Monument Hill & Kreische Brewery State Historic Site
December 1 – 14, 2011 8am – 5pm
Early German Christmas / Trail of Lights
To do: Illuminated walking trail with thousands of lights!

Battleship TEXAS State Historic Site
December 1 – 31, 9am – 5pm
Yuletide Texas
To do: Enjoy Christmas decorated ship.

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site- Barrington Living History Farm
December 3, 2011 10am – 4:30pm
Barrington Farm Holidays
To do: Christmas celebration includes making decorations and toys.

Brazos Bend State Park
December 3, 2011 3pm – 7pm
Simple Christmas
To do: Make smores and enjoy bluegrass! Get a visit from “Southern Santa”

Longhorn Cavern State Park
December 3, 10 & 17, 2011, 5pm – 8pm
Caroling In the Cave
To do: Christmas carols in the cave!

Goliad State Park
December 3, 2011, 8pm – 9pm
Christmas at the Mission
To do: Listen to a chorus sing Christmas music in the mission chapel.

Atlanta State Park
December 9 – 10, 2011, 6pm – 10pm
Decorate Your Campsite
To do: The park encourages you to decorate your campsite! Visitors get a free drive to enjoy the decorations.

Cooper Lake State Park- Doctor’s Creek Unit
December 9 & 10 6pm – 10pm
Christmas in the Park
To do: Free drive through of park to enjoy Christmas decorations!

Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park
December 10, 2011, 9am – 12pm
Santa Christmas Hike
To do: Hike up Ranger’s Peak where you can drink hot chocolate and apple cider! Free tram ride down.

Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center
December 10, 2011, 1pm – 5pm
Holiday in the Park
To do: Cocoa, holiday crafts, and hike!

Tyler State Park
December 10, 2011. 5pm – 10pm
5th Annual Christmas Caroling Pine Ride
To do: Apple cider, cookies, and a caroling pine ride!

Fort Richardson State Park and Historic Site
December 10, 2011, 5pm – 7pm
Ghosts of Christmas Past
To do: Watch soldier “ghosts” from the 1870s celebrate Christmas while enjoying refreshments!

Fairfield Lake State Park
December 10, 2011 6pm – 10pm
Christmas in Fairfield Lake State Park
To do: Christmas lights and hayride!

Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway
December 10, 2011, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Cross Timbers Cowboy Campfire Christmas
To do: Campfire and christmas cowboy music!

Lake Tawakoni State Park
December 10, 2011 6pm – 9pm
Twinkle Tour
To do: Decorate your campsite or take a hayride! (cookies and hot chocolate will be served!)

Cedar Hill State Park
December 10, 2011 6:30pm – 8pm
Caroling through Penn Farm
To do: Lantern tour through Penn Farm, singalong, and hot chocolate, apple sider, and cookies!

Estero Llano Grande State Park
December 10, 2011, 8pm – 10pm
Full Moon Hike with Santa
To do: Join Santa on a hike at night!

Related posts:

1. Christmas in Texas State Parks, Stephen F. Austin State Park
2. Christmas in Texas State Parks, Cedar Hill State Park
3. Christmas in Texas State Parks, Fort Richardson State Park and Historic Site

AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department closed on the purchase of 3,333 acres of Cross Timbers region ranch land from several different owners late last week. TPWD paid $7.14 million for the property that straddles the Palo Pinto and Stephens county line near the town of Strawn.

TPWD and the Nature Conservancy identified the property that sits just a few miles north of Interstate 20 for a future state park site after spending the last few years exploring land in Johnson, Bosque, Erath, Hood, Parker, Palo Pinto and Tarrant counties. The state purchased three contiguous tracts composed of two ranches, and a 42-acre in-holding, located roughly an hour’s drive west of downtown Fort Worth.

Funds for the purchase come from the $9.2 million netted from sale in 2008 of the former Eagle Mountain Lake State Park, a sale made possible by an array of private and public donors. The transaction was done with the explicit understanding, supported by Gov. Rick Perry and area legislators, that the proceeds would be used to acquire another state park within 90 miles of downtown Fort Worth. The Legislative Budget Board also had signed off on the use of the Eagle Mountain property sales proceeds to purchase land for a new north Texas state park.

