Day Trips
Rails have been turned to trails at Lake Mineral Wells State Park.
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., June 9, 2000
Lake Mineral Wells State Park has it all. A lake with good fishing and a small, sandy beach for swimming take up a big chunk of the park. Sheer rock cliffs beckon rock climbers from around the state. Trails totalling more than 36 miles give horseback riders, bikers, and hikers room to stretch their legs. And of course, there are plenty of shaded campsites to rest and relax.
Many of the campsites sit on a plateau overlooking the lake. The thick forest surrounding the lake is home to a variety of wildlife and gives visitors a sense of being deep in the woods. Actually, the 3,282-acre park is two miles east of Mineral Wells and accessible from major highways.
"We get a lot of different types of user groups," says Lee Ellis, manager of the Lake Mineral Wells Trailway that stretches between downtown Mineral Wells and Weatherford to east. The 20-mile path maintained by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife is one of only six rails-to-trails projects in the state. And it is a shining example of what can be accomplished when abandoned railroad beds are converted into public recreational facilities.
Although Texas has thousands of miles of railroad tracks that are being given up by the railroads, very little of it is being transferred to public use. The only other stretch of former rail right of way in TPWD's inventory is the 64-mile trail in Caprock State Park. Private landowners along the routes have generally been extremely vocal against building trails in their back yards.
"We haven't had one reported case of trespassing since it opened (June 6, 1998)," Ellis says. After almost two years of use, most of the fears and misconceptions have been forgotten. "You could count the vocal opposition on one hand," Ellis says, "and you wouldn't use all of the fingers." The trail has become a local recreation asset and an economic boom. With the exception of a quarter-mile spur trail in the state park, the trail is paved with crushed limestone.
One of the advantages of banking the rights of way as trails is that trains and bicycles are most efficient on the most level ground possible. Although the route traverses rolling farm and ranch lands, the grade is never really steep. Only a small portion of the trail in Mineral Wells is paved and not open to horses. All of it is wheelchair-accessible and a favorite for bikers and hikers.
The park also has 16 miles of other trails that are much more rustic. Horseback riders enjoy the upper trails that follow the valley cut by Rock Creek. Much of the trail is old roads cut by the military when the park was part of Fort Wolters. There is even a special campground with room to park horse trailers and corrals.
For rock climbers, Penitentiary Hollow is one of only three places in state parks to practice their sport. "Nobody knows how it got its name," Ellis says, "but the stories are getting better every year." Everybody has their own version and most deal with prisoners, escaped or incarcerated. It's not hard to see how the deep canyon littered with boulders could remind someone of prison walls.
To rock climbers looking for a toehold, the 35- to 40-foot sheer walls are freedom to have fun. It is a sport that is fun to watch, from the top of the sheer wall or from the canyon floor.
The rough stairs leading from the scenic overlook into the canyon below was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s to blend into its surroundings. Although the area has been a state park only since 1981, it has a long history of attracting visitors.
Comanches held out in the hills until the 1870s. Mineral Wells dammed the tributary to the Brazos River in 1920 for a municipal water supply. During World War II, Fort Wolters covered 7,500 acres east of town as an infantry training center.
From 1956 through 1975, the base was the primary training post for helicopter pilots. During the Vietnam War more than 40,000 aviators received training here. When the base was deactivated, the land was divided among several public and private entities with more than a thousand acres going to the state parks department.
Included in the land transfer to the state was the 646-acre lake. Ellis says that because the lake is less than 650 acres, skiing and jet skis are not allowed on the lake. Without having to deal with speeding watercraft, a lot of visitors find it a perfect place to come play with their fishing boats on the weekends, he says.
The coves and shoreline of the lake can be explored with canoes and paddleboats rented at the park store. In a red sandstone building near the swimming beach, the store was built in the 1930s when the area was a city park. Today it is just one of many of things that make the park unique.
Lake Mineral Wells State Park is about an hour west of Fort Worth. From Austin, U.S. 281 is one of the most scenic and direct routes. Camping reservations at one of the park's 148 campsites or screened shelters can be made by calling 389-8900 or at www.tpwd.state.tx.us. There are several hotels a few miles west of the park in Mineral Wells. Standard park fees apply, plus there is a $2 charge for using the trailway (horses are $4). For information on the park, call 940/328-1171.
Coming up this weekend ...
Second Weekend on the Square in Brenham brings a special weekend to the central business district around the courthouse with live entertainment and shops galore, June 10-11. 979/277-0913 or www.brenhamtexas.com.
Market Days in Georgetown features arts, crafts, fresh food, and entertainment on the courthouse square, June 10. 512/868-8675.
Riverfest in Bandera celebrates the Upper Guadalupe River at City Park with water sports and games, June 10. 830/796-3045.
Coming up ...
Sunset Safari at the Fort Worth Zoo keeps the animals awake 6-8pm on Fridays and Saturdays with special activities like movies, bands, and animal shows, June 16-Sept. 2. 817/871-7050 or www.fortworthzoo.com.
