Big Spring State Park
State park in Howard County, in the Panhandle Plains region. Established 1936. 382 acres.
Big Spring State Park is a free day-use park inside the Big Spring city limits, on top of a 200-foot bluff with views across West Texas. A paved three-mile loop road climbs Scenic Mountain and is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the road and the hilltop pavilion in 1934 and 1935.
Things to do
Walk the loop road
The paved loop winds up and around Scenic Mountain to the peak and back to the entrance.
Hike or bike the trail
A five-mile hike and bike trail starts and ends at the park entrance, and a short nature trail climbs past cacti and desert plants.
Picnic on top
The group pavilion, picnic tables, playground and restrooms are at the top of Scenic Mountain.
Trails
Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature Trail | 0.4 mi | Easy | 45 min. |
| Scenic Mountain Loop | 4 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
| Outer Limits Trail | 1.2 mi | Challenging | 1 hr. |
| Sotol Stroll Loop | 0.6 mi | Easy | 20 min. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.
Best time to go
- January low
- 40°F
- July high
- 82°F
- Rain per year
- 18.4 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 6
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Big Spring, TX 79720
(432) 263-4931
Open in OpenStreetMap (32.2323, -101.4907)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Midland | 57 min | 39 mi |
| Lubbock | 2 hr 6 min | 95 mi |
| Amarillo | 4 hr 6 min | 206 mi |
| Fort Worth | 4 hr 38 min | 244 mi |
| San Antonio | 5 hr 14 min | 260 mi |
| Dallas | 5 hr 15 min | 278 mi |
Nearby parks
- Lake Colorado City State Park
- San Angelo State Park
- Monahans Sandhills State Park
- Abilene State Park
- Lake Brownwood State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Panhandle Plains.
Questions people ask
Is Big Spring State Park free?
Yes. There's no entrance fee.
Can you camp at Big Spring State Park?
No. It's a day-use park.
What are the hours at Big Spring State Park?
Open daily, 8 a.m. to sunset.
Photo credits
- Big Spring State Park Pavilion 2009.jpg by Leaflet, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Big spring sp pavilion interior.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Big spring sp pavilion.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Big Spring State Park Scenic Drive 2009.jpg by Leaflet, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Big Spring has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Big Spring State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Big Spring State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Big Spring State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026