
We’ve gone on and on about how beautiful our state is and the many spectacular places to visit in Texas. Soon there’ll be another destination to add to the list: in summer 2025, citizens will be able to experience a brand new state park in North Texas with the opening of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park.
Strawn is a small Texas town located around 75 miles west of Fort Worth. Here, a rather large, vast crop of land measuring about 5,000 acres – 4,871 acres just to be exact – will be converted into the first new North Texas state park in 25 years.
The park was originally set to open in the second half of 2023, but has since had to postpone its opening until summer of 2025. Once open, visitors will be able to explore undulate hills, 1,400-foot-high peaks, as well as 16 – 18 miles of hiking, biking, and horse riding trails, four camp grounds – primitive and RV – and an equestrian center.
“A lot of people don’t even realize this is here,” Park Superintendent James Adams told Dallas Morning News. “They thought this entire region was flat.”
Another big draw for the park will be Tucker Lake, a pristine area for fishing, swimming, and boating (excluding motorboats).
According to Dallas Morning News, the park has been a Texas Parks and Wildlife project in the works for the past 10 years.
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is one of three new state parks in the works, along with Powderhorn Ranch on the Gulf Coast of Texas, and Chinati Mountains State Natura Area in West Texas.
“We want everyone to know state parks are for them,” said Texas Parks State Director Rodney Franklin. “We want to introduce a new generation to state parks
Organizers behind these parks aspire to accommodate the growing number of park visitors in Texas, which follows the state’s growing population.