Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Hi, there and welcome to Day Hiker Grammie. Today I'd like to write about our latest camping trip. When it comes to camping, my brother's family and my grandchildren, my oldest son and I do some family trips together. It was quite a crew that packed up and headed out with 6 adults, 1 teenager, and three kids between 10 and 11.
This year, we had a non-traditional Easter celebration. We loaded up the crew and went to Lake Mineral Wells State Park. This little gem of a park is located bout an hour west of Fort Worth so it's perfect for a weekend getaway. It's remote enough that nature surrounds you and you do not hear traffic sounds but close enough to civilization that if you forget something the nearest store is 15 minutes away. We return here at least once a year because it's a great park to stay in. It's kept clean. The staff is outstanding and the amenities are decent. Plus, the rates won't break your budget. The park has reasonable prices for their day passes and their campsite rentals. The gates are open 6 am to 10 pm. You can come out and spend the day or spend a week. There's spaces set aside for both!
The park is multi-faceted in what it has to offer. First, if you like to camp, this is a great place to do so. They have screened cabins. They have RV campsites and they have primitive sites available if you truly like to rough it. This park is also equestrian friendly. They have campsites available for you and your horses. So there's a spot available just about any taste. Second, there is plenty of lake access to fish, swim or boat. There is lake access from the trails at strategic points as well. And if standing on the shore isn't enough, you can rent kayaks and canoes at the camp store if you'd like to explore the lake on the water. Third, they have miles of trails to explore and one pass through will not be enough. You'll want to come back again and again as the trail itself doesn't change but the beautiful display of nature surrounding them does! Lastly, if you are brave, you can experience some rock climbing.
Let's talk about the camp sites first. I really like the way the sites are arranged. Each site comes with a fire ring and a metal picnic table but beyond that depends on which site you choose when making your reservation. The screened cabins are closest to the lake but our family prefers to tent camp so we do not have experience with those. We have camped in the regular campsites with water and electricity and the equestrian sites with just water. They have really tried to keep as much of the vegetation preserved so each site is like it's own little notch cut into the woods. There is plenty of flat spaces to pitch your tent but enough woods between you and your neighbor to give you a bit of space. (There are exceptions of course. The woods were pretty sparse between our camp on the one behind us this time but I am pretty sure that's because of natural die out.) The camp sites are not crowded together so each site has plenty of space. There are five different camping areas not including the primitive sites and each of the five major camping area does have a restroom with showers available. This is our camp site this time.
Our family has hiked in this park on several occasions and it has never failed to delight. I think our favorite is the red waterfront trail. This trail leads to a couple points of interest in the park. The first being Penitentiary Hollow. This is where you can learn to rock climb! The view from the top is spectacular and well worth the hike to get there. (However, if hiking is not your bag, you can get to this trail from the parking lot adjacent to the trail head.) The second is four cedar elm trees that tower up through the Hollow. However, it's hard to pay attention to trees with such an amazing view. Check it out below.
There are several miles of trails adjacent to the Cross Timbers camp sites. There are things to keep in mind with the Cross Timber trails. These are the trails available to folks with horses or mountain bikes. Most of these trails are wide open and they are not shaded. If you are visiting during the summer months, make sure you use sun screen, take plenty of water and go as early in the morning as possible. I don't recommend hiking these trails during the heat of the day. We had some brave souls in our group that did and it was a hot hike for them. Also, some of the older publications list a tree that's supposed to be one of the largest Elms in North America. It is listed on the Yellow Cross Timbers trail. Unfortunately, this lovely old tree has died so don't hike that trail if the tree is your ultimate goal. You won't be disappointed by the landscape surrounding it and on the way but you will be saddened by the tree itself. Here are some highlights of that hike that my son took for me.
This year, we had a non-traditional Easter celebration. We loaded up the crew and went to Lake Mineral Wells State Park. This little gem of a park is located bout an hour west of Fort Worth so it's perfect for a weekend getaway. It's remote enough that nature surrounds you and you do not hear traffic sounds but close enough to civilization that if you forget something the nearest store is 15 minutes away. We return here at least once a year because it's a great park to stay in. It's kept clean. The staff is outstanding and the amenities are decent. Plus, the rates won't break your budget. The park has reasonable prices for their day passes and their campsite rentals. The gates are open 6 am to 10 pm. You can come out and spend the day or spend a week. There's spaces set aside for both!
The park is multi-faceted in what it has to offer. First, if you like to camp, this is a great place to do so. They have screened cabins. They have RV campsites and they have primitive sites available if you truly like to rough it. This park is also equestrian friendly. They have campsites available for you and your horses. So there's a spot available just about any taste. Second, there is plenty of lake access to fish, swim or boat. There is lake access from the trails at strategic points as well. And if standing on the shore isn't enough, you can rent kayaks and canoes at the camp store if you'd like to explore the lake on the water. Third, they have miles of trails to explore and one pass through will not be enough. You'll want to come back again and again as the trail itself doesn't change but the beautiful display of nature surrounding them does! Lastly, if you are brave, you can experience some rock climbing.
Let's talk about the camp sites first. I really like the way the sites are arranged. Each site comes with a fire ring and a metal picnic table but beyond that depends on which site you choose when making your reservation. The screened cabins are closest to the lake but our family prefers to tent camp so we do not have experience with those. We have camped in the regular campsites with water and electricity and the equestrian sites with just water. They have really tried to keep as much of the vegetation preserved so each site is like it's own little notch cut into the woods. There is plenty of flat spaces to pitch your tent but enough woods between you and your neighbor to give you a bit of space. (There are exceptions of course. The woods were pretty sparse between our camp on the one behind us this time but I am pretty sure that's because of natural die out.) The camp sites are not crowded together so each site has plenty of space. There are five different camping areas not including the primitive sites and each of the five major camping area does have a restroom with showers available. This is our camp site this time.
Our family has hiked in this park on several occasions and it has never failed to delight. I think our favorite is the red waterfront trail. This trail leads to a couple points of interest in the park. The first being Penitentiary Hollow. This is where you can learn to rock climb! The view from the top is spectacular and well worth the hike to get there. (However, if hiking is not your bag, you can get to this trail from the parking lot adjacent to the trail head.) The second is four cedar elm trees that tower up through the Hollow. However, it's hard to pay attention to trees with such an amazing view. Check it out below.
There are still trails that I haven't gotten to explore yet and that will pretty much guarantee that I'll keep returning to the park to conquer them. But in reality, it's the park itself that brings me back. I really love this place. It's got something for everyone and such broad appeal that I highly recommend it. I give this park four out of five stars. Four stars because they are a bit slow refilling the toilet paper and hand soap in the bathrooms so take your own just in case!
I hope this has helped you with your own camping plans. I will be loading a YouTube video hopefully this week with all the video and photos that we took this trip so if you're interested, look me up on YouTube. Thank you so much for reading!
Many blessings,
Lisa
Comments
Post a Comment