Texas Will Get A New State Park Near Fort Worth

TX – Texans will soon have a new place to take in some fresh air and a hike.

Palo Pinto Mountains will be the next state park, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. The park will be about 75 miles west of Fort Worth.

The park will be about 5,000 acres and will include rolling hills, picture perfect vistas overlooking sheltered canyons, and the 90-acre Tucker Lake that will be in the park’s centerpiece. It will offer hiking, camping, fishing, stargazing, and other outdoor activities.

The TPW started working on the Palo Pinto Mountains State Park project in 2011, but there’s no official opening date because of a lack of funding. TPW officials say they’re about halfway to the their $9 million fundraising goal.

“When the pandemic hit, we were concerned about how the fundraising would go, but what we’ve seen is that COVID has changed the way people value the outdoors — we’ve all learned that we definitely need more parks,” Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Susan Houston told the TPW magazine.

The money will be used to build park amenities, like camp grounds, boat ramps, and a visitor center.

“It’s going to be fantastic to have these kind of outdoor recreation opportunities taking place here at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, especially so close to a major urban area,” said Rodney Franklin, Texas state parks director.