Living in Gordonville

Gordonville grew out of a sheep ranch and a general store in the 1870s, and it has kept that low-key, self-reliant character. Today it is a mix of permanent homes and vacation properties, with fishing, boating, and open water as the main event.

There is no stoplight-and-strip-mall energy here; the draw is seclusion. Neighborhoods like Sherwood Shores and the homes along FM 901 put residents minutes from coves, ramps, and the lake's quietest water. People come here to untangle.

It is the kind of place where your neighbors know your boat before they know your last name, and nobody minds the extra minutes of driving to the grocery store in exchange for waking up to water.

Gordonville's recreation is almost entirely lake-based: public access points along the Texas shore, marinas like Highport and Rock Creek a short drive away, and coves that stay quiet even on holiday weekends.

For a change of scene, the Cross Timbers trails and the parks of Whitesboro are about 15 minutes south, and Eisenhower State Park is a scenic drive around the lake for camping and hiking days.

Rock Creek is a private, gated resort community set on roughly 1,300 acres along the Texas shore of Lake Texoma. At its heart is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, opened in 2009, with a clubhouse, pro shop, and restaurant.

It is quiet, upscale, and tucked out of the way: one of the lake's true hidden gems. For the people lucky enough to live there, golf course living and lake living become the same thing.

Gordonville sits on FM 901 about 12 miles north of Whitesboro, roughly 20 minutes from Sherman and about 75 to 80 minutes from Dallas. US 377 and US 75 give residents easy routes to the Oklahoma side or down to the metroplex.

For lake people the commute math is a different question: the boat ramp is measured in minutes, not miles, and the marina is part of the neighborhood.