Possum Kingdom

Possum Kingdom SP https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/possum-kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum_Kingdom_State_Park Possum Kingdom State Park is located in the Palo Pinto Mountains and Brazos River Valley of Texas. The park borders the large Possum Kingdom Lake, a 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) lake known for its clear blue waters. Possum Kingdom winds for 65 miles (105 km) down the Brazos River, and has more than 300 miles (480 km) of shoreline. A privately owned store and marina in the park cater to boaters and campers.

For assistance using this map, contact the park. Possum Kingdom State Park TexasStateParks.org/App TexasStateParks.org/SocialMedia #TexasStateParks #BetterOutside LEGEND Headquarters Primitive Camping Area (1-10) Showers 7 14 16 15 20 21 6 8 13 12 PLEASE NOTE 10 11 3 9 2 5 3 Primitive Campsites 4 Water Only Tent Sites 1 1 24 22 23 7 25 Water and Electric Sites 26 2 28 Dump Station 30 31 35 34 4 Possum Kingdom State Park Store and Marina 38 37 36 • CHECK OUT time is 12 p.m. for campsites, 5 11 a.m. for cabins or renew permit by 9 a.m. (pending site availability). 6 • PUBLIC CONSUMPTION OR DISPLAY OF ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE IS PROHIBITED. • A maximum of eight people permitted per campsite. Four per site in primitive area. Guests must leave the park by 10 p.m. Quiet time is from 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. Generators must be turned off during quiet hours. • Campsite must be kept clean; all trash must be picked up before leaving. Dumpsters are conveniently located on all camping loops. • GRAY WATER AND BLACK WATER MUST BE DISCHARGED ONLY AT DUMP STATIONS. • Only one unit per site is permitted to hook up to utilities. • Pets must be kept on a leash and attended at all times. Please pick up after them. No pets in or around cabin area. • No tents in cabin area. 32 1 33 Lakeview Camping Area Marina boat slips 46 39 43 40 41 48 50 45 47 57 78 4244 76 72 70 77 75 74 73 69 59 58 Parking 79 60 62 63 65 80 81 82 84 115 83 85 116 86 Chaparral Trail 87 Camping Area Boat Ramp 114 113 110 88 89 90 91 109 92 93 • Always swim with a friend. Children must be supervised by an adult who can swim. 94 BOAT LAUNCH PROTOCOL PARK ROAD 33 Fishing Pier 112 111 • No pets or glass containers allowed in swimming area. FIRES 107 95 96 97 108 This publication can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/parkinfo/maps/park_maps/ Fish Cleaning 106 105 104 Playground 103 Gas Pump 102 101 • Have your vessel ready to launch before getting to ramp area. 100 98 Launch your vessel and clear the ramp area. 99 Do not block ramp area. • No boat clean-up or swimming in the ramp area. • If your vessel will not start, clear the ramp area. • Personal watercraft are not allowed in the swimming area and must observe the No Wake rules, particularly in the boat-launch area. Personal watercraft are not allowed to tie up in boat-launch area. • Stop the spread of zebra mussels. CLEAN, DRAIN and DRY your boat. 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. © 2023 TPWD PWD MP P4506-023D (2/23) Designated Swimming Area 53 WATER ACTIVITIES • Deer, wild turkey, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, fox and bobcat. • Exceptional birding opportunities. • Native trees, plants, grasses and cacti. • Gathering of firewood is prohibited. • Campfires are permitted only in fire rings provided at each site. No ground fires are permitted. Please, use extreme caution with any burning materials during the high-fire danger summer brings. Picnic Area 52 61 67 64 66 51 55 54 68 71 Shady Grove Camping Area 56 Cabins Hiking Trail 49 • Swim at your own risk. NO LIFEGUARD on duty. SEE NATURE AT HER BEST Restrooms Premium Sites 18 19 N Spanish Oaks Camping Area 17 PARK RESERVATIONS TexasStateParks.org ParquesDeTexas.org (512) 389-8900 Park Store Residence Maintenance 3901 Park Road 33 P.O. Box 70 Caddo, TX 76429 (940) 549-1803 Proud Sponsor of Texas State Parks 

For assistance using this map, contact the park. For a web version of the map text, visit our Trails Information page. For information on #TexasStateParks, visit texasstateparks.org Sign up today for free email updates: texasstateparks.org/email /TexasStateParks @TPWDparks @TexasStateParks Sponsor: Whole Earth Provision Co. 

