Lake Mineral Wells State Park

Great state park. Has something for everyone. Great trails for hiking and biking. The staff are great. Park is clean and well taken care of. The only negative is the high cost of the green firewood. $12 for 5pcs is a little ridiculous. Had a great 5 days.site 66.

Beautiful land, and great views. Some of the coolest rock formations I have seen. Park was clean and friendly staff. Hiking trails are marked well and I had no problems navigating. I’ll definitely be back to hike some more!

Late Post | Winter Season Stayed in a campsite back in January in our camper van. Such a great Texas State Park! Well maintained and the bathrooms were clean. Did a couple of trails and even saw an armadillo! Also, love that they have a little free library where you can take/leave a book! Next time we camp there, I’ll definitely bring some books to leave.

Really enjoyed my visit to Lake Mineral Wells State Park. The park was clean, the trails were well‑marked, and everything felt well cared for. I’m planning to come back so I can hike the Trailway next time. This park was number 51 in my journey to hike all 89 Texas state parks.

Ran the whole Cross Timbers outer loop trail! Around 7.8 miles. Lots of sand, lots of rocks. Good for hiking, trail running, horse back riding, dog friendly(on leash). Nice elevation. Some parts of the trail later on have high grass, but wasn’t a problem. Trail was clearly marked. Parking lot near trail has camp grounds and a bathroom! If you don’t want to run or hike the whole trail, it’s broken into sections so you can always just do part of it. Absolutely stunning views.

Great camping experience. The Penitentiary Hollow hike was great, the Lake Mineral Wells Trailway Hike was ok, not as exciting (very flat). Campsites were well maintained and it was gorgeous weather! (Went in early Nov.) There are some cute attractions in Mineral Wells as well.

Took my son for a short visit while we were in the area. We had no plan and instead just wandered until we reached an overlook area with parking and then walked down to the lake. The park gets five stars based on the experience by the lake, hands down. My son climbed a huge rock by the water to snap a picture of a gorgeous banded garden spider for me, and as I watched, I noticed several vultures circling. Then I noticed something odd about one of those vultures, and then I realized it wasn't a vulture at all - it was a bald eagle. We watched it for several minutes as it circled and eventually attempted to catch a fish (no clue if it was successful). That sight was one of the most amazing things I have witnessed firsthand and it's all because we were just killing time in nature. The photos of the eagle were taken by my (young) son so they aren't the best quality, but honestly, for a kid with a moving target, he did great. As a reminder, pick up your trash and respect the park. My son picked up a few pieces of trash scattered by careless people near the parking area.

A pleasant surprise. I had been there plenty of times over years just to some rappelling and did not realize there's so much more to the park. Both my wife and I enjoyed it very much.

I looked at the photos on yelp before making my way to this park and they did not prepare me for how beautiful and amazing this park is! I can't wait to go back and camp!!

Love this place. It's peaceful and beautiful. There's activities for everyone to do here.

I rented a cabin for my family on Easter I'm a grandma of 6 and 3 grown daughters who are all very respectful my husband is a stroke patient and got sick so we didn't stay the night after the Easter party we cleaned up and the next day before checkout time which is 12 and he wrote me a ticket for littering for a few egg shells I have pictures how clean it was left but officer roomy Hughes was being rude so I was rude back so in his heartless criticism way wrote my husband and I a ticket for littering and it wasn't even nothing honestly a few biodegradable egg shells and other people not in our spot had a plastic egg with a little confetti I have pictures to prove it so I will fight it but I won't pay to go to that place that don't even have trash cans " I brought trash bags AND USED them

Beautiful park. Love how easy it is to pay online and then you just give them your name at the gate. Their little store was stocked with everything you could hope for. Next time i hope to tent a paddle boat or a kayak! We hiked on the cross timbers black trail and it was very easy. I expected something different since it said 2 hours to hike. I stopped for a bunch of pics and we still did it in an hour. Plus i dont walk super fast. Im typically about a 25 min walking mile? The black trail is probably one of the least scenic as it doesnt have many lake views on the route. My son picked it because the description said you would see some remnants of an army training center from fort wolters. It was just along the beginning quarter mile of the trail. The only thing that could be challenging is there are some pretty rocky areas so anyone older, with bad knees or ankles might have a bit of a time but otherwise very easy and quiet. We didnt run into many people along the way. Watch out for horse poop! Next time i might do the blue waterfront trail and the red waterfront trail. Im all about the views!

