PARK NEWS

Texas expands state parks with 1,720 acres of Hill Country wilderness

Bear Creek State Park is filled with wildlife and flora.

Photo by Sonja Sommerfeld, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Texas will soon have a new place to explore along the Frio River: a 1,720-acre state park in Uvalde County. The future Bear Creek State Park — just a mile from the busy Garner State Park — marks the latest win from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which is fueling an unprecedented wave of new park development across the state.

The $1 billion fund, approved by Texas voters in 2023, is driving the biggest boom in new state park development since the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) purchased the land in a one-time, $33.5 million deal.

“This latest land purchase is another feather in the cap of the department for their efforts to provide more public spaces for Texans to recreate in the outdoors,” said Paul Foster, Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, in a release. “Combined with the previous additions, Texas has added more than 6,800 acres of new parkland since January.”

Bear Creek State Park The land includes access to the Frio River and several streams and creeks.Photo by Sonja Sommerfeld, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

In addition to providing another point of access for tubing, the parcel includes several creeks and streams, canyons for hiking, and breathtaking views of Garner State Park’s Old Baldy mountain. A canopy of cypress and live oak trees provides plenty of shade for visitors, and campers will be able to enjoy dark skies far away from light pollution.

Nature lovers will also find a variety of wildlife. Bear Creek is a habitat for endangered species like the golden-cheeked warbler. Initial TPWD surveys suspect many rare floral species might also be found in the ravines.

The purchase of Bear Creek will allow Wildlife and Inland Fisheries biologists and state staff to conduct land surveys to draft management plans and brainstorm exhibits. TPWD will also seek public input to identify recreational opportunities. The work is expected to take several months before the state can announce an opening date.

Bear Creek State Park The park's rolling hills provide spectacular views.Photo by Sonja Sommerfeld, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

The formation of Bear Creek State Park adds to one of the most stunning tourist destinations in the Hill Country. In early August, vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo ranked Garner State Park the eighth best state park nationwide.

“The department is excited to add Bear Creek to the Texas State Park system and provide Texans with another picturesque slice of the Texas Hill Country to enjoy,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz, in a statement. “The rolling grasslands and unnamed creeks stretching across the landscape will one day provide visitors with a new place to explore the peaks and valleys that make up Uvalde County.”

texas parks and wildlife department state parks nature frio river uvalde parks

go rural

Tiny West Texas town tops Airbnb's 'off-the-map' destinations to visit

Matador, Texas, Airbnb, best rural destinations

Photo courtesy of Airbnb

Welcome to Matador, Texas.

More Texas travelers are shying away from tourist traps for their vacations and instead embracing the calming roadside with increasing interest in rural areas of the state, according to Airbnb, and one tiny Texas city in the Panhandle is generating buzz atop a brand-new list of under-the-radar rural destinations in America.

The vacation rental marketplace's inaugural "Off-the-Map" list features 20 rural destinations across the country where short-term rentals are bringing in "new opportunities for local tourism."

"From coastal fishing villages to Cajun bayou towns and alpine mountain escapes, America Off-the-Map invites travelers to discover something new and helps support local economies and communities across the country," the report said.

Matador, a small town about 80 miles northeast of Lubbock and 530 miles from Houston, was named the No. 1 hidden gem vacation destination in Texas. The report described Matador as a part of Texas that tourists "haven’t found" yet, which is what makes it all the more rewarding as an undiscovered treasure.

"Welcome to the seat of Motley County – where the wind is constant, the skies are enormous, and the history is deeper than the caprock beneath your boots," the report said.

Visitors can explore the Motley County Historical Museum, which explores the building's history as the Traweek Hospital that was originally built nearly a century ago. The museum also sheds light on Native American history, the life of ranchers, and other historical facts about the town and county.

Local restaurants like Chelle's Garden or TC's Ponderosa in nearby Dickens are good spots for travelers to eat like a local, while the Coffee Mill and Mercantile in Quitaque is the place to be for breakfast, lunch, and a cup of joe.

Matador is also less than an hour away from the newly expanded Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, a popular Texas state park known for its roaming bison herd and bat colony.

According to Airbnb's website, there are over 130 short-term rentals in Matador and the surrounding Motley County area, with some homes available for $172 for an overnight stay in April 2026.

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