INTERPRETIVE GUIDE THINGS TO DO AT POSSUM KINGDOM • Take a hike on a nature trail and explore the flora and fauna of the park. Check for scheduled hikes with a ranger or pick up a trail guide at the park office. • Watch the wildlife that live in the park. Morning and evening are the best times to see white-tailed deer, armadillos, raccoons, and skunks. Please don’t feed the wildlife—nature’s foods are healthier. WELCOME TO POSSUM KINGDOM STATE PARK! THIS LAKESIDE OASIS IS NESTLED IN THE GREEN HILLS OF PALO PINTO COUNTY, ONLY TWO HOURS WEST OF DALLAS-FORT WORTH. CAST A LINE IN THE CLEAR WATERS, WATCH DEER GRAZING FROM YOUR CAMPSITE, OR PULL UP A CHAIR AND ENJOY THE WARM CRACKLE OF A CAMPFIRE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. YOU ARE • Go fishing for bass, stripers and catfish. No fishing license is required if fishing within the state park. Be sure to ask park staff about our tackle loaner program. • Get your binoculars and look for the over 200 species of birds sighted at Possum Kingdom State Park, including herons, raptors, songbirds, and waterfowl. • Enjoy the grandeur of the night sky from your campsite—no telescope needed! • Learn to be a good steward of the park by becoming a Junior Ranger at Possum Kingdom State Park. Ask at the park office for the Junior Ranger journal. • Leave no trace! Help our wildlife by disposing of garbage and fishing line, staying on trails, and leaving natural treasures for everyone to enjoy. For more information about programs or volunteering, contact the park or visit our website and add us on Facebook. 3901 State Park Rd. 33, Caddo, TX 76429 (940) 549-1803 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/possumkingdom www.facebook.com/PossumKingdomSP SURE TO FIND PEACE AND RELAXATION AT THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK. © 2021 TPWD. PWD BR P450X-X (7/21) 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. POSSUM KINGDOM STATE PARK K I N G D O M S T A T E P A R K LARRY D. MOORE P O S S U M WATER: THE LIFE-GIVING FORCE Water is the life-giving force that connects us all. The Possum Kingdom reservoir was the first water supply reservoir project in the Brazos River Basin. Completed in 1941, the Morris Sheppard Dam impounds approximately 540,000 acre-feet of water, that’s the volume of 550 Houston Astrodomes! The reservoir provides communities in the Brazos Basin with clean drinking water, flood-control, and irrigation for crops. The water also attracts recreation seekers coming to enjoy the swimming, fishing, and boating opportunities. Wildlife also depends upon these precious waters. Fish, including black, white, and striped bass, crappie, and catfish, make their home in the lake. The nearly 300 miles of rich shoreline provide important habitat for migratory and resident waterfowl. Look for tracks in the soft mud along the shore. You’ll find evidence of a myriad of wildlife including opossums, the area’s namesake, who come down to the lake for a refreshing drink. All life depends upon clean and reliable water. Good stewardship practices ensure that these beautiful waters will be around for generations of humans and wildlife to enjoy. Opossum babies are born after just 11-12 days, and are about the size of a honeybee. They live in their mother's pouch for about seven weeks. THE CCC LEGACY I THE POWER OF FIRE The landscape of Possum Kingdom State Park tells a story of the destructive and renewing powers of fire. In 2011, a wildfire burned through Stephens, Young, and Palo Pinto counties consuming 148,000 acres and destroying 166 homes. Ninety percent of the park’s undeveloped areas burned to varying degrees. Thanks to the tireless efforts of firefighters, the park’s public areas and buildings only sustained minor damage. As you explore the park, you might be surprised at how little evidence remains of the fire. There are still stands of dead trees, but the once charred earth is bursting with life. Plants and wildlife in most parts of Texas, are adapted to, and even dependent upon, periodic fires. This disturbance is a natural part of their world, which creates the habitat conditions required for their survival. Fire clears juniper and allows sunlight to reach the ground, clearing the way for grasses and wildflowers to return. Fire also returns vital nutrients to the soil. Fire-dependent habitats, like the ones at Possum Kingdom State Park, recover rapidly from fires. The natural cycle of fire and renewal en

