| Stephen F. Austin State Park | |
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 White-tailed deer in the park | |
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| Location | Austin County, Texas |
| Nearest city | San Felipe |
| Coordinates | 29°48′43″N96°06′29″W / 29.811982°N 96.108059°W |
| Area | 663.3 acres (268.4 ha) |
| Established | 1940 |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Stephen F. Austin State Park is a 663.3 acres (268 ha) state park located on the Brazos River in San Felipe, Austin County, Texas, United States. The park is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The land that makes up the site was deeded to the state by the San Felipe de Austin Corporation in 1940, and the park was opened to the public the same year. [1]
12 acres (4.9 ha) of the park are set aside as the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site to honor the area's past. This was the site of the township of San Felipe, the seat of government of the Anglo-American colonies in Texas starting in 1823. It was here Stephen F. Austin, brought the first 297 families to colonize Texas under a contract with the Mexican Government. The town was burned on March 2, 1836, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the advancing Mexican Army during the Texas Revolution. On January 1, 2008, the San Felipe State Historic Site was transferred from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission.
The park is a productive birdwatching location. White-tailed deer abound in the park. [2] Habitat is typical East Texas riparian, upland areas are mostly pecan trees, while river bottom areas are dominated by cottonwoods and hackberry.
The park offers camping, a picnic area, hiking trails and a public golf course.
San Felipe, also known as San Felipe de Austin, is a town in Austin County, Texas, United States. The town was the social, economic, and political center of the early Stephen F. Austin colony. The population was 747 at the 2010 census.
Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. As the second-largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly 120 mi (190 km) long and has an average width of 6 mi (9.7 km), but reaches a width of 20 mi (32 km) at places. Its depth is around 820 ft (250 m), but in some locations, it increases to 1,000 ft (300 m). Palo Duro Canyon has been named "The Grand Canyon of Texas" both for its size and for its dramatic geological features, including the multicolored layers of rock and steep mesa walls, which are similar to those in the Grand Canyon. It is part of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Hueco Tanks is an area of low mountains and historic site in El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. It is located in a high-altitude desert basin between the Franklin Mountains to the west and the Hueco Mountains to the east. Hueco is a Spanish word meaning hollows and refers to the many water-holding depressions in the boulders and rock faces throughout the region. Due to the unique concentration of historic artifacts, plants and wildlife, the site is under protection of Texas law; it is a crime to remove, alter, or destroy them.
Sea Rim State Park is a 4,141-acre (1,676 ha) state park in southeast Texas. The park is located on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Jefferson County, south of Port Arthur and just west of Sabine Pass. The park was closed for several years due to extensive damage from Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008). The park reopened in 2010.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Cedar Hill State Park is located on FM 1382 and the eastern shore of Joe Pool Lake in Cedar Hill, Texas (USA), ten miles southwest of Dallas. The park was acquired in 1982 and was opened in 1991. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department operates the 1,826-acre (739 ha) park.
Bastrop State Park is a state park in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. The park was established in 1933 and consists of stands of loblolly pines mixed with post oak and junipers.
The World Birding Center is the official title given to a combined nine parks and nature preserves in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas managed by a partnership of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the local communities in which the parks reside. The stated mission of the World Birding Center is to "protect native habitat while increasing the understanding and appreciation of the birds and wildlife", with an additional emphasis on promoting local economic development through ecotourism.
Hill Country State Natural Area (HCSNA) preserves 5,369 acres (21.73 km2) of rugged, relatively pristine Hill Country terrain in Bandera County, Texas. It was opened to the public in 1984. Since HCSNA is designated a "Natural Area" rather than a "State Park", the first priority of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is the maintenance and preservation of the property's natural state. Accordingly, facilities are purposely somewhat primitive and recreational activities may be curtailed if the TPWD deems it necessary to protect the environment.
Big Bend Ranch State Park is a 311,000-acre (126,000 ha) state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster and Presidio counties, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas. The state park's head office is located in Lajitas, Texas at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center. It includes Colorado Canyon.
Eisenhower State Park is a state park located in Grayson County, Texas, northwest of Denison, Texas on the shores of Lake Texoma. The park is 423.1 acres (171 ha).
Texas Gulf Coast is an intertidal zone which borders the coastal region of South Texas, Southeast Texas, and the Texas Coastal Bend. The Texas coastal geography boundaries the Gulf of Mexico encompassing a geographical distance relative bearing at 367 miles (591 km) of coastline according to CRS and 3,359 miles (5,406 km) of shoreline according to NOAA.
Kickapoo Cavern State Park is a state park straddling the Kinney and Edwards county line in Texas, located 22 miles north of Brackettville. The park is 6,368 acres (2,577 ha).
Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is a state park in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located off U.S. Route 90, east of the Pecos River High Bridge, 9 miles (14 km) west of Comstock in Val Verde County. The park is conducive to camping, biking, bird watching, back packing and archeological study. Cave art and archeological artifacts date back to the earliest human habitation in the area. The park is part of the larger Seminole Canyon Archeological District on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Park is located adjacent to Presidio La Bahía in Goliad State Park and Historic Site, Goliad County in the U.S. state of Texas. An amphitheater and bronze statue of Ignacio Zaragoza are also on the grounds.
San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site is a historic site located in San Felipe, Austin County, Texas. The site preserves the location of the first provisional capital and Anglo-American colony in Mexican Texas.
Old Tunnel State Park is a railroad tunnel of the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway, which ceased operations in 1942. The property came under the care of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and was officially made a state park in 2012. It is located halfway between Fredericksburg and Comfort on Old San Antonio Road. Since the shut down of the railway, the tunnel has become a bat cave, hosting over 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and 3000 Cave myotis bats. The bats emerge at sunset during the months of May through October, and viewing is open to the public.
Meridian State Park is a state park in Bosque County, Texas, United States. The park is 505 acres (204 ha).
Lake Arrowhead State Park is a state park located in Clay County, Texas, near Wichita Falls. The park is 524 acres (212 ha).
Lake Whitney State Park is a state park located in Hill County, Texas, near Whitney, Texas. The park is 755 acres (306 ha).
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