A $10 Million, 650-Acre Property Is Set to Become Texas’ Next State Park, But Not for 1 More Year: Here’s Why

A $10 Million, 650-Acre Property Is Set to Become Texas’ Next State Park, But Not for 1 More Year: Here’s Why https://ift.tt/p976sIq

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) secured the sprawling piece of land located on Lake Palestine earlier this month, the organization announced in a recent press release

Part of the 650-acre property that will be turned into a state park in Texas
Credit: TexasLand

NEED TO KNOW

• A 650-acre stretch of land on Lake Palestine is set to become Texas’ next state park
• The property includes pine forests, ponds and pecan orchards, and it was owned by the Pollard family since 1940
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation will hold the land until state funding becomes available in late 2027

A new state park is currently in the works in Texas  — but it will take at least one more year to come to fruition. 

In a press release shared by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) earlier this month, the non-profit organization announced it had invested over $10 million to acquire a 650-acre property located on Lake Palestine, a 25,560-acre body of water located south of the city of Tyler.

According to the release, the Henderson County property will be transformed into a “future Texas state park,” and is “one of the largest contiguous landholdings with frontage on the lake.” The TPWF, which plans to make additional investments in the property, officially secured the land on Thursday, Oct. 1. 

The foundation has been working alongside the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), which first “identified the property as a potential future state park site in 2025,” per the release. 

Lake Palestine in Texas
Credit: TexasLand

While the TPWF stepped in to lead the acquisition, the property can’t become a state park until the TPWD is able to acquire it. The transfer of the land between the non-profit and the state agency won’t occur until late 2027, when “additional funding from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund becomes available,” the release states. 

However, the TPWF holding the property in the meantime is a crucial step in preserving the land and eventually turning it into a state park. 

“The acquisition protects one of the last large blocks of habitat in this part of East Texas and will ultimately expand public access to Lake Palestine,” per the release.

Since 1940, the land — which includes pine forests, ponds and pecan orchards — had belonged to the Pollard family as part of their longtime Texas Pecan Nursery operation. Sam Pollard, president of Texas Pecan Nursery, has fond memories working, hunting and fishing on the land, which his own children and grandchildren have also gotten to enjoy over the years. 

Part of the 650-acre property
Credit: TexasLand

But Pollard views the sale as good news, as others will soon be able to enjoy the property he’s cherished so much: “This land is part of my soul. It means a lot to me that we can leave a legacy for people to enjoy,” he said, per the release. 

Once the park opens, visitors will be able to soak in the scenic views of the lake and pecan orchard, as well as enjoy the site’s wildlife, which includes “white-tailed deer, bobcats, waterfowl and a variety of woodland and water-dependent birds.”

Part of the 650-acre property
Credit: TexasLand

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According to the release, the TPWD plans to open the future park in stages, “beginning with guided access, followed by day use and eventually full day and overnight access.” The department will also consider input from the public about other options and amenities for the park. 

The TPWD already plans to develop hiking and biking trails, as well as campsites, “day-use areas” and access to the lake.