POSSUM KINGDOM SP BIRD CHECKLIST This checklist is a list of common and specialty birds seen in the park. Staf and volunteers have used previous checklists as well as eBird data to compile these lists. This list should not be used as a comprehensive list of birds seen in this park. Please help us protect the natural avian communities by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Thank you for your cooperation. Waterfowl Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers ___ Canada Goose ___ Bonaparte’s Gull ___ Gadwall ___ Ring-billed Gull ___ Mallard ___ Forster’s Tern ___ Canvasback ___ Lesser Scaup ___ Bufehead Grouse, Quail, and Allies ___ Northern Bobwhite ___ Wild Turkey Grebes ___ Pied-billed Grebe Loons ___ Common Loon Cormorants and Anhingas ___ Neotropic Cormorant ___ Double-crested Cormorant Pelicans ___ American White Pelican Herons, Ibis, and Allies ___ Horned Grebe ___ Great Blue Heron ___ Eared Grebe ___ Great Egret Pigeons and Doves ___ Snowy Egret ___ Rock Pigeon ___ Little Blue Heron ___ Eurasian Collared-Dove ___ Cattle Egret ___ Inca Dove ___ Green Heron ___ White-winged Dove ___ Mourning Dove Cuckoos Vultures, Hawks, and Allies ___ Black Vulture ___ Turkey Vulture ___ Greater Roadrunner ___ Osprey ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo ___ Mississippi Kite Nightjars ___ Common Nighthawk Swifs ___ Chimney Swif Hummingbirds ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk ___ Bald Eagle ___ Swainson’s Hawk ___ Red-tailed Hawk Owls ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird ___ Barn Owl ___ Black-chinned Hummingbird ___ Eastern Screech-Owl Rails, Gallinules, and Allies ___ American Coot Cranes ___ Sandhill Crane Shorebirds ___ Great Horned Owl Kingfshers ___ Belted Kingfsher Woodpeckers ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ___ Killdeer ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker ___ Spotted Sandpiper ___ Ladder-backed Woodpecker ___ Northern Flicker Falcons and Caracaras ___ American Kestrel Tyrant Flycatchers: Pewees, Kingbirds, and Allies ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee ___ Eastern Phoebe ___ Ash-throated Flycatcher ___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Vireos Catbirds, Mockingbirds, and Thrashers ___ Northern Mockingbird Thrushes ___ Eastern Bluebird ___ American Robin Waxwings ___ Cedar Waxwing Old World Sparrows ___ Black-capped Vireo ___ White-eyed Vireo ___ Bell’s Vireo Shrikes ___ House Sparrow Finches, Euphonias, and Allies ___ House Finch ___ American Goldfnch ___ Loggerhead Shrike Jays, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens New World Sparrows ___ Grasshopper Sparrow ___ Blue Jay ___ Chipping Sparrow ___ American Crow ___ Field Sparrow Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice ___ Lark Sparrow ___ Carolina Chickadee ___ Dark-eyed Junco ___ Tufed Titmouse ___ White-crowned Sparrow ___ Black-crested Titmouse ___ Vesper Sparrow Martins and Swallows ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow ___ Purple Martin ___ Barn Swallow ___ Clif Swallow Kinglets ___ Savannah Sparrow ___ Song Sparrow ___ Rufous-crowned Sparrow ___ Spotted Towhee Blackbirds ___ Western Meadowlark ___ Eastern Meadowlark ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet ___ Red-winged Blackbird ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ___ Brown-headed Cowbird Gnatcatchers ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Wrens ___ Common Grackle ___ Great-tailed Grackle Wood-Warblers ___ Canyon Wren ___ Black-and-white Warbler ___ House Wren ___ Orange-crowned Warbler ___ Carolina Wren ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler ___ Bewick’s Wren ___ Golden-cheeked Warbler ___ Cactus Wren Starlings and Mynas ___ European Starling Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies ___ Summer Tanager ___ Northern Cardinal ___ Blue Grosbeak ___ Painted Bunting © 2021 TPWD PWD CD P4506-0023G (5/21) 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. 

