed in the 1940s by Gregg County where commissioners at that time misspelled the lake’s name by calling the thoroughfare “Lake Lamond Road”.

About Us: Friends of Lake Lomond

Founding members of Friends of Lake Lomond have long shared an interest in Lake Lomond and Echols Park with the hope of making it an oasis for the community where locals and visitors alike can access and enjoy its natural beauty and recreational offerings. After several years of working closely with recent owners of the property, the McWhorter Family, a shared vision for the future of the space resulted in changed ownership and the establishment of Friends of Lake Lomond at Echols Park in 2021.

Friends of Lake Lomond was established and is operated by its Board Members: Hudson Johnson (President), Cody Sage (Vice President), Buddy Woolley (Secretary/Treasurer), Steve Bodenheimer, Jon Cromer, Jennifer Harris, Eric Joseph, Walter Northcutt and Johnny Vaughan.

Bessie Johnson currently serves as Executive Director for Friends of Lake Lomond.

Echols Park

Once Echols Park is developed and open to the public, it will consist of approximately 92 acres of natural old growth forest, wetlands, and creek systems with a 26-acre lake and approximately 1.5 miles of a connecting loop trail that will wind around the lake and wetlands areas.

Future amenities at Echols Park will include a boardwalk, a small outdoor amphitheater, a boat launch for non-motorized boats, and fishing docks as well as commercial and retail development along the peripheries of the park. The trail will eventually connect with the City of Longview’s Boorman Trail along Grace Creek near Highway 80.

Legend

Parking & Signage
Lake Entrance
Amphitheater & Fishing Point
Foot Bridge
Steel Structural Bridge over Harris Creek
Boardwalk
Parking
Pedestrian Crossing Warning

Parking
Restrooms
Signage
Crosswalk
Foot Bridge
Railroad Tracks
Entry Monument
Improved Trail
(1.5 Mile Loop)
Trees

Frequently Asked Questions

As the park continues to develop, we know community interest will be high. Please find some commonly asked questions below. We will update this section as needed.

Become a Friend of Lake Lomond

Your support directly helps our mission to provide public green space and ensure access for current and future generations!

Friends of Lake Lomond is a 501c3 non-profit in Longview, Texas. Your charitable donation is tax deductible.

Checks can be mailed to Friends of Lake Lomond at 430 N. Center Street, Longview, Texas, 75601.

Contact Us

Have questions or interested in getting involved? Fill out the form below and we will be in touch!

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