FORT WORTH — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will open the state’s newest state park, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, to guests with reservations on New Year’s Day.
The park, located 83 miles southwest of Fort Worth, is nestled on 4,871 acres of former ranch land in Stephens and Palo Pinto counties. The park’s official opening date to the general public has not yet been set, but officials expect to open in 2026.
Parks and Wildlife Department staff will give guided hikes to visitors on Jan. 1 that showcase some of the land’s most striking features — from broad plateaus with sweeping vistas to the sheltered canyons carved over millennia by wind and water.
“We are so excited to show folks what makes Palo Pinto Mountains so special,” said Rodney Franklin, the director of Texas State Parks. “With the park nearly complete thanks to our hardworking staff and partners, this felt like the perfect way to start 2026 — exploring one of Texas’ newest state parks.”
Other parks across the state will also hold hikes on New Year’s Day. Because capacity is limited, state park officials encourage visitors to make a day-pass reservation. Those can be made through the TPWD website.
The park has been in development since 2010, when TPWD asked the Texas Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit that helps preserve Texas land, to seek land for a new state park in North Texas. Two years later, the state bought the first parcel of land, totaling 3,300 acres using proceeds from the sale of state property on Eagle Mountain Lake north of Fort Worth.
The city of Strawn later donated the rest of the land including the park’s centerpiece, 90-acre Tucker Lake, where visitors will be able to fish, paddle, and birdwatch in a quiet, motor-free setting.
The new park will include multiuse trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders, as well as RV and tent camping, picnic areas, and dark-sky viewing opportunities.
Disclosure: Texas Parks And Wildlife Department has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