Beautiful state park with all the amenities you could need. Canoeing fishing amphitheater you can take a walk to a beautiful garden down the road really doesn't compare to anything I've ever been at they also have cabins camping and RV hook ups.

Nice place, not nearly as crowded as the parks over on Lake Worth. Will definitely be back. Friendly and helpful staff.

Great state park! $7 per adult day entrance fee, kids 12 and under are free. We have a Texas park pass so there was no charge for day use. We started at penitentiary hollow. Although you can probably hike to this location, there is a parking lot at the start of penitentiary hollow and we drove/parked because HELLO IT'S THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER AND 1000 DEGREES OUTSIDE. The walk down to the rock formations from the parking lot is shaded and relatively easy. I mean, we're not talking handicap accessible or anything, but I'm not exactly in my prime shape right now and I had zero difficulty. The rocks are SO COOL!!! There were multiple groups of legit rock climbers, but my kids (ages 1-9) all loved climbing the lower rock cliff areas. It was july 24 and pretty much as hot as it gets for Texas summers, and we still were able to enjoy the walk (morning, around 10am), so I'd venture to guess this hike is doable year around because of the shade. There was even this crevice that led from one part of the trail to another. I had to get on my hands and knees to get through it and wasn't sure I'd make it, but I did! SO FUN. After spending an hour or so in penitentiary hollow, we made our way (drove) to the swimming beach. On first glance it looks pretty sad, but honestly it turned out to be an excellent spot. The water is shallow for a very long way out. The sand is "sandier" than a lot of lake beaches. Not a lot of trash, a reasonable number of people, and a clean bathroom. I mean, let's be real, this is a Texas lakefront, not Rosemary Beach. So it's the typical Texas lakefront crowd. But frankly we love the down to earth, smoke a cigarette, swim in a tshirt, rum and coke in a big gulp type, so we're comfortable there. I'm just pointing out for the record that you uppity folk may not love it. Anyway, super fun all day long. Will definitely be back! FYI though, we were scoping out potential camping spots in the future and there aren't any close to the swimming beach (at least as far as we could tell). So just make sure you look at the map before you book your camp reservation.

Penitentiary Hollow is definitely the big draw of this park. It's a beautiful and fun area. Fun to climb, rappel, or just watch those being adventurous. However, the rest of the park was dull. I am an avid hiker and was excited about all the trails. They were so dull. I found myself very bored. After this park we went to Dinosaur Valley and I was able to find my happy place on the trails.

Prerequisite: study anchor building before coming out. Bring 20-50ft webbing/slings, plenty of carabiners. Climbers have to park and come in the office to sign a waiver and pay $3 more, then receive climbing "permits": super easy process, and you can get a route guide in the process! My rating is for Penitentiary Hollow, where there are top-rope climbing routes in an amazing geological formation by the lake! Bring 20-50ft of webbing/slings and plenty of locking/non-locking biners to experience some of the most challenging anchor-building problems in North Texas (maybe all of Texas). The anchors don't seem to have much rhyme/reason behind where they are placed, but my assumption is some are put pretty far back for geological security; maybe the people who put the anchors in knew more about the rock than I do! (Very likely...) Once you get the anchors built, the routes are fun, and a lot of routes have multiple difficulty levels pretty close together, so multiple climbers can use one anchor (maybe with minor tweaks to the anchor), and all is not lost on anchor building! It's common that groups will come and set up an anchor on an epic climb and exhaust that climb before cleaning the anchor, so getting there early can help you get your favorite route anchored! 5 stars for the number of available routes AND all the daddy long legs; they're so friendly and move out of the way without needing to be asked twice. 3 stars for how long it takes to build an anchor the first several visits due to where the bolts are placed (you DO gain some pretty epic anchor-building skills). 4 stars is a happy medium!

Lake Mineral Wells State Park has some good hikes and there were a lot of people swimming in the designated area. Some good trails, like the Cross Timbers Trails. Lots of people fishing here as well.

