It may feel as though winter is just beginning, but Texas’s early spring is approaching at maximum speed, bringing with it raging storms and rising temperatures, and most importantly, ushering in the most wonderful time of the year: camping season.
Luckily, North Texans will have a new frontier to explore come 2025 with the projected opening of a new state park only two and a half hours away from Wylie High School. The former ranch land that makes up Palo Pinto Mountains State Park has a deep, rugged beauty that will surely draw campers, hikers, and fishers from around the state.
Gently sloping mountains end suddenly at the edges of plateaus overlooking sweeping vistas; Palo Pinto creek traces a lazy path through a classic lush-yet-wild Texas forest overflowing with undergrowth (and even some cacti, Texas stereotypes exist for a reason). Sprawling, undulating wilderness spreads out for miles around the center of the park: Lake Tucker.
And for all the people just coming for the lake, boating (non motor boats), fishing, swimming and birdwatching will all be allowed in the smooth-as-glass water. The small lake caused by a dam on Russell creek reflects the vast Texas sky, offering spectacular views.
Looking down at the ground instead of up will provide no less of a show. Despite the area’s extensive ranching history, it boasts many native plants that shelter the wildlife. On a larger scale, visitors will see horses around the park–hiking, biking, and riding trails will cut through the canyons and across the plateaus, where those camping the tent or RV sites can explore.
Despite the arduous nature of the construction process, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is slated to open in 2025.