“By any measure, this property was worth the wait” says TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith. “We are excited about its diversity and the many recreational opportunities it will ultimately provide to the citizens and park enthusiasts of north Texas. The acquisition of the new park site never would have happened without the extraordinary generosity of so many private and public donors from the Ft. Worth area. All of us who care about the future of our state parks owe these entities a great debt of gratitude.”

The remainder of the $9.2 million from the sale of Eagle Mountain Lake State Park will be held in a dedicated sub-account for future park land acquisition and/or improvements.

TPWD and TNC have been working closely with landowners and local officials, including the mayor of Strawn, to ensure public support for the project. A cooperative agreement is in the works to include the use of 81-acre Tucker Lake in the proposed state park.

Smith has indicated that it will take some time to complete a master plan to guide public use and development of the site, which due to limited resources to staff and operate the park, might take several years to open. When the gates of Texas’ 94th state park do swing open, Carter believes the state’s investment “will pay recreational and conservation dividends for generations to come.”

The future state park property is rich in natural resources, fronting two miles on the north fork of Palo Pinto Creek and consisting of diverse topography ranging from hilltop vistas to riparian forests. The land is home to plentiful wildlife, including the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

Related posts:

1. Palo Duro Canyon State Park acquires Fortress Cliffs Ranch
2. Possum Kingdom State Park and Davis Mountains State Park are open to visitors
3. Most Popular Texas State Parks

Is one of your favorites listed here?

Swimming at Inks Lake State Park

Despite record-breaking heat, a relentless drought and wildfires that struck several parks, overall visitation to Texas state parks increased slightly to 7.7 million during the fiscal year that ended on Aug. 31, according to a report from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s State Parks Division. Once again, Garner State Park near Concan topped the list with 370,369 visits. Rounding out the Top 10 most visited state parks were: Cedar Hill (282,133), Ray Roberts Lake’s Isle du Bois unit (278,204), Palo Duro Canyon (271,445), Battleship TEXAS (254,250), Brazos Bend (236,037), Enchanted Rock (218,084), Huntsville (208,912), Lake Casa Blanca (190,774) and Inks Lake (177,907). Ray Roberts Greenbelt, a non-revenue-generating park, recorded 352,116 visits.

Related posts:

1. Hurricane Ike Targets Texas, Texas State Park Closures Update
2. Palo Duro Canyon State Park acquires Fortress Cliffs Ranch
3. Hurricane Ike Targets Texas, Texas State Parks Damage Assessment

Texas Parks & Wildlife News Release
Cedar Hill State Park to Celebrate 20th Birthday This Saturday
CEDAR HILL – What has become one of Texas’ most popular state parks will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Saturday with a host of activities wrapped around Cedar Hill State Park’s annual Harvest Heritage Festival. Reduced park entrance fees will apply, and all activities will be free.

Related posts:

1. Coyotes in Cedar Hill State Park, Cedar Hill Texas
2. Bobcat in Cedar Hill State Park, Cedar Hill Texas
3. Days of Old Celebration, Cedar Hill State Park Texas

Two state parks are again open for visitors: Possum Kingdom State Park and Davis Mountains State Park. Both of these popular state parks re-opened in May after springtime wildfires roared through. Possum Kingdom facilities were saved from the massive fire that burned 90% of the 1500-acre park and also saved from the more recent August fires. Wildfire burned 675 acres within the 2700-acre Davis Mountains State Park, but missed camping facilities and the historic Indian Lodge.

It’s encouraging to know that wildfire generally renews wild lands. Park visitors have a chance to see nature’s amazing recovery process and to learn more about fire’s benefits to wildlife and habitat.

We owe a heartfelt thank you to state and federal firefighters who fought valiantly – and continue to fight – to protect people and property.

Related posts:

1. Davis Mountains State Park Fort Davis, Texas
2. Texas Wildfires in the Texas State Parks
3. Bastrop State Park, Wildfire Update

Also on Saturday October 22nd Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Center in Houston will be the site of A Natural Halloween from 7PM-9PM highlighted with the Creatures of the Night Hike.

Saturday October 29th boasts a variety of state parks with activities to choose from. In addition to those I have already written about, new announcements have come from Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose. Come out for a Dino Dig at 6PM and stay for a Haunted Hike.

Fort Richardson State Park near Jacksboro will be the setting for an Evening Ghostwalk.