January 2020 was the last time I was out here. I had read a wonderful article about Night Hikes in Texas Highways magazine and wanted to try one out. This particular state park was hosting such an event, and I was the very first to secure a reservation. There were quite a few people who turned out for the hike, many without reservations. Oh well! David Owens, along with two park hosts (volunteers), facilitated, and I couldn't have been more pleased. There were several activities we participated in along the way. Once the hike wrapped up, I quickly expressed my heartfelt thanks with the intention of taking advantage of future events. Don't miss out any and all interactions with nature. I never fail to get re-centered by getting away from the rat-race of life. You won't either.

Only 1.5 hours from Dallas, this State Park has the unique and wonderful offering of Penitentiary Hollow where, with a permit, one can climb/boulder the unique rock walls. This also happens to be one of the most beautiful spots in the park to view sunset! Beyond climbing and sunset views are lakeside and short to long, backcountry trails, ample fishing piers, boat ramp, one of the nicer park stores I've seen, mostly sandy-bottom swim area, a really cool dam passage between the swim area and camping areas, lakeside screened shelters, and RV and tent camping. I have now had a handful of wonderful experiences hiking, swimming, and sunset-watching at this park--one of these days we will give camping a shot too! The four stars is because the restrooms and showers at this park are not as nice as many state parks and could use some renovation. I prefer the shower stalls which include BOTH a private, dry changing area which includes hooks and a small bench for personal items AND separated shower stall. This shower set up did not include a truly private area to change and the changing area floor was very wet!

Nice spot to camp or daytripping with the family. In our case, we drove across the country and needed a nice place to overnight and give our generator a break from powering 3 ACs in our RV. Highly recommend, especially if you continue to head East from Mineral Wells.

We went camping with some friends (we stayed separately at nearby campsites) in the "Equestrian" camping section. It was a delightful respite from the city (and from being in my apartment all the time for the last 9 months during the pandemic). The lake itself is lovely. We hiked the Red Waterfront Trail, which is ranked as "moderate" but was actually pretty challenging: wear good shoes! It's absolutely lovely, and ends in a cool rock-climbing area. We also walked the Cross Timbers Yellow trail, which was the only one accessible from our camping area. This has absolutely no shade, and feels like you're on and the first part of it is pretty monotonous. It's easy, but the waterfront trails are more exciting! Some info for campers: the equestrian sites are quite large, and you don't need a horse to stay there! They're wooded with some good privacy. We didn't actually see any horses - though we did see deer at our campsite, and raccoons broke into our friends' cooler. (Warning: make sure you properly secure your food!) The equestrian sites have (drinkable) water but not electric; some sites do have electric. The sites have charcoal grills and fire pits with grates. The reason for a 4 star instead of a 5 star review: folks at this park DO NOT take Covid-19 protocols seriously at all. It was quite distressing. We saw many large groups crammed together in campsites and on trails, passing close by strangers on trails, using shared indoor restrooms, and not a single mask in site. It was distressing and disrespectful. Masks are *required* in bathrooms at the state parks, and the people from our group were the only ones we saw over three days wearing masks. When my friend pointed to the "wear a mask" sign and requested that the person in the bathroom with her wear a mask, she looked at my friend like she had three heads, and hadn't even brought a mask with her. Be warned! If you're planning on visiting multiple state parks (or even visiting this park multiple times!), I highly recommend getting the Texas State Parks pass. For $70, you get free admission for a year for you and whoever is in your car. Since day passes are $7 per person, this means that the pass pays for itself after 5 visits with a friend/10 solo visits. With the parks pass, you also get half off the camping fees for each night after your first night!

This is a great park. If I was a camper, I would have made sure to book one for the "shelters." It also has plenty of RV parking. So what is a shelter? Great question. I had to ask a person actually staying in one. They said they loved it and explained that it is a enclosed building with screens for windows, all on top of some cement, with power capabilities. Over night it had been 28 degrees, so their portable heater was an excellent choice. If I liked sleeping on cement, I would have been booking a shelter that night. But alas, I do not like camping nor do I like sleeping on the floor. So we're going to table this for a few years. There are multiple traps around the lake and most are not to bad, but there is climbing and lots of rocks, so be prepared. It does look like a great fishing lake too, but I didn't have any fishing poles. Side note, get the Texas State Park pass, totally worth it.

