Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway
State park in Jack County, in the Panhandle Plains region. Established 1968. 429 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Fort Richardson, in Jacksboro, preserves several original buildings of a frontier U.S. Army post established in the 1860s, including the post hospital. Buffalo Soldiers were among the troops stationed here. Fort tours are free with park admission. The 9-mile Lost Creek Reservoir Trailway runs to North Park, which has a swimming beach on Lake Jacksboro.
Things to do
Tour the fort
Historic buildings are open for self-guided tours Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided tours run Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The buildings aren't climate controlled, so go in the morning in summer.
Swim at North Park
Lake Jacksboro has a sand beach, covered tables and restrooms (no showers). There are no lifeguards.
Hike, bike or ride
Twelve miles of trails are open to hikers, bikers and horses, including the 9-mile trailway along Lost Creek.
Fish
TPWD stocks Quarry Lake with bass, catfish and winter trout. You need a license only to fish from a boat at Lake Jacksboro.
Trails
TPWD counts about 12 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Rumbling Spring Trail | 0.5 mi | Moderate |
| Prickly Pear Trail | 1.3 mi | Moderate |
| Lost Creek Nature Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy |
| Kicking Bird Trail | 0.3 mi | Easy |
| Fort Trail | 0.3 mi | Easy |
| Fishing Trail | 0.3 mi | Easy |
| Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway | 9 mi | Moderate |
| Equestrian Trail | 0.3 mi | Easy |
| Oak Ridge Trail | 0.4 mi | Moderate |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Stay at a cabin or campsite, with restrooms and showers in the main park. Five equestrian sites sit next to the trailway, and North Park has its own campsites.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup | 4 | 8 | $25 |
| Campsites with Electricity (20/30/50 amp)Water and electric | 19 | 8 | $22 |
| Campsites with Electricity (20/30 amp)Water and electric | 18 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Electricity (North Park - 20/30/50 amp)Water and electric | 14 | 8 | $25 |
| Group Camp (Scout Camp)Group | 1 | 50 | $15 |
| Overflow CampsitesTent sites with water | 11 | 8 | $12 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Equestrian)Equestrian | 5 | 8 | $20 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
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
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring and fall
- Rain per year
- 28 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists spring and fall as the busy season. July averages 97°F, and the fort buildings have no air conditioning.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Jacksboro, TX 76458
(940) 567-3506
Open in OpenStreetMap (33.2062, -98.1570)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 1 hr 12 min | 55 mi |
| Dallas | 1 hr 50 min | 85 mi |
| Waco | 2 hr 59 min | 127 mi |
| Tyler | 3 hr 34 min | 177 mi |
| Lubbock | 4 hr 21 min | 217 mi |
| Austin | 4 hr 24 min | 202 mi |
Nearby parks
- Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
- Possum Kingdom State Park
- Lake Arrowhead State Park
- Palo Pinto Mountains State Park
- Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Panhandle Plains.
Questions people ask
Are Fort Richardson tours free?
Yes, tours are free with park admission.
Can you swim at Fort Richardson State Park?
Yes, at the beach on Lake Jacksboro in North Park. There are no lifeguards.
Photo credits
- 0011Fort Richardson Hospital Jacksboro Texas.jpg by Mark Fisher, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- 0011Fort Richardson Senior Officers Quarters Jacksboro Texas.jpg by Mark Fisher, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway, 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: Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), 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