-Official- FACILITIES Get the Mobile App: MAPS ACTIVITIES TexasStateParks.org/app T O Y O T A T U N D R A The Toyota Tundra is built to explore the great outdoors. No matter what the weekend throws at you, your Tundra takes it on with ease. | toyota.com/tundra Official Vehicle of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation CONTENTS 4 100 Years of Texas Parks 6 Parks Near You 8 90 Checklist DIRECTORY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT 52 68 20 38 60 30 84 68 David Yoskowitz, Ph.D. Executive Director Rodney Franklin State Parks Director Mischelle Diaz Communications Director TPW COMMISSION Arch “Beaver” Aplin, III, Chairman Lake Jackson Dick Scott, Vice-Chairman Wimberley James E. Abell Kilgore Oliver J. Bell Cleveland Paul L. Foster El Paso Anna B. Galo Laredo Jeffery D. Hildebrand Houston Robert L. “Bobby” Patton, Jr. Fort Worth Travis B. “Blake” Rowling Dallas T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman-Emeritus Houston Lee Marshall Bass, Chairman-Emeritus Fort Worth 52 Panhandle Plains 48 State Parks Map Special thanks to Toyota and advertisers, whose generous support made this guide possible. Texas State Parks is a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Cover illustration: Brad Woodard, bravethewoods.com Texas State Parks Official Guide, Nineteenth Edition © TPWD PWD BK P4000-000A (3/23) TPWD receives funds from DHS and USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin (including limited English proficiency), disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, visit tpwd.texas. gov/nondiscrimination or call (512) 389-4800 for information on filing a complaint. To obtain information in an alternative format, contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915, by Relay Texas at 7-1-1, (800) 735-2989, or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you speak a language other than English and need assistance, email lep@tpwd.texas.gov. You can also contact Department of the Interior Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240, and/or U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), Mail Stop #0190 2707, Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20528. In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries. WELCOME from Rodney Franklin, State Parks Director This year is very special for Texas State Parks: We are celebrating our 100-year anniversary in 2023. More and more Texans are discovering the beauty of State Parks and exploring the outdoors in new and adventurous ways. Our teams across the state are incredibly excited to welcome outdoor enthusiasts, especially those who have yet to discover what our parks have to offer. The variety of Texas’ lands is unmatched; from the mountains of west Texas to the Gulf shores, the Texas State Park system celebrates and preserves the natural and cultural treasures that make Texas such a special place. The 640,000-plus acres that make up the state park system are nearly as diverse as the people of Texas. Since 1923, our mission has been to help connect our visitors with the outdoors. As we honor those who have come before us, I invite a new generation to be a part of the story of the lands that connect us all. There is more to enjoy in our parks than you know, so please join us in our celebrations and activities. Every day we look for new and better ways to ensure your state parks are welcoming to every Texan, regardless of their background or experience being outside. I hope you’ll visit soon and often, while bringing your friends and family along. YOU are a natural and we’re looking forward to celebrating the 100-year anniversary of state parks with you! WHAT’S NEW IN STATE PARKS Galveston Island State Park reopened the beachside of the park with a new headquarters, campsites, restrooms, and more. Bastrop State Park unveiled an extensive new group of trails, the “Tree Army Trails,” many of which are ADA-accessible. Improvements and major repairs are planned for Indian Lodge, Tyler, Inks Lake, Cedar Hill, South Llano River, Eisenhower and several other state parks All-terrain “GRIT” wheelchairs are now available at 10 parks with more adaptive equipment on the way to help people of all abilities experience Texas State Parks. Learn more about our accessibility efforts, page 14. More information: TexasStateParks.org/whatsnew 100 Years of Texas Parks The crown jewels of Texas road trips started as an unfunded wish list before the Depression. Back in 1923, Governor Pat Neff realized rising numbers of new car travelers needed places to camp overnight on multi-day trips. Neff convinced the state legislature to create a six-member State Parks Board, half men, half women. Isabella, the Governor’s mother, and her family donated acreage on the Leon