Great Lake to go kayaking and hiking!! I was surprised to see so many people out but I suppose the 2020 quarantine has everyone feeling that cabin fever Don't forget to make a reservation to renter the park!! Park employees were friendly and very helpful. They explained the new covid rules to us and allowed us to enter without a reservation. But after witnessing how active the hiking paths were, I can see how they could reach capacity quickly. It wasn't overcrowded by anyone's standards, just more active than I have ever seen this park to be. Rented a kayak (with life jacket & vest) for two (2) hours = approx. $32. And they were pretty lenient on the time by rounding up in the hour. If you have any issue with the an old school over the neck/strap around the back/single buckle in front, orange life vest (hope that paints a clear enough picture), then bring your own. All of the equipment was well maintained and clean, including the bathroom facilities.

Very good experience here. Great day park w plenty of picnic tables as well as grills for people w the day pass to picnic at. We rented the screened shelter which had a interior as well as an exterior light two electric outlets a water faucet by the outside door as well as a fire ring and picnic table outside. There is a heated bathroom near the site as well as a shower w warm water in the bathroom. The shelter was good but was exposed to wind. There was a great view of the lake here. Currently the shelter site is 36 a day and 7 a person for an activity fee. The fee is waived if you get the state park pass. We saw a lot my wife hiked quite a few trails here and we will return again. It was nice that a Walmart was nearby as well as a few other stores as the park store was closed and we wanted firewood for a fire and you cannot collect fire wood in the park. It is open to tents RV as well as primitive Camping as well. A great park in northern Texas. Also wanted to say there was plenty of deer we sighted each day as well as plenty of other wildlife.

This State Park is a lot of fun, even with two toddlers. Because there are several rock formations, hiking can involve some climbing over rocks in Penitentiary Hollow. It is a beloved place and I want to go back to try actually rock climbing. They also have a handful of regular hiking paths, and you can hike/walk down by the lake front as well. A lot of fun, and family friendly. We love the state park system!

Beautiful! and so close to Dallas. Perfect for a day trip to hike and see some beautiful scenery or experience the lake. Lots of rock climbers which was cool. Nice to see a place you can go nearby. The trails were very clean and well maintained. Trail markers were sometimes missing but you could basically see the way you should go. Rangers at the entrance were friendly. You will have to go inside to pay if you use a card. Just an FYI.

Lots of nice views and plenty of things to including rock climbing but just the natural Beauty in this park is amazing

I'm a big fan of Lake Mineral Wells State Park and for good reason. For one thing the parks is beautiful and well maintained. The bathrooms I visited, though a little on the old side, were clean and functional. Also, according to the ranger, WiFi is available throughout the park at the restrooms and the entry. My experience bore that out. Much has been said about the beauty of the place and I agree. Totally different from Dallas and that's a good thing. The photos posted on Yelp tell the story. I tent camped for two nights and parts of three days. I saw deer every day. What a treat. My only regret is that I chose the wrong camping spot in a nearly empty campground. Each tent campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, lantern pole and an area to pitch your tent. Most tent sites are a safe distance from the fire ring. However previous campers had dug holes and built a fire in that area. I ended up pitching my tent about 5 feet from the ring. And a fire would have been nice on the two chilly nights I was there. But, my bad for not being more careful. A note to thrifty campers -- for $70 an annual pass gets you and a carload into each state park for free. And you get your second night camping for half price -- four different times per year. The pass is good for 12 months from the date of purchase. Seniors get a break on entrance fees also. And the distance? Less than two hours from my home in East Dallas. Not much longer than trying to get to IKEA. And, as far as I know, IKEA doesn't have deer. Just sayin'.

The park store is open and they had plenty of everything ( minnows, worms, etc.) Watch out for chiggers, they are really hungry.

I wish I know somebody who knows how to do rock climbing. Penitentiary Hollow is beautiful with grand rocks and fantastic views. The place also have a beach where people could just sit and relax. Make sure you buy your entrance ticket in advance to not waste your trip.