Martin Dies Jr State Park Near Jasper will lead you on a Haunted Trails Stroll. And for a $1 donation you will be sipping soda, as well as roasting hotdogs and marshmellows.

Government Canyon State Natural Area, just west of SanAntonio will receive 50 trick-or-treaters, wear your costumes, bring a pumpkin to carve, listen to spooky stores and receive a bag of goodies. Call 210-688-9055 to reserve your spot.

Village Creek State Park near Lumberton, Texas, 10 miles north of Beaumont will start the day with a Bat Program at 10AM and repeated at 2PM and 7PM just before the Night Hike.

Birch Creek State Park in Burleson County will take you on it’s 4th Annual Haunted Trail walk.

Related posts:

1. Halloween in the Texas State Parks
2. Halloween in Texas State Parks, Lake Texana State Park
3. Halloween in Texas State Parks, Martin Dies, Jr. State Park

Bastrop State Park Opening Pushed Back

BASTROP – The new target date for reopening Bastrop State Park has been pushed back to Dec. 1 due to scheduling delays for ongoing and start-up capital repair projects affecting the cabins, campground, park roads and refectory.

The Central Reservation Center in Austin will continue to alert customers who had reservations for cabins in coming months that those reservations have been cancelled for now due to the reroofing project, which originally had been slated for completion by the end of December, but whose start has been delayed due to the fire and cleanup efforts. The reroofing project is now scheduled to begin later this year and wrap up by the end of February 2012.

“We understand that these projects will displace many park visitors,” says Todd McClanahan, superintendent of the Lost Pines Complex, which includes Bastrop and Buescher state parks, “however, they are sorely needed. We are fast-tracking the cabin reroofing. Park staff will continue with cleanup efforts from the devastating wildfire as well.”

Although the fire has scarred the landscape, McClanahan says campgrounds will be reopened by Dec. 1 despite the ongoing demolition and replacement of two restrooms. Alternative restrooms and showers will be made available. Campers will find resealed or new roads, parking areas and RV pads being paved by the Texas Department of Transportation.

“Bastrop will soon reopen and in many ways will be like a new park,” McClanahan adds. “Park management asks for its customers’ continued patience as we work to restore this national landmark.”

Bastrop State Parks 18-hole golf course, operated by the Lost Pines Golf Club, recently reopened to play and is open daily. Call (512) 321-2327 or (512) 3030-1368 for a tee time.

Park Road 1C that connects Bastrop State Park to Buescher State Park is currently closed due to wildfire damage and cleanup efforts. Buescher State Park, also located in the scenic Lost Pines, which was untouched by the wildfire that destroyed 34,000 acres, has cabins, screen shelters, campsites, 7.5 miles of hiking trails and a small lake for fishing and paddle sports.

For Texas State Park reservations, call (512) 389-8900 or by e-mail: reservations@tpwd.state.tx.us.

Related posts:

1. Bastrop State Park, Wildfire Update
2. Bastrop State Park Wildfire Update
3. Bastrop State Park Wildfire Damage

BASTROP – State park fans reeling from the closure of Bastrop State Park due to destruction caused by the recent wildfire that blackened all but 100 acres of the park can still enjoy a fall outing in the “Lost Pines” by visiting its nearby sister state park that escaped unscathed and reopened this week.

Buescher State Park, a 1,017-acre park just 13 miles east of better-known Bastrop State Park, opened to campers, picnickers, hikers and anglers on Tuesday after being closed since Sept. 4 due to the threatening wildfires. Its scenic loblolly pine and mixed hardwood woodlands, as well as all of its facilities, were untouched by the conflagration that swept through the county.

Outdoor lovers who may have been planning a visit to Bastrop State Park during the cooler autumn months should know that Buescher State Park, situated two miles northwest of Smithville, offers a similar quality outdoor experience amid the iconic “Lost Pines” and Post Oak Savannah ecological region. Like Bastrop, Buescher (pronounced Bish-er) also reflects the enduring craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps companies who in 1933 built its stone culverts, park entrance, spacious group pavilion and recreation hall, which is currently undergoing extensive renovations.

“The reason most people come here is that it’s a little quieter and slower-paced than Bastrop,” says park superintendent Cullen Sartor. “If people still want to experience the Lost Pines, they can come here and see our sizeable stand of the giant loblollies. We also have campgrounds and a popular 25-acre lake that offers great fishing and non-motorized boating opportunities.”

