Van Zandt County is populated by 56,000 people, and is often referred to as “The Gateway to East Texas.” Purtis Creek State Park and Lake Tawakoni are popular sites for outdoor recreation here, and the city of Canton’s bluegrass festival in June draws a decent crowd. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the name, Grand Saline has an interesting Salt Palace Museum, as well as the Salt Festival. With Dallas and Tyler an hour or less away, Van Zandt County residents are often commuters.