One of the top parks within the Texas State Parks system. Located about 1 hour West of Fort Worth. The park sits on a spring fed lake with some of the most beautiful scenery. Built by the CCC, the park offers both day use and long term camping options. From tent camping, RV sites and equestrian trails. The sites range from hike/backing sites, screen shelters, and full connection sites. The sites offer good shade, rock climbing, paddle boats, kayaks,canoes, and fishing gear rentals.

Made the trip out there to do a day hike and use my parks pass one more time before it expired. We came here not knowing what to expect and it was so beautiful. I also love that it's less trafficked. We want to come again to climb or camp.

Lake Mineral Wells is quickly becoming one of my favorite state parks. There are tons of activities - if that's your thing - and plenty of space to just sit back and chill in the outdoors. Park Rangers: ~All Texas Parks have awesome Rangers and Mineral Wells is no exception. Yes, you can find one or two that get off on their authority and are just itching to shoot someone (kidding...but only kinda). For the most part, Rangers are friendly and want to make sure everyone has the best time possible. This means they enforce the rules. Quiet time is 10pm-6am and they don't play. Make too much noise and they'll shut you down. Drinking openly is prohibited but if you keep it hidden and don't make an ass of yourself, they'll let you slide. Turn into a drunken asshole and the least of your worries will be getting kicked out. Mineral Wells Rangers are exactly as hard as they need to be to keep everyone in line and as friendly as they possibly can be for those who just want to camp peacefully. Shelters: ~$36/night, plus $7 daily entrance fee/pp 13+. I really like that the shelters are locked. Not only can you lock yourself in at night, you can lock all your stuff up during the day while you're out playing. Not that we've ever had a problem with anything going missing from our site, but still. ~All shelter sites have electricity (in the shelter), a water faucet outside and a picnic table inside that can be moved outside (not all parks will let you do this). ~Mineral Wells also allows you to hang plastic/tarps inside the shelter using nails or staples. Apparently they replace the window trim several times a year and the amount of staples on our last visit is proof of why. Bathrooms: ~Not the newest bathrooms in the park family but still clean and well maintained. For winter campers, there's a heater in the shower area (I can never figure out how to make it come on) and the bathroom is small enough that a couple of hits on the hand dryer will take the chill out a bit. There is always plenty of hot water and TP. The only drawback is the lack of hand soap at the sinks so bring your own. Store (closed in the winter): ~It's a little pricey but that's to be expected for the convenience of being onsite. They sell everything you imagine a camping store would: ice, firewood, light food and drinks, sunscreen, bugspray, etc. Mineral Wells is 2 minutes down the road and has a couple of local grocery store options and plenty of gas stations for ice and forgotten hot dog buns. ~You can rent a flat-bottom boat with trolling motor, canoe, kayak or rowboat when the store is open. Rock climbing and hiking: ~Not only is there a 20-mile trailway from Weatherford to Mineral Wells, there are 5 trails within the park for all kinds of multi-use (hiking/biking/Equestrian) skill levels. The easy, small hiking trail that leads to the rock climbing area is an easy short hike and the climbing area itself is stunning. I don't climb or rappel (not on purpose, anyway) but if I did, this would be a great spot. The fee just for climbing access is $3 + entrance fees. Fishing: ~I hear there's fish in there. Lake Mineral Wells is an outstanding camping option that's close enough to home but far enough away from everything.

We had fun hiking today at this state park. The bathrooms could be cleaner. The staff was friendly and brought us waters! Thank goodness it was so hot!

Easily the best place to go for a day hike that's a reasonable drive from Dallas/Fort Worth. In a part of the state where climbing a set of stairs is the closest you get to elevation change when hiking, Mineral Wells is surprisingly filled with hills, a few ridges, and even some places to practice rock climbing (nothing challenging, just a good place for beginners). There are a couple of small trails around the lake, one massive back country trail along the creek which feeds the lake, and then 20+ miles of paved trail for cycling that is part of the Rails to Trails program where they convert old rail beds into recreational paths for people to use. There's also boat rental--canoes and so forth. No motor boats and this isn't the type of place where you go to jet ski. It's a quiet lake not overrun by people looking to party--and that seems like a rarity on Texas lakes.

