Lake Mineral Wells State Park

Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway sits 4 miles east of Mineral Wells, about 1 hour west of Fort Worth and about 1.5 hours from Dallas. Swimming is allowed at a lake swim beach with no lifeguard, and the park is best known for rock climbing in Penitentiary Hollow, quiet lake camping and a 20-mile rail-trail.

The park has no cabins. Its closest thing is 15 screened shelters with electricity, plus 108 drive-up campsites, a no-wake lake and more than 11 miles of park trails. It’s open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Quick Answers

• Hours: open daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors staying past 10 p.m. without a campsite (night fishing, stargazing) pay a $3 overnight activity fee
• Entry fee: $7 per person 13 and older; children 12 and under get in free. The park often reaches capacity, so reserve a day pass up to a month ahead for weekends
• Swimming: yes, at the designated swim beach in the day-use area by the boat ramp and Park Store. There’s no lifeguard, and dogs aren’t allowed in or near the swim area
• Cabins: none. Book one of 15 screened shelters ($36 a night, electricity, up to 8 people, no pets) or a campsite instead
• Camping: sites with water and 50-amp or 30-amp electricity ($30 or $24 a night), water-only sites ($16), equestrian sites ($16) and hike-in primitive sites ($10), plus entry fees. Book up to 5 months ahead
• Dogs: allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet, including on the trails. Not in screened shelters, buildings or the swim area
• Fishing: no fishing license needed anywhere in the park, and loaner rods and tackle are available
• Difficulty: park trails run 0.6 to 2.3 miles each and are rated easy to moderate, but they’re rocky. The State Trailway is flat crushed limestone
• Drive time: about 1 hour from Fort Worth, about 1.5 hours from Dallas, about 4 hours from Austin, about 5 hours from San Antonio and about 5.5 hours from Houston

Swimming at Lake Mineral Wells

Swimming is allowed in Lake Mineral Wells, but only in the designated swim area. The swim beach sits in the day-use area next to the boat ramp, the Park Store and the main fishing pier. There’s no lifeguard on duty.

Visitors describe a sandy beach with calm, clean water and a gradual entry that suits small children. The beach was built up in 2025. The trade-off is size: the swim area is small, it’s the one spot in the park that gets crowded on summer weekends, and most of the rest of the shoreline is rocky brush.

• Swim only inside the marked area. TPWD recommends life jackets for children and weak swimmers
• No glass and no pets in or around the swim area
• One reviewer found a single restroom plus portable toilets at the beach
• After heavy rain, call the park at (940) 328-1171 for current conditions

Camping, Screened Shelters and Cabins

Lake Mineral Wells has 108 drive-up campsites, 15 screened shelters and a hike-in primitive area, but no cabins. Every drive-up site has a picnic table, grill, fire ring, water and a lantern post. Nightly rates below are from TPWD and don’t include the entry fee; confirm current prices when booking.

Site type	Count	Nightly rate	Notes
Water and 50-amp electric	47	$30	Live Oak Camping Area, up to 8 people, restrooms with showers nearby
Water and 30-amp electric	30	$24	Plateau Camping Area, up to 8 people, restrooms with showers nearby
Water only	11	$16	Post Oak Camping Area, restrooms nearby
Equestrian (water, no electricity)	20	$16	Cross Timbers Camping Area, up to 8 people and horses combined
Primitive hike-in	not listed	$10	Up to 4 people, permit at park headquarters only
Screened shelter	15	$36	Electricity, picnic table, up to 8 people, no pets inside

Screened shelters instead of cabins. A screened shelter is a roofed shelter with screened walls, a picnic table and electricity, with water, restrooms and showers nearby. Several sit right on the lake. Reviewers like them for families with small kids, though a few report dirty screens and one shelter with no steps down from parking. Tents may go up outside the shelters in the designated areas. TPWD lists only electricity and a picnic table, so bring bedding and camp gear.

Primitive sites. These are campsites with no water, restrooms, fire rings or grills, reached on foot. The access trail is about 2 to 2.5 miles one way, steep for the first half mile. Permits are sold only at park headquarters: arrive during office hours and at least 2 hours before dusk. Ground fires aren’t allowed; backpacking stoves are.

Getting to the campgrounds. The road to the camping loops crosses the dam spillway, and cars drive through a few inches of water to get across. First-timers find it unnerving, the turn is hard to see after dark, and drivers of long fifth wheels report trouble on the slopes. Arrive before dark. All electric and water sites are back-in; electric sites are listed at 45 to 69 feet.

Booking. Reserve campsites and screened shelters online through Texas State Parks Reservations or by phone at (512) 389-8900, up to 5 months ahead. Check-in is 2 p.m. and check-out is noon. Waterfront sites go first. Campers on Reddit point to sites 27 to 30, 59 and 64 to 66 for water access.

Camping tips from recent reviews

• Lock all food in the car at night. Raccoons are the top camping complaint: they open coolers and tear into tents
• Don’t bring firewood. An emerald ash borer quarantine applies, so buy firewood at the Park Store
• Showers are clean on most visits, but a few campers found a bathhouse locked for repairs or without hot water. Reddit campers say the Plateau loop has the newest bathrooms

Hiking Trails

Lake Mineral Wells has more than 11 miles of park trails, and TPWD lists 10 named trails between 0.6 and 2.3 miles long. Trails are easy to moderate on paper, but the surface is rocky and uneven, so sturdy shoes help. The trails with lake views are the Red and Blue Waterfront trails; most others run inland through Cross Timbers oak woodland.