Guía de Parques INSTALACIONES Descarga la Aplicacíon Móvil MAPAS ACTIVIDADES texasstateparks.org/app ¡Los niños entran gratis! La entrada es gratis para los niños de 12 años y menores. Encuentra un parque: parquesdetexas.org Contenido Estero Llano Grande SP 2 Actividades y Programas 4 Parques Cercanos 6 Lugares para Quedarse 8 Tarifas y Pases 9 Directorio 10 Mapa de Parques 18 Instalaciones y Actividades BIENVENIDO Rodney Franklin, Director de Parques Texas tiene algunas de las tierras públicas más diversas del país, con una gran riqueza natural y cultural. La vida silvestre está por todas partes, los paisajes florecen con belleza, y la historia es abundante. Sus parques estatales son parte del legado que nos enorgullece. La gente de Texas ayuda a asegurar ese legado para las generaciones futuras al visitar y ser voluntarios. ¡Gracias! Estos más de 630,000 acres exhiben algunos de los grandes tesoros del estado. Los parques nos ayudan a crear recuerdos con la familia y a encontrar consuelo en la naturaleza. Los parques fortalecen las economías locales y unen a las comunidades. Sobre todo, los parques nos permiten pasar tiempo al aire libre para recargar energías, estar saludables y relajarnos a nuestra manera. Les invito a disfrutar de sus parques estatales, explorando lo mejor de Texas con amigos y familia. Los parques están aquí para todos. Nos pertenecen a todos. ¡Visítelos, diviértase y ayude a protegerlos para siempre! Foto de portada: Estero Llano State Park, Chase Fountain © 2021 TPWD PWD BK P4000-000A (5/21) TPWD recibe fondos del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU. (USFWS por sus siglas en ingles). TPWD prohíbe la discriminación por raza, color, religión, nacionalidad de origen, discapacidad, edad y género, conforme la ley estatal y federal. Para solicitar un acomodo especial u obtener información en un formato alternativo, por favor contacte a TPWD en un Teléfono de Texto (TTY) al (512) 3898915 ó por medio de “Relay Texas” al 7-1-1 ó (800) 735-2989 ó por email a accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. Si usted cree que TPWD ha discriminado en su contra, favor de comunicarse con TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, o con el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU., Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. De acuerdo con la Ley de Depósito del Estado de Texas, esta publicación está disponible en el centro de Distribución de Publicaciones del Estado de Texas y/o las Bibliotecas de Depósito de Texas. ACTIVIDADES Y PROGRAMAS ¿Qué puedo hacer en los parques estatales? ¡Disfruta de un día de campo, visita un sitio histórico o elige entre muchas otras opciones! Bicicletas Pedalea a lo largo de los parques a cualquier velocidad, en cualquier estilo, con cualquier grupo. Elige las rutas, el tipo de terreno y las distancias que cumplan con tu zona de confort. Caminatas Empieza con un circuito más corto, avanza a terrenos más difíciles o únete a una caminata guiada. Pescar Puedes pescar sin licencia en tantos como 70 parques estatales. Muchos parques ofrecen equipo para pescar a manera de préstamo y eventos especiales para aprender a pescar. Barcos Renta canoas y kayacs y explora uno de los senderos acuáticos en Texas. Nadar Animales Silvestres Acampar Descubre aves, mamíferos y plantas que tienen su hogar en Texas. Muchos parques tienen señalamientos y listados que te ayudan a aprender más. Encuentra un lugar que cumpla con lo que quieres. Prueba nuevas recetas, comparte historias favoritas y disfruta de las estrellas. 2 Más información y reservaciones: parquesdetexas.org Escape del calor en arroyos, ríos, lagos, manantiales, piletas y playas del mar. Tu seguridad en el agua es muy importante. Lleva el chaleco salvavidas. Aprende a nadar. Guarda a los niños. (512) 389-8900 ¡Pregunta en tu parque cuáles están disponibles! Los niños de 12 años y menores entran GRATIS Cielos Estrellados Escapa de las luces de la ciudad y goza de maravillosas vistas del cielo que no encontrarás en ninguna otra parte. Ven a una fiesta de estrellas o toma una excursión de constelaciones auto-guiada. Familias en la Naturaleza Elige un taller o diseña tu propia aventura. ¡Monta una tienda de campaña, cocina al exterior, prende una fogata y juega al exterior! Nosotros te Toma una publicación gratuita de actividades o pregunta por los paquetes gratuitos con los parques proporcionamos todo el equipo. No es necesario tener experiencia. participantes. Usa los binoculares, lupas, libros de bosquejos y libros de guías para explorar el parque. Mochilas para Exploradores Soldados Búfalo de Texas Descubre la historia con cuentos, vestuarios y herramientas. Sigue la pista de un animal, pesca con caña, cocina sobre una fogata, visita los fuertes y más. Adéntrate en las historias de vida de aquellos que sirvieron valientemente en los primeros regimientos Áfrico-Americanos de las Fuerzas Armadas. ! Seguridad en el Parque Ten cuidado con el agua Pre