Palo Pinto Mountains State Park set for 2023 opening
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(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE) The land where the Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is being constructed currently, with an estimated completion date of 2023. The park is located on 4,871 acres of land in Strawn that was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife. -
(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Palo Pinto State Park Superintendent James Adams speaks with the Rotary Club of Graham Tuesday, July 19 about the state park. The new state park will be located in Strawn and will be the first opened in 20 years in the state of Texas.
Since 2011, Texas Parks and Wildlife have been at work to open a new state park for the first time in two decades. After plans fell apart for a park outside Fort Worth, work began on opening a park on former ranch land 75 miles west of Fort Worth. That area of land, taking up 4,871 acres, is now Palo Pinto Mountains State Park.
Mineral Wells native James Adams has been tasked as the park’s first superintendent. It is a job that Adams considers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
TPWD originally owned 400 acres on Eagle Mountain Lake in northwest Tarrant County. A lack of room for expansion led to the eventual sale of the property to the local water district with the money from the sale earmarked for land purchase towards a new state park. The new park was required to be within 90 miles of downtown Fort Worth.
“The first purchase was 3,333 acres,” Adams said. “Since then we’ve acquired a little bit here, a little bit there, and now we’re up to 4,871 acres, (...) 91 acres of that is Tucker Lake, which is just stuck right in the middle.”
The park is split nearly equal in Palo Pinto and Stephens Counties and is funded by a collective of public and private entities. Adams said $12.5 million is from appropriations from the state legislature for parks and wildlife. The Texas Department of Transportation is contributing $12-13 million for roads in the park. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, through private donations, is adding $9-10 million. The park is planned to open in late 2023.
For the full story, see the Saturday, July 23 edition of The Graham Leader.
