A Park for Every Season

Exploring Abilene State Park’s Community Programs

In the Big Country, community spaces bring people together. The libraries, the Cedar Creek Walkway and the ArtWalk festival downtown all provide free spaces to make memories with friends and loved ones.

A true gem just thirty minutes from town is the Abilene State Park. With just a five-dollar entry fee, people can hike, fish, swim in the lake or participate in one of the Ranger-led activities for no extra charge. Camping is an adventure, whether you plug in your RV, pitch a tent or glamp in one of the six yurts on the property.

Nearly every weekend, the State Park Rangers provide educational opportunities. The first weekend often has an afternoon Geocaching hike. Geocaching is a world-wide treasure-hunting hobby using GPS to locate logbooks to sign. Sometimes geocaches will have little items to trade out. Participants then leave the geocache for others to find. This hike can unlock adventure for young and old alike, providing a way to bond over our ever-present phone addictions! Geocaches are located all over the Big Country. Once it becomes a hobby, geocaching can provide entertainment and outdoor adventures all over the world. Which logbooks will Abilenians love the most?

The second weekend of the month has a lovely morning opportunity called the “Edible and Medicinal Plant Hike.” Don’t let the word “hike” fool you. All ages can participate without breaking a sweat. Ranger John Bell begins at the CCC Building (the red brick building next to the swimming pool) at 9:00am. As you arrive, another group arrives as well – the Big Country Dutch Oven Group! While on your hike, they will be preparing various meals in campfire Dutch ovens, using coals. As you end your hike, feel free to stay, chat with the cooks and enjoy the food that was prepared.

At the beginning of the Edible and Medicinal Plant Hike, Ranger John explains some Leave No Trace expectations. “If you get separated from the group, stay where you are,” and “It is illegal to forage in a State Park. The purpose of the hike is to inform you of what can be found in the surrounding areas.” He goes on to share that when foraging out in the wild, do not take more than 1/5 of what is growing on the plant.

He discusses the soapberry trees near the CCC building. Then he leads the group down the stairs to the head of the Elm Creek Trail, stopping to point out a familiar tree. “Does anyone know what this is?” he says as he holds up what is obviously a pecan to the native Texans. “These pecans are a lot smaller than pecans located in stores because those have been bred to be larger,” he says. Feeling good about being able to identify this particular tree, the group continues on the hike.

He takes the group across the field, stopping at Elm Creek. A mulberry tree has damage from a beaver, and Ranger John points out the beaver dam just next to it. Walking across the street, the group journeys on the Elm Creek Nature Trail. Someone sneezes. It’s January on this particular hike. Cedar Fever season.

Ranger John informs us that Red Cedar trees are actually juniper trees! The bark is similar, but the “tree” is stumpier, and they are a completely different genus. Cedar Fever is, in fact, Juniper Fever.

Ranger John is passionate about teaching others. As he explains the difference between juniper and cedar, he dives into the history of how juniper came to the park area in the first place. “200-300 years ago, juniper grew over the Callahan Divide over there,” he points. “The bison would have trampled it as it tried to grow down the hills. But as the bison were removed, these [juniper trees] started popping up everywhere, and now they are a huge dominant component of the park’s ecosystem.” Fascinating!

The rest of the hike is just as interesting. Juniper berries are used to flavor gin. Oak acorns can be edible, but the tannins have to be boiled out first. And the best-tasting berry in the park? Going on that hike will have that answer.

As the group climbs the steps back up to the CCC building, the breeze carries scents of Dutch oven meals and treats.

All of the weekends have programming like this. The third Saturday afternoon of each month, Rangers host an art-based Nature Journaling program designed for kids 8 and older.

Ranger John takes a break before his “Skins and Skulls” talk later in the day, answering some questions about his favorite springtime activity at Abilene State Park. “Our biggest thing that happens in the spring is actually a science and nature festival called ‘Wings on the Wind’ that the Big Country Master Naturalists put on.”

Mark your calendars for April 18 from 10am to 2pm. While the festival is free, there is a $5 a car entrance fee at the park entrance.

Wind plays an important role in the Big Country. Yes, it gets so strong sometimes that Abilenians need to repair roofs and fences, but the ecosystem of the Great Plains thrives on the tool that is the wind. Solar winds affect weather patterns which affect the migration of birds and pollinators.

Julie Napier is the chair for the Wings on the Wind festival. The Big Country Master Naturalists have created various stations to teach about the Big Country’s ecosystem. Napier shares that the Texas Master Naturalists is a group of well-informed volunteers providing education, outreach and service for the beneficial management of natural resources in Texas communities. It is sponsored by TAMU AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“This event features family fun with art and game activities and science and nature discovery stations,” Napier explains. Visitors are invited to compare their “wingspan” with that of various American birds like the Bald Eagle and Turkey Vulture (and others). Folks can learn how to cast a fishing rod. Catch and release fishing is free and does not need a fishing license in the State Park. Learn how native plants use the wind to pollinate. Identify tracks of modern dinosaurs. Even throw an atlatl spear (a precursor to the bow and arrow)!

A food truck will be on site or visitors can bring a picnic lunch. Plan to spend the entire day at the park, exploring and learning.

That night, partnering with the Abilene State Park Rangers, go on a night hike to put your new knowledge to good use. Night hikes happen every third weekend.

The fourth weekend at the Abilene State Park has events like the Elm Creek Nature Hike. This easy hike is less than a mile long and is a great introduction to the Abilene State Park, if you have never been before. Or it is a great way to get outside, stretch your legs and learn something new.

By Laura Daulton

Photos Courtesy of the Abilene State Park