Parts of Texas have been in and out of drought since 2009, and now it appears that recently, the Rain Gods have chosen to give Texas far more than its fair share of rain. Many Texas lakes, rivers and creeks are flooded or swollen, and because many of our Texas State Parks are located on these bodies of water, many parks are experiences closures or partial closures. Other parks are open with alerts.
Bastrop State Park Camping TPWD Copyright
Atlanta
State Park was closed due to flooding on May 11, and the closure is
expected to last at least through June 9. Brazos Bend State Park
closed on June 3 and is expected to be closed through 21 June. Lake Whitney State Park
closed 5 May due to flooding; there is no news regarding its reopening. Lake Somerville State
Park & Trailway is closed due to flooding, and will probably remain so
until early July. Stephen
F. Austin State Park is closed through September 1 due to flood damage.
Atlanta State Park on Wright Patman Lake TPWD Copyright
On June 6, the trails were closed at Abilene State Park. Bastrop State Park is
open, but the lake dam was destroyed during the May 2015 flood, and Park Road 1C connecting
Bastrop and Buescher State Parks is closed due to flood damage. Other areas of
the park are closed due to flood or fire damage. Most of the trails at Buescher State Park
are closed due to the October 2015 Hidden Pines Fire. Some camping areas and
the trails to the Colorado River are closed at Colorado Bend State Park. The last update on Cooper Lake State
Park was May 27th when some facilities were closed. All primitive
campsites and the trails north of the Paluxy River were closed on June 1 at Dinosaur Valley State
Park. The SH 91 Bridge, the main route
to Eisenhower State
Park, is closed; take Exit 70 off U.S. 70.
The park’s swimming beach, fishing pier, boat ramp, and ATV and bike
trails were closed on June 2nd. Enchanted
Rock State Natural Area was open today but some trails often close after a heavy rain. The day use picnic area at Galveston Island State
Park is closed, and the park was not accepting new campsite reservations
through this past Sunday. Garner State Park is
open, but temporary, short term closures are common Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend
because of the popularity of the park and the nightly dances!. Guadalupe River State
Park is open but all trails, the Chaquita Falls
area, and backcountry sites were closed June 1. Many areas of Inks Lake State Park
are closed through at least 13 June. Inks Lake is closed to
recreational boating due to flood debris. The campsites at Lake Arrowhead State Park were closed
May 27. Lake
Brownwood State Park is open, but Lake Brownwood is closed due to lake
flooding. Some trails at Monument Hill
& Kreische Brewery State Historic Site are closed due to damage by
heavy rains. The south end of Mother Neff State Park
closed May 26 due to flooding of SH 236. The north end of the park is
accessible by SH 236. Pedernales
Falls State Park is open, but the river is dangerously high. This park is
prone to flash floods during heavy rains so be on the alert! Purtis Creek State Park
is open, but the fishing pier and dock lights are not working. The Boardwalk Nature
Trail was temporarily closed on June 5 at San Jacinto
Battleground SHS. The Gambusia Nature Trail Boardwalk has been closed at Sea Rim State Park
since 7 May. Many areas of Village Creek State Park
have been closed since May 30 due to flooding. Only some trails
and a few campsites remain open. The trails and picnic areas at Washington-On-The-Brazos
State Historic Site are closed. Several boat ramps and some campsites at Ray Roberts Lake State
Park have been closed since June 3. The FM 380 section of the
Greenbelt Corridor has been closed due to prior flood damage. Parts of the
equestrian trail remains closed and the only open equestrian trailhead is located at the Elm Fork Unit.
Eisenhower State Park Yacht Club TPWD Copyright
We still have some areas of Texas experiencing drought and
some parks are open with alerts for other reasons. The Calliham Unit at Choke Canyon State Park is open, but the South Shore Unit boat ramp is
closed due to low lake levels. The Devils River at Devils River
SNA has low water flow. Because of low lake levels, only kayaks and canoes
may be launched from the Lake Colorado City State
Park boat ramp. Since March 14, the main route to the park has detours due
to the construction of a new bridge. Lake Livingston State
Park is open, but there are some facility closures due to park improvement
operations. Martin
Creek Lake State Park has been invaded by the Argentine Ant, an invasive
species, so be prepared to treat around your vehicle and camping equipment. The Old Tunnel Wildlife
Management Area always closes when the park has reached its 250 person
limit. The drinking water at Possum Kingdom State
Park is non-potable due to high salt content. At Sheldon Lake State Park
the elevator at the observation tower has been closed for maintenance since 29
May. The Bent Pine Trail is also closed due to flooding. During times of high
winds or other extreme weather, call to see if the Wyler Aerial Tramway at Franklin Mountains State
Park in El Paso is open.
Devils River State Natural Area TPWD Copyright
