https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2025/11/05/texas-moves-to-acquire-hill-country-ranch--create-new-state-park

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is moving to approve the acquisition of 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch from the Moody Foundation in a vote set for Thursday.
The ranch sprawls across Kinney and Edwards counties, just around 125 miles west of San Antonio. Canopied by steep canyons and rolling hills, Silver Lake Ranch will provide greater outdoor experiences and opportunities for the citizens of Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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Once Texas Parks and Wildlife buys the property, it plans to develop the park in phases:

• Phase 1:(within 12 months of purchase): Guided tours, day use and limited recreational access
• Phase 2:(within 18 months): Basic facilities such as trails, parking and restrooms
• Phase 3:(within 48 months): A fully developed state park with camping, utilities and visitor amenities

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Well if TP&W didn't buy it I was set up to buy it all myself so I hope y'all enjoy it being public land.

Not sure what time the vote is.

Aggie1205 said:

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https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2025/11/05/texas-moves-to-acquire-hill-country-ranch--create-new-state-park

Quote:

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is moving to approve the acquisition of 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch from the Moody Foundation in a vote set for Thursday.
The ranch sprawls across Kinney and Edwards counties, just around 125 miles west of San Antonio. Canopied by steep canyons and rolling hills, Silver Lake Ranch will provide greater outdoor experiences and opportunities for the citizens of Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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Quote:

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Once Texas Parks and Wildlife buys the property, it plans to develop the park in phases:

• Phase 1:(within 12 months of purchase): Guided tours, day use and limited recreational access
• Phase 2:(within 18 months): Basic facilities such as trails, parking and restrooms
• Phase 3:(within 48 months): A fully developed state park with camping, utilities and visitor amenities

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Well if TP&W didn't buy it I was set up to buy it all myself so I hope y'all enjoy it being public land.

Not sure what time the vote is.

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this is the problem with TPWD. Everything they do has to be overbuilt. They won't open lands until they build a bunch of crap. Why can we not get BLM style access to some of this land?

There are parks they won't open because they don't have staff. Public land is no good if the public cannot use it.

Agree. TPWD will cram the same hyper restrictive access and use plan they have on 2.3 sections worth of land at Dinosaur Valley onto 2.3 townships worth at this park. And it won't actually be available at all until the ice cream freezers are fully stocked.

cant wait to not get drawn for a hunt there

Agree with the above. Just purchase the land, then make it available. It's fine to patrol it and maintain it, but good grief. Just make it available.

It's time for Elected State senators and representatives to answer the why not open question. They need publicity.

One an hour from Houston was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife in 1983, 42 years ago but has never opened to the public. Others are currently used by elected state officials and their guests but have not opened to the public.

Furlock Bones said:

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Aggie1205 said:

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https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2025/11/05/texas-moves-to-acquire-hill-country-ranch--create-new-state-park

Quote:

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is moving to approve the acquisition of 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch from the Moody Foundation in a vote set for Thursday.
The ranch sprawls across Kinney and Edwards counties, just around 125 miles west of San Antonio. Canopied by steep canyons and rolling hills, Silver Lake Ranch will provide greater outdoor experiences and opportunities for the citizens of Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

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Quote:

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Once Texas Parks and Wildlife buys the property, it plans to develop the park in phases:

• Phase 1:(within 12 months of purchase): Guided tours, day use and limited recreational access
• Phase 2:(within 18 months): Basic facilities such as trails, parking and restrooms
• Phase 3:(within 48 months): A fully developed state park with camping, utilities and visitor amenities

---

Well if TP&W didn't buy it I was set up to buy it all myself so I hope y'all enjoy it being public land.

Not sure what time the vote is.

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this is the problem with TPWD. Everything they do has to be overbuilt. They won't open lands until they build a bunch of crap. Why can we not get BLM style access to some of this land?

There are parks they won't open because they don't have staff. Public land is no good if the public cannot use it.

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https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-pinto-mountains

Palo Pinto still isn't ****ing open. TPWD is taking ****ing forever to open this damn thing.

edit: but oh hey, they can post all about it on FB. https://www.facebook.com/PaloPintoMtns

What's your hurry? They only just purchased it in 2011, 14 years ago. The " soft opening " was originally scheduled for 2023 but was pushed back for construction delays…

I'll call the game wardens in that county to see who HAS been hunting on it. I bet they have a data log of its use…
ETA that it would be interesting to see a reporter dive into all state owned lands, including Tpwd, and do an open records request on exact use and by whom.

Chinati Mountains may not open in my lifetime. The land was donated in 1996. I've spent many years hiking/ backpacking the Big Bend area and was excited about this acquisition. I think part of the issue is easement access. Still, the process appears to be ridiculously slow.

Mas89 said:

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It's time for Elected State senators and representatives to answer the why not open question. They need publicity.

One an hour from Houston was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife in 1983, 42 years ago but has never opened to the public. Others are currently used by elected state officials and their guests but have not opened to the public.

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Your last sentence is the answer.

Bureaucracy always leads to incompetence and corruption.

The mindset that the Texas government has, that they must control what little public land there is, is one of reasons I don't live there anymore. There's a section (640 acres) of state (Wyoming) land just across the road from where I live. I walk my dog on it every day, never even think of carrying a leash. And never hardly see anyone except the rancher that grazes his cattle on it or an occasional pheasant hunter.

Captain Winky said:

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It is completely inaccessible to the public before TPWD buys it. So why do people complain when only portions of it will be open? Some access is better than zero access.

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If my tax money has been spent on it, I should be able to access it.