April 2024

By Ranger Kate

Things are warming up in the park! We’ve started having some nice evenings with brisk mornings.

Seasonal Changes

Red admiral butterfly

The first of the early flowers have begun to bloom and pollinators are loving it. I’ve seen painted ladies, red admirals, bumblebees, and more pollinators fluttering their way from flower to flower.

Along with new flowers, we also have baby animals appearing. They are loving life! While they are super cute, staff is making sure to respect their space. This is their home, after all.

Birds!

This month marks the beginning of bird migrations to their summer homes. I can hear Canadian Geese flock flying overhead across the park.

This time of year marks the return of the endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler. These little birds only nest in Central Texas, which includes Palo Pinto Mountains State Park.

Because of their arrival in the park, construction looks a little different. To protect them, tree cutting in the park stops. But the rest of construction continues.

Construction Update

We have walls! Our headquarters building now has walls for its bathroom which will serve as a storm shelter. The metal framework for this building is also going up. Our equestrian bathhouse has walls, too, and the pipes are being installed. The groundwork for our pavilion is being set so that the foundation can be poured soon.

Our trails are looking amazing! If you missed our last Facebook Live event, check it out. You can join me for a virtual hike down one of our ADA trails that’s being worked on.

We are doing a lot of work to get this park ready for our future guests. Continue to check back and I will continue to keep you posted!