About the Project
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is located on 4,871 acres of scenic, undeveloped land approximately 75 miles west of Fort Worth and 75 miles east of Abilene. When it opens, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park will become the first new Texas State Park in North Texas in 25 years.
The new state park fronts 4.7 miles on Palo Pinto Creek in the Cross Timbers ecoregion and contains impressive, diverse topography, with extraordinary conservation and recreational potential. Several 1,400-foot peaks, the 90-acre Tucker Lake, and two creeks surrounded by stands of live oak, mesquite, cedar elms and native pecan trees will provide a wonderful setting for hiking, mountain biking, camping, horseback riding, fishing, and stargazing. This “hill country of the north” is a short drive from Interstate 20, making the park extremely accessible for thousands of DFW Metroplex residents.
The main buildings and amenities in the new park will be concentrated in a 140-acre area, leaving the majority of the park lightly developed with many miles of soft, earthen trails available for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Once the infrastructure, trails, campgrounds, and facilities are open to the public, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park will not only provide Texans with valuable recreational opportunities in a relatively untouched oasis near the DFW Metroplex, but the economic impact of state park visitors will help to invigorate the region. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department estimates the park could eventually attract 75,000 visitors annually.
At a Glance
4,871
acres of undeveloped land
90
acre Tucker Lake
75,000
projected annual visitors
Help Us Keep Texas Wild
Help ensure that every Texan, now and in the future, can enjoy, explore, and be inspired by the wild things and wild places in Texas.
