Texas Opens First New State Park in 20 Years
Texas is celebrating the upcoming opening of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park — the first new state park in nearly two decades. The park will offer hiking, camping, and nature appreciation opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts across the region.
The journey to opening Palo Pinto Mountains State Park was more than a decade in the making. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) acquired the initial 3,300 acres of what was formerly ranchland in 2011, with the help of The Nature Conservancy. The acquisition was funded by the sale of land at Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth. Located about 75 miles west of Fort Worth, the park's landscape is a diverse mix of juniper-topped hills, hardwood bottomlands, and prairie grasslands, often described as the "Hill Country of the North." The terrain features 1,400-foot peaks and is situated in the Western Cross Timbers ecoregion. The park's name, Palo Pinto, translates to "painted stick," a reference to the area's juniper trees. The park is a haven for a variety of wildlife. Visitors might spot white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, bobcats, and coyotes. It is also a seasonal home for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler, which nests in the mature Ashe juniper trees from April to August. At the heart of the park lies the 90-acre Tucker Lake, created in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration as a water source for the nearby town of Strawn. The lake offers opportunities for fishing, swimming, and paddling, though motorized boats are not permitted. The park also features more than 16 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. This is the first new Texas state park to open in North Texas in over 25 years. The opening of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park was made possible through a combination of funding from the Texas Legislature, the Sporting Goods Sales Tax, federal funds, and $10 million in private donations raised by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The opening of Palo Pinto is part of a larger effort to expand outdoor recreational spaces in Texas. Several other state parks and natural areas are in development, including the Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area, Bear Creek State Park, and Post Oak Ridge State Park, with estimated opening dates ranging from 2026 to 2029.
