Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation invested more than $10 million on 650 acres along Lake Palestine for a future state park.
Courtesy TexasLand
About two hours from Fort Worth, 650 acres of pine forests and pecan orchards will eventually become a new Texas state park, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation said in a release.
The land was owned by the Pollard family of Texas Pecan Nursery since 1940 before the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, acquired it for $10 million. Sam Pollard, president of Texas Pecan Nursery, said in the release that he is happy to have his family’s land stay mostly undeveloped and open for others to appreciate.
“This land is part of my soul,” Pollard said. “It means a lot to me that we can leave a legacy for people to enjoy.”
The ranch is located along Lake Palestine in Chandler, around two hours from Fort Worth. It features piney woods, blufftop views, ponds and lake frontage. Visitors can see wildlife like the white tailed deer, bobcats and waterfowl.
This follows the recent opening of Palo Pinto State Park, a 4,817-acre park 75 miles west of Fort Worth. TPWD originally purchased the land in 2011 and had to build everything from scratch, including utilities, roads, trails, headquarters and maintenance buildings since the land was originally an undeveloped ranch.
Palo Pinto was the first Texas state park to open in the last 25 years.
When will the new state park open?
The 650 acres along Lake Palestine still has a ways to go.
TPWD said it identified the property as a potential future state park site in 2025. Acquisition of the ranch is planned to be complete in late 2027 when additional funding from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund becomes available.
The state plans to open the park in phases. First with guided access, then day use and eventually full day and overnight access.
TPWD plans to have hiking and biking trails, campsites and lakefront access with conservation and habitat restoration playing an important role.
After acquisition is complete, TPWD will invite the public to also discuss options for the future park.
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.