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Texas opens 3,000-acre state park along Colorado River with $1bn fund

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The new park opens 3,118 acres of limestone bluffs, canyons, and oak woodlands to day visitors holding advance reservations. Guests must navigate basic conditions including gravel access roads and no on-site drinking water or electricity. Ongoing research and habitat restoration are guiding the master plan, with full services like camping and direct recreational river access projected for completion around 2029.

Key points

  • The site represents an early expansion supported by Texas's voter-approved Centennial Par…: The site represents an early expansion supported by Texas's voter-approved Centennial Parks Conservation Fund.
  • Conservation officials are prioritizing sensitive natural habitats as ecological restorat…: Conservation officials are prioritizing sensitive natural habitats as ecological restoration and research continue on-site.
  • A comprehensive development phase featuring camping facilities and river access is schedu…: A comprehensive development phase featuring camping facilities and river access is scheduled to open around 2029.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

In 1889, John Fletcher and Mattie Lou Vann settled on a piece of ranchland along the Colorado River in Central Texas. The couple raised seven children there, and generations of their family continued to use the property for ranching, cutting cedar and operating a fishing camp.

More than 137 years later, land that includes part of the family's former ranch has become Post Oak Ridge State Park. The 3,118-acre property opened for independent day visits on September 24, 2026, giving the public access to a landscape of rolling hills, wooded ridges, limestone cliffs and river overlooks. The park is still being developed, with camping facilities and additional visitor amenities expected around 2029, according to the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

From a family ranch in 1889 to a state park in 2026

The history of Post Oak Ridge stretches back to 1889, when John Fletcher and Mattie Lou Vann established their home on the land. Their seven children and later generations maintained a connection to the property, using it for cattle ranching, cedar cutting and recreational fishing.

In January…

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