Mother Neff State Park – Texas State Park 25/89
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The Deets
Mother Neff State Park is located in Moody, TX. It is just 20 minutes north of Temple, TX, and 30 minutes southwest of Waco, TX. This lovely park might be one of the smaller ones here in Texas, but it has much to offer. The Leon River winds through the park, offering great scenic views. You can hike the nearly 3.5 miles of trails, enjoy a picnic on the grounds, geocache, or camp and stay for a few days. Part of the park is still closed due to flood damage, but the current maps reflect that, which is nice. The cost of entry to the park is only $2 per adult and is free for children under the age of 12 (or completely free for everyone if using a Park Pass).
The History
As with many other river areas, people have been flocking to its banks for hundreds and hundreds of years. Native Americans lived in the comfortable shelter of what is now called Tonkawa Cave. While it is unsure which tribes inhabited this location, evidence such as arrowheads, other tools, and remnants of camp life prove that the cave was well lived in.
Many years later, Noah and Isabella Neff purchased 900 acres in the area, including the land that is now Mother Neff State Park. They loved their property, and Mother Neff (Isabella) had a favorite spot. She shared that slice of heaven with friends, family, and the community. When she passed away in 1921, she left that little slice to the state of Texas to be used as a park. The Texas State Park system had not been formed yet, so her son took charge.
Pat Neff, Isabella’s son, was governor of Texas and gladly took charge. He created Neff Memorial Park. Pat donated the park to State Parks Board in 1934, and the park officially opened to the public in 1937. Three and a half acres were also donated by Frank Smith, a neighbor of the park. We now know this stretch of land as Mother Neff State Park, named after Isabella herself, who was known to those who loved her as Mother Neff.
The CCC
The CCC worked hard here, and they built some beautiful additions to the park. The most notable is the CCC tower. It is a round stone water tower with a staircase that spirals around the outside. At the top is an observation deck that offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The Civilian Conservation Corps also built park roads, picnic tables, and walking trails. Other buildings like a rec hall and pavilion were added, but we didn’t get to see those. There are CCC-built structures in the closed section of the park that are unreachable at present.
Our Experience
We had an incredible time during our visit to Mother Neff State Park. All of the facilities look to be rather new and the restrooms we used were spotless. The road through the park, even though you have to turn around and come back due to closure, also looks like it’s recently been refinished. Everything about this park is clean and polished. The woman who checked us in had our reservation tag ready for us when we pulled up and she happily told us about the park when she learned we hadn’t been there before.
A section of the park is still closed due to flood damage that happened in 2015. The park map reflects this closure, so it wasn’t a surprise for us. This is one of the nicest, most well-maintained parks we’ve been to yet!
The Trails
There is truly something for everyone here. The northern part of Mother Neff State Park has easy walking trails that meander through open fields that are full of wildflowers in the spring and early summer. The trails in the southern part of the park are still fairly easy but contain more stairs and elevation.
We started with the Prairie Loop and Pond Trail. Both are relatively flat, wide trails. We ran into some muddy spots, but that is to be expected with all of the rain Central Texas has seen in the last few weeks. The Playground Trail is also easy. These three trails combined make a perfect, easy stroll that the whole family can enjoy.
The Tower Trail, Cave Trail, Wash Pond Trail, and Bluff Trail are all listed as moderate on the trail map. We think that is an accurate assessment. They each have elevation and, in some places, stairs, but none of it is particularly challenging. We had to pay a little more attention on these trails due to mud, but that isn’t always the case. If there has been a lot of rain, be prepared for slippery paths. In dry months, that won’t be a problem. These trails are so different from the prairie of the other side of the park. Here, you will find tall trees, flowing creeks, and winding, wooded paths.
Our Takeaway
Mother Neff State Park is currently holding a high spot in our running Top 10 Texas State Parks. We know we’ve only seen 25, but we fell in love with this gem. It’s such a beautiful stretch of land and you can easily see why Isabella Neff loved it so much. It’s not the biggest park we’ve seen, but it packs a punch that will stay with you long after you leave. This is a park that we highly recommend you take the time to see. We truly think you’ll love it just as much as we did.
Prefer to see this park in action? Click here to watch our vlog episode for Mother Neff State Park.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
