Lake Corpus Christi

INTERPRETIVE GUIDE Lake Corpus Christi State Park is a great place to enjoy the world around you. Try your luck fishing, take a hike or ride a bike on one of the trails, spend the night at one of our campsites or shelters, or just explore! Any way you choose to experience the park, please enjoy it safely and responsibly! WELCOME TO LAKE CORPUS CHRISTI STATE PARK! BUILT BY THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (CCC) IN THE 1930S, GENERATIONS OF VISITORS HAVE DISCOVERED FUN, RELAXATION, AND THE OUTDOORS HERE. WHILE THE PARK HAS CHANGED • Make sure your trash and especially your used fishing line ends up in the proper waste bin. Trash can hurt animals and plants in the park. • The nature and history of the park are here for everyone to enjoy; please don’t take anything away from future visitors. • Please drive, bike, and hike only in designated areas so you don’t disturb any wildlife or plants. It’s their home, after all. NEARBY ATTRACTIONS Goliad State Park and Historic Sites, Goliad Choke Canyon State Park, Calliham Mustang Island State Park, Port Aransas Lake Corpus Christi State Park 23194 Park Road 25 • Mathis, TX 78368 (361) 547-2635 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/lakecorpuschristi OVER TIME, ITS HISTORY AND BEAUTIFUL FEATURES CONTINUE TO DELIGHT. © 2022 TPWD. PWD BR P4502-0065G (7/22) TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. This publication can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/park-pubs LAKE CORPUS CHRISTI STATE PARK L A K E C O R P U S C H R I S T I S T A T E P A R K A PLACE WHERE NATURE THRIVES L THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS AND CAMP KLEBERG In 1934, Civilian Conservation Corps Company 886 formed Camp Kleberg, named for local Congressman and King Ranch heir, Richard Mifflin Kleberg. The company worked at Lake Corpus Christi State Park until it was transferred to Palmetto State Park in October 1936. Olin Boese designed the park’s combination building, now nicknamed “the castle,” and created an architectural gem. The building’s concrete beams and low stone walls support cast block walls. The blocks were formed from caliche, or soil hardened by calcium carbonate, a locally abundant material. The park’s original boat house and dock, also designed by Boese, were submerged when the lake level was increased to meet the growing public water needs of the City of Corpus Christi. In 1958, a new dam constructed 1,000 feet downstream caused the lake to rise 20 additional feet, sealing the fate of the boat house and dock. When the lake is low enough, you can still catch a glimpse of the boat house foundation on the point below the castle. ake Corpus Christi State Park is an important place for wildlife, too! Migrating birds like the American white pelican rest in the park during their long trips north in the spring and south in the fall. Resident Green jay birds like great blue herons and greater roadrunners feed and raise their young here. Give them their space and they can be a great deal of fun to watch. The thick thorn scrub in the park helps protect mammals, birds, and reptiles of all types. Without the food and shelter the brush provides, animals like armadillos and Texas spiny lizards would not survive. The lake provides water to the people of Corpus Christi, but it also travels to Corpus Christi Bay. There, it ensures the salinity of the water remains low enough for crabs and fish nurseries. “The castle” stands as a testament to the strength and beauty of Civilian Conservation Corps structures. American coot