Midway between Fort Worth and Abilene, 120 miles from both, the hills and soft cuestas of the Western Cross Timbers break through the prairie. This is where North Texas's first new state park in 25 years, Palo Pinto Mountain State Park, will be born.
“The goal of this facility is to provide more outdoor recreation opportunities for Texans, especially those living in the metroplex,” says Parks Director James Adams. Among them are his 20.5 miles of multi-use trails of varying difficulty, primitive campgrounds, and an abundance of water activities.
Located southwest of the Palo Pinto County ranching community of Strahan, the park is centered around the 90-acre Tucker Lake. Gas-powered boats are prohibited as this lake is one of Strahan's two sources of water supply to residents. Mr Adams said the ban was also aimed at reducing wake and noise pollution. However, this lake is not off-limits. There is a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier, kayak and canoe launches, and visitors can even swim.
Palo Pinto's 4,900 acres offer outdoor pursuits like hiking and horseback riding. But deep within the park, among the junipers, oaks, bobcats and white-tailed deer that call the area home, there's a “really rich” catalog of history, Adams said. Current trails don't extend into these historic spaces yet, but he hopes to do so soon. (Additionally he plans to build his trail for 18 miles of hiking.)
Among junipers, oaks and bobcats there is a “really rich” catalog of history.
Long before the early Texans settled, various nomadic Indian tribes roamed the area, including the Caddo, Comanche, and Tonkawa. Palo Pinto will have interpretive spaces and artifacts on display to honor those people.
More recently, the Texas and Pacific Railroad (before merging with Union Pacific) housed workers from the area as it laid railroad tracks in Abilene. At the back of the park, along an active railroad line, Adams found a stone kiln in near-perfect condition, built in 1880 by a makeshift railroad community. He said he is the only other documented communal oven in the state that remains from the railroad era (in Seminole Canyon State Park near the Rio Grande River). Palo Pinto is also home to the ghost town once known as Wilde's Siding.
“It's really interesting to be able to go to one place and see so much of Texas' history,” Adams says.
When will we be able to enjoy all this? The park had been planning a soft opening later this year, but after several unexpected delays, Adams is now looking forward to a hard opening next year “as soon as possible.” Please check the official website for the latest information.
This article originally appeared in the November issue of D Magazine with the following headline:promised land” Write destination [email protected].
