Texas Parks and Wildlife will open Post Oak Ridge State Park for day use on Sept. 24, letting visitors explore the Lampasas County site on their own for the first time, the agency announced Sept. 17.
An online reservation is required to enter, and the agency said reservations opened Sept. 17 on the state parks reservation site. The park will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, according to the release. Visitors reach the entrance through the town of Naruna, traveling four miles down County Road 105 to the gate, and receive a gate code in their reservation confirmation email. A QR code posted at the gate links to the reservation system for anyone trying to secure a remaining day pass on arrival.
The opening follows the development timeline the department has set for its Centennial Parks, which calls for facilitated public day use such as guided hikes at the 12-month mark and expanded self-guided day use at 18 months. Post Oak Ridge sits cattycorner to Colorado Bend State Park, west of the city of Lampasas, and the agency said it will remain under development even with the gates open.
Beyond the gate, 2.5 miles of gravel road lead to a parking area with a restroom, followed by an accessible picnic area shaded by post oaks and 3.5 miles of rolling Hill Country trails with several scenic overlooks. Trail maps are available on the park webpage and at the trailhead.
Park superintendent Kacey Sloan said the site offers something increasingly rare. “We are excited to have visitors start traveling to Post Oak Ridge State Park and seeing what makes this area so special,” Sloan said. “The park is rugged and primitive, with a unique sound environment. There aren’t human made sounds. It is one of those rare places where you can escape urban noise and relax.”
Sloan advised hikers to plan for the distance. “The trails lead out and back,” she said. “Visitors should be prepared to hike about five miles total to catch the view from the overlook, and a little over three miles to complete the shorter trail with challenging terrain.”
The agency cautioned visitors to stay alert in construction areas, to bring plenty of water because there is no drinking water on site, and to expect limited cell coverage. More development is planned after current planning and public feedback periods, with built amenities designed to protect the park’s post oak woodlands and the canyons and creeks of the Colorado River bluffs.