Refurbished Texas state park opens to the public

State park enthusiasts in Texas will get to enjoy improved infrastructure at a park in the Hill Country starting today.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning to celebrate work completed on new facilities at South Llano River State Park. The park is located off Interstate 10 about an hour northwest of San Antonio by car.

Officials there built a brand new visitor center, bridge, and amphitheater. TPWD said the improvements to South Llano River State Park were made possible thanks to a rare tax increase that passed a Texas state referendum just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The projects were funded from revenue from the Sporting Goods Sales Tax, which was passed by voters in 2019,” TPWD explained.

South Llano River State Park superintendent Cody Edwards said the work to upgrade the park was long overdue.

Previously, park staff worked out of the headquarters building built in 1877, an old ranch house used by the family that once owned the land. The house was later expanded in 1910. The state of Texas acquired the building in 1970.

TPWD plans to rehabilitate that older building and convert it into a museum.

The new modern headquarters building cost $4.5 million to build and “will provide us the opportunity to provide a better all-around experience for our visitors,” Edwards said.

A new bridge was also added to replace a lower-lying span that flooded during downpours. TPWD said the original bridge “was rendered unusable during flash flood or heavy rainfall events.”

A fan of the park donated the funds to build the new amphitheater, TWPD said. The new venue can be used for concerts or educational sessions.

Park managers invited the press to cover the ribbon-cutting ceremony and to give a little boost of publicity to South Llano River State Park, one of Texas’ lesser-known outdoor attractions. The park “offers several miles of hiking and biking trails, water-based recreation, and wildlife watching.”

South Llano River State Park is also certified as an International Dark Sky Park, making it popular with stargazers.

Last year, voters in Texas voted in favor of a referendum that authorizes TPWD to spend $1 billion building new state parks or improving the existing state parks in its portfolio.

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