TPWD first expanded the park with the purchase of the 1,066-acre Rocking W Ranch in 2024, and then the department acquired the 1,120-acre Hawkins Ranch in January 2026. <\/p>\n
“The Hawkins Ranch is the last piece of property to the west [of the park] that protects our viewshed of the canyon and affects our watershed,” said Superintendent Donald Beard in the release. “The Rocking W Ranch was also important because it expands the park to the northwest, allowing the Texas State Bison Herd<\/a> potential access to the high plains.”<\/p>\n The release said a 5,000-square-foot, fully furnished “barndominium” was included in the purchase of the Rocking W Ranch property, and it will be used for “future family-style retreats for activities like hiking and horseback riding.” <\/p>\n Park visitors have access to more than 90 miles of trails at Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and bison-watching. Lake Theo, a 120-acre lake on the south side of the park, is open for swimming, fishing, and no-wake boating.<\/p>\n Wildlife enthusiasts can search for bats roosting in the Clarity Tunnel,<\/a> an abandoned railroad tunnel that 500,000 Mexican free-tailed bats call home from late April through mid-October. TPWD said even more local wildlife can be found by visitors with the acquisition of the Hawkins Ranch, such as quail, mule deer, coyotes, bobcats, and more.<\/p>\n![\"Caprock](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/caprock-canyons-state-park-and-trailway.jpg\")