December 2024

By Ranger Kate

I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing this park take form over the last year. We’ve come a very long way since I started writing these Ranger Notes for y’all. When I first joined the team, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park had seven rangers. By the end of this year, we will have nine rangers. And we’re not stopping there! So, I figured it’s a good time to do a side-by-side comparison of the progress we’ve made over the last year. Here you can see how far key facilities and attractions have come including headquarters, the pavilion, the equestrian loop bathhouse, fishing pier, and trails. Some of the other facilities we are working on are the maintenance building, multi-use campsites, park host sites, walk-in tent campsites, hike-in primitive campsites, equestrian campsites, day-use picnic sites, playground, roads, and other restrooms and bathhouses.

Looking back, we have started a lot of projects, and we’re beginning to see them completed. Our maintenance building is finished, as well as 12.5 miles of trails. Our equestrian loop bathhouse is nearly complete. The campsites are awaiting a few final touches such as shade covers, picnic tables, and fire rings. Our headquarters building, and the landscaping around it, is nearly done. Sidewalks are being laid throughout the day-use area, the pavilion is looking gorgeous, and the playground is well underway.   

We’ve certainly made a lot of progress! But we still have a few things to get done. Other restrooms and bathhouses are due to start construction in a couple of months, depending on the construction of our main road. The road needs its grade to be brought down, widened, and retaining walls installed before we can start paving, striping, and adding guard rails. I know there’s plenty of frustration with the length of time it’s taking to complete the park, but I wanted to highlight how very far we’ve come in a year! Once it’s all finished, the wait will be well worth it. These facilities are phenomenal! The trails are stunning! This land that we cannot wait to share with y’all is absolutely breathtaking. I will continue to keep y’all updated as time goes on. Until next time, enjoy these side-by-side comparisons!