Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is set to open March 1. Photo by Amy
What first struck me about Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is its colorful natural palette. The dark green of blackjack oak contrasts sharply with the lighter sage-toned mesquite and the muted grey-green of yaupon. The bluish green foliage of overly abundant ashe juniper provides accent color.
The park is almost 5,000 acres of Western Cross Timbers, located halfway between Abilene and Fort Worth off Interstate-20. It's named for its ridges, some of which soar to 1,600 feet — just 400 feet shy of the technical minimum for mountains. The stone walls boast smart alternating stripes of pale limestone and brown sandstone.
My impressions were made when Green Source Texas was treated to a sneak peek and private tour in 2000. Now six years later, the first new state park to open in North Texas in 25 years is finally set to unlock its gates on March 1.
The highly anticipated launch will be a soft opening so expect slightly limited facilities and services. Since three million people live within 150 miles of the park, more than 100,000 visitors are expected annually. Be sure to reserve campsites and day passes through the website.
POSTCARDS FROM THE LEDGE
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is a gateway to a thrilling landscape. Deep jagged ravines descend to steep, sheltered canyons with lush green bottoms, created by creeks that struggle to flow until rains unleash. Atop the ridges, vistas for miles encompass more deep earthen folds and limitless skies. Spring brings colorful wildflowers, like orange firewheels, pink evening primrose, yellow coneflowers and white prickly poppies. The whole thing is Lizard Heaven.
Palo Pinto Creek, when flush from rain, courses over bright limestone for nearly five miles on its way to the Brazos River, flowing past alert cattails and flamboyant buttonbushes on the shores. The 68-acre Tucker Lake is rimmed by sharp crests of emerald-green cedar elm and pecan. In the fall, flameleaf sumac sets the shores into red brilliance. The water is always peaceful because motorized boats are not allowed.
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, almost 5,000 acres of Western Cross Timbers halfway between Abiline and Fort Worth off Interstate-20, is set to unlock its gates with a soft opening on March 1.
WESTERN CROSS TIMBERS
Such is the angular rocky beauty of the west half of the Western Cross Timbers, which spreads north and south of I-20 from Fort Worth to past Abilene. The tenacious semi-arid forest is dominated by blackjack, live and post oaks, and upland shrubs such as colorful aromatic sumac, beautyberry, elbowbush and Mexican buckeye. Mixed into the trees are open prairie patches of little bluestem, sideoats grama, and wildflowers.
As you drive north from the interstate, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park superintendent James Adams, describes the view:
“You get bigger and bigger ridgelines and deeper and deeper valleys,” Adams said. “People just don't realize that this exists in North Texas. It's a sort of topography that's usually associated with the Hill Country. When you get off the highway and start winding through, you realize what a huge area it is."
All that epic landscape at PPMSP is laced with some 16 miles of trails. There are family-friendly ones around the campgrounds, visitor center and Lake Tucker. Off-road bike routes that zip through ravines. Adventurous paths that penetrate deep into the backcountry canyons where primitive camping sites await. Equestrian paths amble through the more level areas.
"What will draw people is its intrinsic beauty," said Adams. "Every part of Texas has a beauty to it that's unique and belongs solely to that area. There's no way to experience it without just going there. I expect that folks from all over Texas and the neighboring states will eventually hear about it and make their way here."
LOCAL RESIDENTS
Hikers will have company on the trails. The terrain is home to wild turkey in the riparian corridors and plentiful white-tailed deer. Mountain lions and wild hogs occasionally pass through. Woodland creatures include raccoon, opossum and squirrel, while eastern cottontail, nine-banded armadillo and gray fox favor the fields. Also present: broad-banded copperhead and western diamondback rattlesnake. Wear boots.
Birding is big at PPMSP. Its forests are known for the rarely seen golden-cheeked warblers and black-capped vireos. Boldly chested American goldfinches and spotted towhee favor the more open areas. In the lingering dawn and dusk, insects arise from the meadows and waterbodies, and soon barn swallows, western kingbird and phoebes give chase. Long-legged wading birds haunt the shores of Tucker Lake and must tolerate the loud and raucous kingfisher zipping about for insects and minnows.
AMENITIES
The visitor center, rental pavilion, and primary buildings are confined to two-dozen acres on a ridgeline off FM 2372 near Tucker Lake. The public structures have exceptional lake views. Development, including playgrounds, gathering spaces, and paved trails, take up no more than 140 acres, leaving the vast majority of the park undeveloped.
CHALLENGING ROAD TO STATE PARK STATUS
With all this wonder, nature lovers have been chafing for Palo Pinto Mountains State Park to open since construction began in 2020.
It was a long and quizzical road for PPMSP to become a state park. Its genesis goes back to 1980 when the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department bought 400 acres on the northeastern shores of Eagle Mountain Lake for a park. But the agency shifted gears and in 2007-2008 sold it to Tarrant Regional Water District, with assistance from the Trust for Public Land. The water district now manages the acreage as Eagle Mountain Park.
Conditions of the unusual sale specified that a new state park had to be created within an hour of Fort Worth. The former ranch land in Palo Pinto and Stephens Counties was first purchased in 2011. (Read about its odd bar-brawl origins in the prior GSTX feature.) PPMSP is about 45 minutes from Fort Worth and just six miles off of I-20 near the small town of Strawn.
Tucker Lake view from the campground area. Photo by Amy Martin.
Yet land purchase is only part of state park costs. A variety of amenities must be created, some quite specialized, like group and equestrian campgrounds, trails, plus bathrooms and boat docks — some of it ADA-compliant. An infrastructure of roads and utilities is required, as are a visitor center, service buildings and staff quarters.
PPMSP predates the passage of Proposition 5 in 2019, which garners funds for state park creation through a percentage of sporting goods sales taxes. So massive private fundraising by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation was undertaken, including naming rights for structures.
“This is a tremendous moment for Texas State Parks and the state of Texas,” said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks. “Opening Palo Pinto Mountains State Park represents the culmination of collaborative efforts that include our Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation as well as private donors.”
While his companies are considered some of Texas top polluters, oilman Kelcy Warren ponied up for the visitor center.
VISITING PALO PINTO MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
ABOUT: Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, nearly 5.000-acres of of Western Cross Timbers habitati, is opening on March 1.
ADDRESS: Located halfway between Abiline and Fort Worth, off Interstate-20 at 1915 FM 2372, Strawn, TX 76475
CONTACT: 254-210-3015
EVENTS: PPMSP rangers are jumping in with many curated hikes, including birds, forging, history, and stargazing, plus kayak tours and fishing education. Jeff Quayle leads botany hikes on April 4 and April 14. See more events.
LODGING AND RESTAURANTS: The opening of PPMSP is a big thing for the city of Strawn located near the park’s entrance. Strawn has plenty of short-term rental options, from rooms to houses, plus the historical quasi-Colonial bed-and-breakfast The Watson House.
Hotels are plentiful on I-20 from Ranger to Thurber, where the Smokestack Restaurant serves up a fine meal.
Mary’s Café has some legendary home-cooking dishes.
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Texas Parks & Wildlife: PPMSP Nature