Lake Mineral Wells State Park
and Trailway

100 Park Road 71
Mineral Wells TX 76067
940/328-1171
Park locator map

History: Lake Mineral Wells State Park, located east of Mineral Wells in Parker County,consists of 3282.5 acres, encompassing Lake Mineral Wells. The City of Mineral Wells donated 1095 land acres and the 646-acre lake to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1975. The U.S. Government transferred some of the remaining acreage from Fort Wolters Army Post to the State of Texas for use as parkland. The park was opened in July 1981.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park is located along Rock Creek, a large tributary of the Brazos River. This area was an early home to several Native American tribes including the Comanche.

White settlers began arriving in the early 1850s, and intermittent warfare occurred until the late 1870s. Rugged terrain and lush native grasses attracted many early-day ranchers to this area, including Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving and C. C. Slaughter, who ran large herds of Longhorn cattle. Ranching continues to be an economic mainstay of this area.

In 1877, James Alvis Lynch settled this area on the spot of land that is now Mineral Wells. In 1880, a well was drilled on the land. Mrs. Lynch suffered from rheumatism, but after drinking the water from the well, she was not bothered with rheumatism any more. The well water seemed to have "curative powers". This began Mineral Wells' tumultuous affair with water and quickly became a world renowned health resort. The purported curative effects of the local well water brought people from all walks of life to bath and take "the cure."

The city of Mineral Wells became too large for Lake Pinto, the town water supply, so in the late 1910's plans were laid for another lake East of town. In 1922 Lake Mineral Wells was completed.

World War II demanded an increase in activities at Fort Wolters, a military base located adjacent to the lake. This, coupled with the growth of the city of Mineral Wells, required the city to raise the height of the dam and thereby, increasing the water supply in the lake.

In 1963 the city of Mineral Wells found a better water supply and ceased using Lake Mineral Wells as the main city water supply.

In 1975, after the closer of Fort Wolters, the city of Mineral Wells and Fort Wolters donated the lake and acreage around the lake to the Texas Parks and Wildlife. On July 1, 1981 Lake Mineral Wells was opened as Lake Mineral Wells State Park.

Activities: Activities include camping; lake swimming (unsupervised); fishing; boating (boat, canoe, paddleboat rental - no skiing, jet skis, or tubing permitted); rock climbing (climbers and rappelers must check in at headquarters); mountain biking; equestrian camping, horseback riding (visitors must provide their own horses); and hiking. Note: Trails may be closed during wet weather. Climbing is prohibited when the rock formations are wet (Call the park to verify climbing area is open, if it has rained in the last 48 hours of your planed arrival.)

Store / Boat Rentals: The park has a privately operated store for the convenience of visitors. The store offers groceries, ice, deli, firewood, souvenirs and T-shirts, fishing & camping supplies, and a variety of bait. Boat rentals include pedal boats, rowboat with or without an electric trolling motor, canoes, and kayaks. The store offers in house seating with great lakeside views for those desiring a break between the many activities offered in the park. The store gladly accepts checks, Mastercard and Visa. Store hours vary with the seasons. Please call 940-325-7152 for additional information.

Interpretive Programs: The new “Lone Star Amphitheater” provides a great venue for a variety of natural and cultural interpretive programs, which includes Cowboy History through Music and Poetry, Astronomy programs, Storytelling, Ranger Talks and other programs. The park also offers programs like Kid’s Wilderness Survival, Guided Trail Walks, Wildflower Walks and other nature programs. We provide talks and activities to school, scout, and church and youth groups. Arrangements can be made by contacting David Owens, Park Interpreter.

Area Attractions: Nearby points of interest include: Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & the Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway, Possum Kingdom State Park, Cleburne State Park, and Dinosaur Valley State Park, Clark Gardens, the Brazos River, and Possum Kingdom Lake. Activities in the Mineral Wells area include the Ranch Rodeo and Cowboy Gathering in April, Pro Rodeo in May, and the Crazy Water Festival in October. Activities in the Weatherford area include, the Peach Festival in July, First Monday Trades Day, and the Texas Opry.

Facilities: Facilities include restrooms with showers; picnic sites (tables, grills, water faucets, and lake access by trails); backpack campsites (primitive 2.5-mile trail; no ground fires; no sanitary facilities; no water); campsites with water (equestrian use permitted); campsites (back-in) with water and electricity (premium sites are available); screened shelters; a park store; a boat ramp; fishing piers; a trailer dump station; and the new “Lone Star Amphitheater”. Horseback riding, hiking, and bicycling are permitted on the main trail (9 miles); hiking trails (lake trail 5 miles) and backpacking/hiking trail (2.5 miles) do not allow horses or bikes (There is a total of 16.5 miles of trails.) Note: Trails may be closed during wet weather.

Flora: Lake Mineral Wells State Park is located in the Western Cross - Timbers of Texas, which supports such plant life as: Post Oak, Live Oak, Blackjack Oak, Box Elder, Sumac, Ash Juniper, Mesquite, Pecan, Walnut, Mulberry, Texas Ash, Wild Plum, Willow, Cedar Elm, American Elm, Hackberry, Milkweed, Engelmann Daisy, Sunflower, Coreopsis, Indian Blanket, Mexican Hat, Golden Rod, Spiderwort, Morning-glory, Bluebonnet, Wild Onion, Yucca, Prickly Poppy, Standing Cypress, Indian Paintbrush, Prickly Pear, Horsecrippler cactus, Lace Cactus, Maiden Hair Fern.

Fauna: Wildlife observation includes white-tailed deer, turkey, raccoons, waterfowl, squirrels, and a variety of songbirds. Popular fish include bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill and sunfish.

More information on the wildlife mentioned here:

Texas Wildlife Factsheets.

Elevation: Elevations ranges from 718 ft to 1235 ft.
Weather: July average high is 98 degrees, January average low is 32 degrees. April/May are wettest months; first/last freeze; November 15/ March 20.

National Weather Service forecast for this area

Schedule: Open: 7 days a week year-round, except for Public Hunts (call or check the Calendar for access restrictions). The gate is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Busy Season: Mid-March through mid-November.

Directions: Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway is located 4 miles east of Mineral Wells on US Highway 180 or 14 miles west of Weatherford on US Highway 180. Location Map media download (PDF 29.2 KB)

Current conditions including, fire bans & water levels, can vary from day to day. For more details, contact the park.