Abilene State Park Invites Locals and Travelers With History and Shaded Creeks

The Callahan Divide is a 26-mile-long range of abrupt hills that runs west to east through the counties of Taylor and Callahan. This geographic anomaly of raised limestone and red dirt disrupts the Rolling Plains and cradles Abilene State Park, a sanctuary of dense junipers and hardwood bottomlands along Elm Creek. Abilene State Park was one of the first in the Texas state park system. The history is rich here, and the park’s legacy creates a deep sense of pride within the community.

In 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1823 started building the foundations for Abilene State Park — roads, structures and campsites. The unit consisted of veterans of World War I and was a mixed-race unit with 150 men. In 1935 the company was reorganized into the only all-Black veteran unit in Texas. They completed work on the park’s picnic tables, rock lounges, campsites and the red stone concessions building that adjoins the park’s iconic pool.

Exploring Abilene State Park is like walking through an open-air museum of CCC architecture nestled in a green oasis. “We’re not necessarily a destination park,” says park operations trainee John Bell. “We’re a community institution.” This is a gathering place for locals and a waystation for travelers. At Abilene State Park you can hike, bike, paddle, bird and swim to your heart’s delight in the spectacular hills of the Callahan Divide.

While other trails are more focused on natural attractions, this one is all about the history. The Legacy Trail was established in memory of the all-Black veteran CCC company that worked on the park. To experience this trail, start at the Legacy Trailhead in the park’s picnic area. The hike meanders through juniper groves past mature pecan trees. As you walk underneath a dense canopy of trees, keep your eyes peeled for the remains of one the park’s first CCC campsites. Nearly 100 years ago, these campsites were likely alive with song — the park still has a song book that the men would perform from to keep each other entertained during and after the long workdays.

The Elm Creek Nature Trail is the park’s premier hike. Begin your hike from the trailhead at the south end. A large mesquite tree greets you as it grows in the middle of the path. Next, walk through an impressive juniper forest thinned with help from the Texas A&M Forest Service. Here, the junipers grow tall with single trunks. They branch at the very top like a Monterey cypress tree, giving these old junipers an exotic feel. As you hike deeper into the prairie restoration project, the junipers abruptly give way to groves of beautiful live oaks. The final portion of Elm Creek is a hardwood bottomland along the wet-weather creek with massive pecan trees growing on the banks. You can loop back to the trailhead for Elm Creek by using a portion of the Eagle Trail to make this a two-mile round-trip hike.

Lake Abilene is directly across from the main park on FM 89. The trail is along the lake’s dam and north side hills. The difficulty here lies in the sun exposure, not in technical terrain, so take plenty of water and be prepared to feel the full force of the sun. As you start your hike, stop at the half-mile point on the dam, look to the east, and take in the view of Abilene State Park and the CCC water tower as it juts from the tree canopy. “That’s my favorite view,” says Park Superintendent Craig Simpson. “You have the flat area of the lake and the mountains in the background.” Continue your trek down the road as it descends the spillway and into the dry lake bottom. At just over 1.5 miles, you enter the rolling hills and bluffs of the north side trails. Keep taking left forks and you’ll stumble across lost (ghost) picnic sites under live oaks and pecan trees.

Located in the shelter area is Cabin One, the park’s only climate-controlled lodging. You provide your own linens, and the unit has no bathroom.

The park has six yurts (not comfortable in temps above 90 degrees) and five screened shelters.

Pecan Grove has 20 campsites with electricity and water (sites 77 and 79 are tent-only). “I think 84 may be the best campsite in the park,” says ranger John Bell. It has plenty of space and shade for tent or RV camping. If you want privacy, site 63 is hard to beat. It backs up to a wet-weather creek and dense woods.

Oak Grove is perfect for larger RVs with level pads, and sites 85, 87 and 89 are full hookup (they have a sewer connection).

The Wagon Circle has 17 sites with water and electricity only and is popular with families and groups caravaning in RVs.

Cedar Grove, at the front of the park and close to the pool, has 17 tents sites with water only. Sites 37 and 38 offer the most privacy from your neighbor.  

There is a plethora of selfie options in and out of the concession building’s graceful arches that open along the adjoining dance floor.

Snap a selfie as you relax like Fred Flintstone on these red brick couches with comfy concrete cushions. This lounge area was built by the CCC and is in the picnic area near the Legacy trailhead

This tower was originally used to supply water for the bathrooms. It no longer holds water but is an excellent spot for a self-portrait.

A long stone and slab stairway descends from the southern side of the pool down to the shade trees of the picnic area. Stand at the bottom of the steps on the red stone cobbles and snap a selfie with the pool’s observation tower behind you.

Kay O’Dell is a customer service representative at Abilene State Park. She left work one evening and stopped at a family reunion in nearby Winters. Kay was still wearing her uniform when she went inside. Her cousin, Trint Bearden, took notice. Trint has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. He rolled up to Kay and made a proclamation: “Kay, there’s one thing in my whole life that I’d really love,” he said. “What’s that?” Kay asked. “If I could be an honorary park ranger,” Trint said. Kay and the Abilene State Park staff went to work. They got Trint a uniform and a volunteer hat. The park hosts a regional cross-country meet for local high schools. Trint set up in his hat and uniform at the Friends of Abilene State Park tent to greet the visitors attending the meet that day. “He’s out there being the biggest proponent of the park,” Kay recounted. “He had such a good time and just thought that was the coolest thing.” 

The park’s historic pool was built in 1933 and is currently undergoing a renovation. It is slated to open in the summer of 2026. It is 110 feet long, 42 feet wide and 12 feet at its deepest point. The park fills it with crisp, cool spring water and then replenishes it with city water. It has been the park’s main draw for generations. The pool area features long stretches of shaded pergola with red brick columns. When you swim at Abilene State Park, you immerse yourself in an architectural masterpiece.

The trails are short, but you can piece together a 10-mile ride by combining the main park and Lake Abilene properties. You’ll need a hardtail mountain bike or a gravel bike. Hit the Eagle Trail and ride through the park and out the entrance. Ride the shoulder along FM 89 to the entrance for Lake Abilene and explore the roads around the lake. Pack a sandwich and enjoy lunch at the ghost picnic tables

Find a painted bunting or cardinal at the park’s bird blind along the Bird Trail. Rufous hummingbirds have been spotted at the feeders located at the park’s headquarters. If you’re into vultures — or buzzards, as many Texans call them — a group often gathers along a fence in a ravine at the end of the Lake Abilene Dam Road.

Buffalo Wallow is a spring-fed pond along the Elm Creek and Eagle trails. The park stocks it with rainbow trout December through February.