Buescher State Park offers a variety of camping and recreational choices. Overnight guests can choose from among three distinct camping areas offering everything from mini-cabins and screened shelters to 65 campsites geared toward tent campers and RV users as well. Persons 13 and older pay a $4 entry fee; children 12 and under get in free.

The park’s three climate-controlled, limited use cabins (they don’t have restrooms) prove popular with those seeking some creature comforts and greater privacy. Renting for $75 a night, the cabins come equipped with a ceiling fan, mini-refrigerator, microwave, breakfast table and chairs, and double bunk beds that sleep four. They are located in the Oak Haven Camping Area, which features restrooms with showers.

When the weather is mild, some Buescher customers opt for one of the four screened shelters overlooking Park Lake in the Day Use Area. The shelters rent for $25 or $45 a night, depending on the amenities.

The handsome, rock CCC-constructed group picnic pavilion, which has a large fireplace and can accommodate 35, rents daily for $40. Built in 1936 for $646, the pavilion anchors the Lakeview Camping Area. The park’s historic Recreation Hall remains closed for extensive renovations made possible by voter-approved Proposition 4 park bonds.

Reservations for accommodations and campsites can be made by calling the reservations center in Austin at (512) 389-8900 or online through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

In addition to camping and fishing, birding and hiking prove popular at Buescher. More than 250 bird species have been documented, including pileated woodpeckers and green kingfishers. Hikers can trek portions of a multi-loop hiking trail built by the local Sierra Club in the northern reaches of the park or tackle the entire 7.5 miles that wind through the hilltop pineywoods and bottomland deciduous forests.

So, while Bastrop State Park recovers, come discover one of the Texas State Park system’s lesser-known treasures less than an hour’s drive from the state capital.

Buescher State Park is located two miles northwest of Smithville, off Farm Road 153, just north of State Highway 71. For more information about the park, call (512) 237-2241.

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Related posts:

1. Bastrop State Park, Wildfire Update
2. Texas Wildfires in the Texas State Parks
3. Christmas in Texas State Parks, Bastrop State Park

The location of Halloween at the Hatchery is the Texas Freshwaters Fishery Center near Athens, Texas, just 75 miles southeast of Dallas, Texas. Wear your costume and trick or treat in the Halloween decorated visitor center. Thursday, October 27th, 6PM-830PM.

Halloween Fun and Games will be happening at Lake Texana State Park conveniently located halfway between Houston and Corpus Christi. Start off your day at 10AM with a program at the nature center called night flyers, creatures of the night. Play carnival games and trick or treat until it’s time for the Haunted Halloween Trail at 730PM, the kid’s Halloween Costume Contest at 830PM and the Carved Pumpkin Contest at 930PM. Saturday, October 29th, 10AM-11PM.

Creatures of the Night and a Star Party will be enjoyed by all who come out to Inks Lake State Park, just west of Austin in Texas Hill Country. Life size creatures of the night will be out and about telling stories about themselves. Come in costume and trick or treat while you wait to take a peak at the stars and chat with the astronomers. Saturday, October 29th, 6PM-10PM

The 5th annual SeaCenter Spooktacular at Sea Center, Texas in Lake Jackson just 50 miles south of Houston or 45 miles southwest of Galveston will offer crafts, games, face painting and trick or treating. Come in costume for the contest at 230PM.
Sunday, October 30th, 1PM-3PM.

Related posts:

1. Halloween in Texas State Parks, Lake Texana State Park
2. Halloween in Texas State Parks, Martin Dies, Jr. State Park
3. Halloween at Bass Pro Shops 2009, Grapevine Texas

Renovated Daingerfield Reopens
“Wow!” is what visitors will be saying when they return to Daingerfield State Park, back in action with some real changes after a year’s closure for renovations. It’s a Park Pick in the August Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine.
State-of-the-art restrooms, forty full hookup sites instead of ten, a renovated boat house and new dock, overhauls to Civilian Conservation Corps structures, and a park store are among the noticeable upgrades funded by appropriations from previous bienniums.

As noted in the Passport to Texas “It cleans up nice”. It’s a perfect fall destination with its cabins and seasonal color, so y’all come back soon.

Related posts:

1. Daingerfield State Park, Daingerfield Texas
2. Bastrop State Park Wildfire Update
3. Bastrop State Park Wildfire Damage