The best 1 star review. Cell signal sucks. It's hot. You can't get a car to primitive camping. You have to jump off of rocks to get into lake. The other patrons show up in 15 passenger vans and Maserratis. Too remote. Coyotes too loud. All that best bt said, my favorite place in NTX. All the reasons I love it.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to this park. The trails are well marked along the way and the maps are easy to read. One end of the park has sport climbing with easily accessible bolts for top roping. There's a lake for kayaking or open water swimming in the middle and at the other end is hiking and primitive camping. Dogs and horses are welcome. You can hike in the backcountry to Weatherford if you like also. I look forward to visiting again soon.

We love staying at this classic state park. The camp store, housed in a vintage CCC-era building, is fully stocked with supplies, snacks, bait and souvenirs. Campsites have good privacy, and many are well shaded. Good hiking here and nearby.

Awesome park all around. We stayed in the covered shelters which were in great condition. All windows had screens, nice fire pit with cooking surface. We stayed in 4 and would say 4-6 are the best located shelters if your looking to enjoy the lake. We hiked the primitive campsite trail which is a moderate hike with some good elevation. We also visited Penitentiary Hollow one evening which is the rock climbing area of the park. This area had some spectacular views and awesome climbing spots. Equipment and a waiver are required to climb...unless your sneaky, not that I condone such activities. We also really enjoyed the Waterfront Trail that runs the shoreline by the campsites. All the Rangers and workers we spoke to were friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back again soon.

Great little state park for a Sunday afternoon- we may even come back to camp sometime. We hiked the Penitentiary trail which was only mildly challenging. Our kids absolutely loved all the Giant rocks, crevices to play in and walk through, and things to climb. After our hike we went to the swimming area and our kids played in the lake for a bit. They were in heaven. We also loved the little store at the lake with snacks and fishing supplies. Wish all the state parks had a little shop like this one. We'll definitely be back!

Went for a walk out here and it's better than I remember as a kid. Fishing has always been great especially if you like crappie. Good place for the whole family.

They were not at all transparent about the capacity policies, nor flexible at all. Sent us home after we drove an hour to get there

Had such a great time at this park. Dylan was working in the store and was SO helpful and chipper! He gave us good advice on where to hike and where the best photo ops are. (Penitentiary Hollow) We rented a 5 person canoe with Dylan & his coworker Kacey. They were once again so great and helpful! Very affordable rentals and there's so much water to cover that is SO beautiful. I will say if you're looking for a swimming lake maybe try a different park. Mineral Wells was great for hiking and kayaking but there was only one small swimming area. Overall great trip and we will definitely be back!

Great State Park in north Texas! The Lake is awesome- there's a swimming beach, kayak/canoe/boat/SUP/paddle boat rentals, a park store with groceries, about 12 miles of trails, and a roomy campground. The sites are shaded and large with W/E hookups. There are tons of trash cans and bath houses as well. The nearest town is less than a mile away with tons of restaurants, stores, fun things to do (bowling, movies, etc), and it's about 1 hour from Fort Worth/Dallas. The campground is a bit pricey ($30/night for our site) and even if you're a camper you still have to pay the daily park entrance fee of $3, but all TX State Parks are that way. You can score a discount on camping with the TX State Parks Pass. I will definitely be back!

Love this place. One of our favorites to go to. Have to say it cracks me up people on here complaining about people not being sheep and actually living their life not in fear. Sorry if you were to afraid to live for a year. That's on you. Those of us with sense and logic decided we would live. No mask. No social distance. No quarantine. And that's how it should be. Wake from your slumber and enjoy life! You're never promised another moment. Soak them up. If you want to stay locked inside your home or locked behind a mask go ahead. Leave the rest of us alone while we live life. Go to this park. It's awesome!!!

Heaven! One of my favorite places! Whether we are on a day trip or overnight camp. Great place to hike or relax!

Don't miss the penitentiary hollow. It's the best part of the park. There is a huge plus with the fishing that does not require a license. Great for a family not to have to pay for that too. Don't rely on the parks loner poles though, they are all pretty much broken. You should just go to Walmart and but the cheapest ones possible. It's nice that they offer them...but they really don't work.

