Fort Parker State Park – Texas State Park 3/89
This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here.
The Deets
Fort Parker State Park is located just outside of Mexia, TX (pronounced Muh-hay-uh) in Limestone County. It is roughly 45 minutes east of Waco, TX, and 1.5 hours south of Dallas, TX. The park covers 1458 acres, 700 of which comprise Fort Parker Lake. The park has a lot to offer, including camping, swimming, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking, and wildlife watching. The admission cost is $4 for adults and free for children under the age of 12 (or a completely free admittance for everyone if you use a Park Pass).
The History
Fun fact, Fort Parker State Park and I (Lydia) share a birthday! The land was donated by local landowners and the city of Mexia in 1935, and the park came to life between the years 1935 and 1942. The CCC completed the dam across the Navasota River in 1939, creating Fort Parker Lake. On 1 May 1941, Fort Parker State Park was opened to the public.
Before the land became a park, the rather large town of Springfield occupied the area. During its heyday, Springfield’s population was larger than both Dallas and Houston. Unfortunately, the town started to decline after the rail line bypassed it. The courthouse also burned, not helping the struggling town. By 1878, the post office closed its doors, and the town of Springfield began to disappear. Piece by piece, it was gone. All that remains today is the cemetery, which you can visit when inside the park. For a more in-depth history of the town (which is pretty fascinating), check out this page!
Our Experience
If we’re being honest, we were downright exhausted by the time we arrived at Fort Parker State Park. We had spent the previous two days hiking Mission Tejas State Park and we were definitely out of practice. We knew that we weren’t going to hit all of the trails due to time constraints, but we ended up skipping one we had intended to hike because we were so tired. Even yet, we still had a really nice time.
Our first stop in the park was at the cemetery. It is one of the first things you see when you drive into the park, and Lord knows I can’t pass up a cemetery. I know it may be weird, but I (Lydia) love cemeteries. They are peaceful and beautiful. Every person laid to rest there has a story and I like to think I’m keeping their stories alive by visiting. The cemetery is small and we looked through the entire area in about 15 minutes.
Most of the facilities were closed, including the toilets. There was one toilet area open down where we parked, but all of the others we came across were closed. Canoe rentals were also closed, which was a bummer because the lake is definitely the park’s main draw.
The Trails
As much as we wanted to, we didn’t get to all of the trails. Of those that we did hike, we enjoyed them. First, we walked the short Bur Oak Trail. It’s the shortest trail in that park at .5 miles. It has great information boards along the way and a dock/viewing area on the lake. Very easy to walk, but no bikes allowed. If you’re looking to bike the trails, try the Springfield Trail. It’s open to both hikers and bikers and is relatively easy with only minor uneven ground in places. This trail also takes you by the cemetery if you’re interested in checking it out.
Our plan was then to hike the Navasota River Trail to the River Loop, but we were falling asleep on our feet at this point. Instead, we decided to drive to the other end of the park and just walk the River Loop. Lucky for us, there was a blue heron fishing in the river when we pulled up. It didn’t seem to care that we were there and we watched it catch fish for quite some time. On the trail itself, we saw another armadillo and a rabbit. The trail was very nice and we really enjoyed it.
We knew from the start that we weren’t going to hike the Baines Creek Trail. It’s 2.5 miles one way and we didn’t think we’d have time. The other trail we missed was the Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail. We SO wanted to do this! You’ll need a canoe as this trail goes through the lake and up the Navasota River to the limestone bluffs. What a bummer we missed out on that!
In all, the trails were ok. They weren’t our favorite or mind-blowing, but they were easy to walk and pleasant enough.
Our Takeaway
If we get the chance to go back to Fort Parker State Park, you can bet money that we’ll find a way to get a canoe! We would have really enjoyed that, and we want to go on the paddling trail. Also, the birds here, especially large birds, are a joy to watch. I’d be content with watching them all day! The lake is the major draw to this park and it really is beautiful. It’s on the smaller size when it comes to trails available, but then again, that’s not really what’s bringing people in. It’s Fort Parker Lake!
Prefer to see the park in action? Check out our vlog episode!
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
