San Angelo State Park is a Texas state park in
San Angelo
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Pl ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. It encompasses leased by
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
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 ...
from the
. It opened in 1995 and is located on the shores of the
O.C. Fisher Reservoir.
History
The
O.C. Fisher Reservoir was completed in 1952 by the
with assistance from the
Upper Colorado River Authority
The Upper Colorado River Authority or UCRA was created in 1935 by the Texas Legislature as a quasi-governmental entity to manage the Colorado River as a water resource in Tom Green County and Coke County, Texas. The authority has since been ext ...
for the purpose of flood control and to provide secondary source of drinking water for
San Angelo
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Pl ...
and the surrounding communities. The land surrounding it, which now makes up the area of the park, was leased to the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
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 opened as San Angelo State Park in 1995. Native Americans, according to archeological findings, had lived in the area for 18,000 years starting with Paleo-American hunters of giant Ice Age mammals. European Americans arrived in the early 16th century establishing missions for the resident Jumano Indians.
Facilities
Facilities at the park include six enclosed air-conditioned and heated mini-cabins and numerous campsites with water and electricity, picnic table and grills and nearby restroom facilities. The park also has over 50 miles of developed trails suitable for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use along with 10 horse pens. Boat ramps are available and a fishing dock was constructed.
A small herd of
American bison
The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply Bubalina, buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongs ...
and part of the Official Texas State Longhorn Herd are kept at the park.
Activities
Some of the recreational opportunities offered on the site include
camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...
,
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
,
mountain biking, horseback riding,
boating,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
and lake swimming. With a State Park Annual Hunting Permit deer and turkey hunting is permitted.
See also
*
List of Texas state parks
This is a list of state parks and state natural areas in Texas, United States, managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Several state historic sites that used to be managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife are now managed by the Texas His ...
References
External links
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: San Angelo State ParkSan Angelo Outdoors: San Angelo State ParkFriends of San Angelo State ParkHome movie (c. 1973) of hang gliding in San Angelo State Park from the Jenkins Family Filmsfrom the
Texas Archive of the Moving Image
The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film h ...
1995 establishments in Texas
Protected areas established in 1995
Protected areas of Tom Green County, Texas
San Angelo, Texas
State parks of Texas
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