Atlanta State Park celebrates 100 of state parks

The Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) has been celebrating 100 years of Texas State Parks which started in January 2023. Each state park has participated in the celebration in its own unique way. On October 21 the festivities will start at the Atlanta State Park at 1:00 p.m. with various family activities and at 5:00 p.m. a live band will perform. The theme is a celebration of the calibration of what goes into the workings of a state park.

“We invite all Texans to experience these precious public lands that truly belong to them,” said Rodney Franklin, TPWD’s Texas State Parks Director. “We hope this is the year every Texan visits at least one state park. We are going to take advantage of the excitement about the Centennial to showcase everything our parks have to offer...”

From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Atlanta State Park activities and booths will be set up at the Night Bluff Day Use Area. Admission is free and various activities will be going on including a Dutch Oven demonstration, vintage campers, smores demonstration, and free hot dogs. TXDOT, the Texas Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Core of Engineers will be involved throughout the day. The event will also include fishing with a demonstration of inland fisheries. Guests are encouraged to bring canned foods for a local food pantry.

When Governor Pat Neff called for a State Parks Board in 1923, he envisioned a Texas dotted by camping and recreational spaces held in sacred trust for the public good. Texas State Parks have lived up to that vision and so much more. Texas State Parks play a significant role in conserving habitat that benefits people and wildlife, encompassing some 630,000 acres, includ- ing 481,000 acres of Texas aquifers, rivers and reservoirs that protect our drinking water. Parks also provide critical habitat for wildlife, including more than 50 threatened and endangered species. They also attract close to 10 million visitors every year, generating $891 million in economic value and $18 million in sales tax revenue.

The Centennial Celebration officially kicked off statewide on Jan. 1, 2023, with “First Day Hikes.” New Year’s Day hikers were welcomed across the state, and many other parks offered ranger-guided walks and hikes for the special event. Throughout the year, TPWD continues to encourage hikers, campers, picnickers, and nature lovers to share their first-time park experiences on the Texas State Parks Facebook and Instagram pages.

Though the year is coming to an end, the celebration continues with special events at 89 state parks throughout the year (some have already happened), inviting Texans to visit with their families and friends. State parks offer a variety of experiences, from easy-to-access playgrounds and picnic and camping areas to back-country hiking for the more adventurous.

According to a press release from earlier this year, “Park visitors can stay in the know about celebrations near them, plan visits with how-to videos, and purchase limited edition state park merchandise on the new Texas State Parks 100 Years website, the Texas State Parks app, and Texas State Parks Facebook and Instagram pages. The TPWD PBS series will feature Centennial programming throughout the 2023 series, and Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine will publish a special issue in May 2023. The State Park Guide, available for free beginning in January 2023, will also feature Centennial-related content. Centennial- branded retail merchandise will be available in Texas State Park stores and online beginning in November 2022.”

In addition to celebrating the past, the Centennial is about looking ahead to the next 100 years. In January 2023, TPWF will kick off a Centennial Fundraising Campaign to raise funds for priority projects at state parks across Texas. TPWF’s fundraising effort will drive statewide, grassroots giving to raise $2 million that will deliver equipment and enhancements to the visitor experience for 89 state parks. These donations will allow Texas State Parks to continue delighting visitors of all ages for generations to come.

The Centennial Fundraising Campaign is complementary to the ongoing TPWF fundraising effort for Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, the first new state park in North Texas in 25 years. The new park will be another cause for celebration. Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is located on 4,871 acres of scenic, undeveloped land approximately 75 miles west of Fort Worth and 75 miles east of Abilene. Philanthropic support raised by TPWF, including donations through sponsors, Field & Future by H-E-B, will be leveraged with $21 million in public funds to construct the roads, utilities, buildings, campsites, trails and other facilities necessary to open the park to the public. Fundraising is still underway, and officials are hoping for a soft opening with some facilities available to the public by late 2023.

The Centennial will also be commemorated with “The Art of Texas Parks” exhibit, which has been hosted at several museums, that started in January at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. The exhibit is a visual arts survey of state parks and features 34 parks by some of Texas’ best contemporary artists.

For more information on the Centennial Celebration, including signature events, the history of Texas State Parks and how to make a day visit or overnight reservation, visit the newly launched Texas State Parks 100 Years website at TexasStateParks.org/100years.