A great getaway spot. I love the geology out here, it's hard to believe I'm only an hour from DFW when I'm standing on these gorgeous cliffs! I also rock climbed many years ago out here. It's probably the best location for rock climbing in such a short distance from the DFW area. Today, I came solely for the photography, and was not disappointed! The cost is 7.00 (extra if you plan on camping). Many, but not all, of the trails are equine and bicycle friendly as well. I would definitely make the stop if you're in the area and enjoy any kind of outdoor sports or in/activity! Downtown Mineral Wells is a great finale to the nature respite here as well, with some quaint shops and hometown diners available.

This is a great park to stop at anytime. Very friendly staff and clean restroom. We had a beautiful site lots of room to explore. Didn't feel crowded at all. We saw lots of deer with their babies. We only stayed one night but would stay again for sure.

I work overnight at a hotel, and had the same days off as a coworker, so we escaped early last Tuesday for a 32 hour campisode (I made the word up! a hybrid of camping and epis... you get it). So while it probably seemed alarming to the park ranger who saw us setting our tents at 9AM with beers in hand, it was really happy hour for us. I'll never understand or completely accept that the display or consumption of alcohol in Texas state parks is illegal. I told him I was holding a root beer, and he said he liked Shiner's root beer very much, but that we needed to put it away. Boo. My friend was staying a second night without me, so for 2 cars in a camp site with water and electricity, it was just over $30. A bit high, yes? The water tasted like lake, although it wasn't cloudy, so I suggest bringing your own drinking water. Our site backed up to the water, which was nice. There was a fire pit and a charcoal grill, too. We saw a large spider (tarantula, maybe?), a salamander, plenty of butterflies, birds, turtles, a water snake, fireflies at night, and several water fowl. Mineral Wells State Park was peaceful, and the two trails we found were decent for North Texas. There's not an abundance to see, other than Penitentiary Hollow in the east, a rock climbing area, and an old fort on the west side, where helicopter pilots used to train. Several historical markers are engraved with stories and pictures from its past. The park is about an hour west of downtown Fort Worth.

All except for the multitude of dead bodies and body parts (joking) and the fact they dont allow jet skiing, Mineral Wells Lake is a great place! I grew up right around the corner from here, so we spent a lot of time camping, hiking, peddle boating, rowing, fishing, swimming and doing all the things there are to do on the lake! In the summer we'd rent a cabin or a camping spot and pitch a tent. Watch out for those clever racoons they WILL steal your food! We used to skip school and hang out on the lake, praying the Park Ranger didnt catch us, then sneak home, just about the time our clothes were dry! Oh for the good ol' days!

Lake Mineral Wells... you cleanse my soul. I love your mountain biking trail with the friendly deer. I am sorry we crushed the tarantula spider with the car but his time had come. I enjoyed swimming and feeling sand between my toes at your beach. I enjoyed hiking past the old fort we have now dubbed "Area 52". We also loved petting the horses of the friendly middle aged cowgirls who were so friendly and nice. Someday I will return to push a canoe from your teeming shore. I'd also like to take a guided hike too. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_mineral_wells/

I'm giving 3 stars bcs of the way that things are taking care by the Rangers there. I have been there several times rock climbing and kayaking but went for the first time camping in February and was very frustrated on how things were handled by them. Be sure to keep ur dog on the leash ALL the time and don't think about having some fun with friends at the camping site. They want silence and they get mad!

Great place to get away. Only a short distance from DFW area. Lots of great hiking and rock climbing. You can't boat but you can fish.

Quite hidden lake right outside of town. I does not have all the extras the PK has, but is a nice lake to go to. Great fishing lake for crappie. Lot of unique hiking trails. Recommend reserving one of the screened in shelter camp sites on the water. Sign up for a State Park Pass to get a discount and free admission.

Thoroughly enjoyed a late afternoon hike at Mineral Wells today. Easy to get to and the staff was super helpful. The rock climbing areas were closed which was kind of a bummer but everything else was top notch. I'll have to go again to explore more parts of the park!