A 650-Acre Ranch on Lake Palestine Will Become a Texas State Park
A 650-acre property on Lake Palestine in East Texas is set to become a new Texas state park. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF), a nonprofit that works with the state, closed on the land on October 1, 2026, for more than $10 million. It will hold the property until Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) buys it, which is expected in late 2027.
The park isn’t open, and there’s no opening date yet. Here’s what’s known so far.
Where it is
The land is in Henderson County, about 18 miles west of Tyler and 20 miles east of Athens. According to the Texas Tribune, it has roughly 2,000 feet of frontage on Lake Palestine, a reservoir that’s 58 feet deep at its deepest. TPWF describes it as one of the largest single blocks of lakefront land left on the lake.
The Pollard family owned it from 1940 until this sale and ran their pecan business, Texas Pecan Nursery, there. Company president Sam Pollard told the Tribune, “This land is part of my soul.”
What’s on the land
The property has East Texas pine forest, native grasses, a pecan orchard, about 10 ponds and bluffs with views over the lake. White-tailed deer, bobcats and waterfowl live there, along with woodland birds and birds that depend on the water. Plans for the park include keeping the pecan orchard and restoring habitat.
How it will open
TPWD plans to open the park in stages rather than all at once:
- Guided access first
- Day use next
- Full day use and overnight camping last
Plans call for hike and bike trails, regular and primitive campsites, day-use areas and access to the lake for boating, paddling, swimming and fishing. Lake Palestine has bass, catfish, crappie and sunfish. TPWD says it will ask the public for input on the park’s design once it owns the land.
How it’s being paid for
TPWF bought the land quickly with its Land Conservation Loan Fund, a donor-backed fund it uses for deals that can’t wait. The NextEra Energy Foundation gave $100,000.
TPWD will then buy the property from TPWF using the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. That’s the $1 billion fund for buying and developing state parks that lawmakers created in 2023 and voters approved. The Tribune reports that the state is waiting until late 2027 partly so the fund can earn more interest before the money is spent.
The property was under contract for nearly a year while agency leaders, park planners and wildlife biologists studied it. TPWD first flagged it as a possible park site in 2025.
TPWF and TPWD have done this kind of handoff before. TPWF helped secure the land for Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, west of Fort Worth, and for an expansion of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.
Parks you can visit near Lake Palestine now
Until the new park opens, two existing state parks are close by:
- Tyler State Park, about 25 minutes from downtown Tyler, has a 64-acre spring-fed lake with a swimming beach, boat and paddleboard rentals, and more than 13 miles of trails through pine forest.
- Purtis Creek State Park, near Eustace, is also in Henderson County. It’s known for bass fishing on a 355-acre lake where motorboats are limited to idle speed, and you don’t need a fishing license inside the park.
TPWD hasn’t announced a name for the new park or a date for its first guided visits. Official announcements will be on the TPWD state parks page.
Fees, hours and rules change. Check the park's official TPWD page before you go.