Texas spending $35 million to create new Hill Country state park north of San Antonio

The State of Texas is spending $35 million to buy land that will become a new Hill Country state park that eventually may span more than 3,000 acres.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) this week agreed to purchase 2,020 acres in Burnet County along the Colorado River, across from Colorado Bend State Park.

The land deal is part of a potentially two-phase transaction that would create a major state park roughly 110 miles north of San Antonio. TPWD officials haven’t set an opening date for the new natural area.

The creation of the so-far unnamed state park is separate from a $43 million deal approved earlier this month to double the size of the Hill Country’s Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, according to state officials.

The Burnet County land purchase came through the combination of a one-time funding appropriation and money generated by the state’s sporting goods sales tax.

A $1 billion fund dedicated to the creation of new state parks will finance development of the site, according to the TPWD. State voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund in 2023.

“It’s great to see these acquisitions which will provide public access and conserve their beautiful landscapes for years to come,” TPWD Chairman Jeff Hildebrand said in an emailed statement. “This property near the current Colorado Bend State Park is the cornerstone for what will be a brand-new park.”

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This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.