Possum Kingdom State Park
State park in Palo Pinto County, in the Panhandle Plains region. Established 1940. 1,529 acres.
Possum Kingdom State Park sits in the canyon country of the Brazos River Valley, on a lake TPWD describes as having some of the clearest, bluest water in the Southwest. You can swim, boat, ski, scuba dive, snorkel and fish, and stay in air-conditioned cabins or campsites. TPWD puts it about an hour west of the Dallas–Fort Worth area; by our routing it's a little over two hours from central Fort Worth.
Things to do
Swim, dive and snorkel
Swim, scuba dive and snorkel in the clear lake. There are no lifeguards.
Fish
Fish for largemouth, striped and white bass, catfish and crappie. There's a boat launch, a fishing pier and a fish cleaning station.
Hike
Short trails include the 1.4-mile Lakeview Trail and the CCC Camp Trail.
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Trails
Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeview Trail | 1.4 mi | Moderate |
| Longhorn Trail | 0.4 mi | Challenging |
| Chaparral Ridge Trail | 0.5 mi | Challenging |
| CCC Camp Trail | 0.6 mi | Easy |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Choose campsites with water and electricity, water-only sites, walk-in primitive sites, six air-conditioned cabins (two ADA accessible), or the lodge.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with Electricity (Spanish Oaks)Water and electric | 21 | 8 | $25 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Shady Grove)Water and electric | 40 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with WaterTent sites with water | 53 | 8 | $12 |
| Primitive Campsites (Walk-in)Primitive | 10 | 4 | $10 |
| LodgeLodging | 8 | $135 | |
| Cabins (Four Person | ADA)Cabins | 2 | 4 | $100 |
| Cabins (Four Person)Cabins | 4 | 4 | $75 |
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
- March through October on weekendsJune through August all week
- January low
- 34°F
- July high
- 94°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 4
TPWD says it gets busy on weekends from March through October and every day June through August.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Caddo, TX 76429
(940) 549-1803
Open in OpenStreetMap (32.8736, -98.5593)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 2 hr 11 min | 71 mi |
| Dallas | 2 hr 49 min | 104 mi |
| Waco | 3 hr 33 min | 121 mi |
| Tyler | 4 hr 26 min | 193 mi |
| Austin | 4 hr 38 min | 184 mi |
| Midland | 4 hr 42 min | 215 mi |
Nearby parks
Questions people ask
Can you swim at Possum Kingdom State Park?
Yes, in the lake. You can also snorkel and scuba dive. There are no lifeguards.
Does Possum Kingdom State Park have cabins?
Yes, six air-conditioned cabins (two ADA accessible) and a lodge.
How much does Possum Kingdom State Park cost?
Day-use entry is $4 per adult, and kids 12 and under get in free.
Photo credits
- Possum Kingdom State Park Picnic Area.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Possum Kingdom State Park June 2021 14 (Possum Kingdom Lake).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Possum Kingdom State Park June 2021 13 (Possum Kingdom Lake).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Possum Kingdom State Park SP65 (9137230904).jpg by Texas State Archives, No restrictions.
- Possum Kingdom State Park SP65 (9135010089).jpg by Texas State Archives, No restrictions.
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Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Possum Kingdom has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Possum Kingdom 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: Possum Kingdom State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Possum Kingdom State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Possum Kingdom State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Possum Kingdom 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