• Red Waterfront Trail: 0.8 miles, moderate, hiking only. Follows the lake’s east edge to Penitentiary Hollow
• Upper Red Trail: 0.6 miles, moderate, hiking only. A new loop from the Penitentiary Hollow trailhead, opened in April 2026
• Blue Waterfront Trail: 1.5 miles, moderate, hiking only
• Primitive Camping Trail: 2 miles, moderate, steep and rocky, hiking only
• Cross Timbers trails (Black, Green, Orange, Yellow, Maroon): 1.3 to 2.3 miles each, multiuse, double-track dirt with gentle grades. Together the four backcountry loops cover about 11 miles

TPWD lists no drinking water on the trails and advises about a quart of water per hour. The backcountry trails have low-water crossings, which are dips that flood after heavy rain. Trails close during and after wet weather, so call the park the morning of the visit. Summer highs average 98°F in July; fall, winter and spring are better for the longer loops.

Rock Climbing at Penitentiary Hollow

Penitentiary Hollow is a small sandstone canyon at the end of the Red Waterfront Trail and one of the few natural rock climbing areas in North Texas. Climbing is top-rope only, free with paid park entry, and every climber registers and signs a liability release at park headquarters on each visit.

The TPWD route map lists 85 numbered routes, roughly 5.2 to 5.11. Reviewers call it a good first outdoor crag: short routes, easy access, and anchors that someone in the group needs to know how to rig.

• Rules: top-rope only, and every climber is belayed. No free climbing, solo climbing or bouldering, and no climbing north of the creek
• Anchors: use the bolted anchors provided; no new bolts or pitons. Reviewers suggest long slings
• Age: 17 and older, or with a parent or guardian present, or with written parental permission
• Limits: the number of climbers per day is capped, and the area closes at sundown
• Wet rock: the climbing area closes when the rock is wet. Call (940) 328-1171 before driving out
• Guides: only TPWD-approved guides may lead groups; TPWD lists Rock-About Climbing Adventures

Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway

The Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway is a 20-mile rail-trail on the old Weatherford, Mineral Wells & Northwestern Railroad bed, running from downtown Mineral Wells through the park to Weatherford. It’s flat and 10 feet wide, with 2 miles of asphalt at the Mineral Wells end and 18 miles of crushed limestone. The full length reopened in June 2025 after a long bridge repair.

• Who can use it: hikers, cyclists and horseback riders. Horses aren’t allowed on the 5.8-mile section between downtown Mineral Wells and the park
• Trailheads: Mineral Wells, State Park, Garner and Weatherford, each with parking, drinking water and restrooms. Pay at the self-pay station or park headquarters
• From the park: a 0.6-mile spur with steep switchbacks connects to the Trailway
• What riders report: gravel cyclists ride the park to Weatherford and back, about 32 miles, and say the surface and bridges are in good shape. A few sandy patches are rough on trikes
• Weather: the Trailway can close after heavy rain

Fishing, Paddling and Boat Rentals

Lake Mineral Wells is a small, no-wake lake with catfish, crappie, sunfish and largemouth bass. No fishing license is needed anywhere in the park, because the whole lake sits inside it. Skiing, tubing and jet skis aren’t allowed, which keeps the water calm for kayaks and paddleboards.

• Piers: six fishing piers, including a lighted, wheelchair-accessible pier behind the Park Store. Some of the others take a short hike to reach
• Loaner gear: the Tackle Loaner Program lends rods, reels and tackle boxes, though supply is limited
• Rules: pole and line only from piers, 2 poles per person. Check current bag and length limits in the TPWD Outdoor Annual
• Boat ramp and launch: one boat ramp at the Park Store and a separate canoe and kayak launch
• Rentals: the Park Store rents kayaks, paddleboards, a pontoon and a bass boat by phone at (940) 312-6588. Renters must be 21 or older, and a boater education card is required for the motorboats if born on or after Sept. 1, 1993

Reviews on the fishing are mixed: campers catch catfish from the piers at night, while a few regulars say the crappie have dropped off. Call ahead for rentals; one reviewer found the counter closed on a Sunday.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riders can use the Cross Timbers trails inside the park and most of the State Trailway. The park’s 20 equestrian campsites have water, a 20-foot equipment limit, pull-off parking and restrooms with showers nearby.

• Riders bring their own horses; there are no rentals
• Every horse needs a negative Coggins test less than 12 months old
• Use a string line instead of tying horses to trees, and clear manure and waste hay
• Horses stay at a walk on park trails

What Visitors Say

Google reviews from April 2025 to October 2026 average 4.8 stars across 400 reviews. Most describe a quieter park than its distance from the Metroplex suggests, with friendly rangers and a well-stocked Park Store.

• The highlights: Penitentiary Hollow comes up more than any other feature, followed by roomy, wooded campsites with more privacy than the map suggests
• Crowds: quiet on most days, including many summer weekends. The swim beach is the exception
• Wildlife: bald eagles over the lake in fall, deer, armadillos and good birding. Campers also report copperheads and scorpions
• Downsides: shower and bathhouse reliability, screened shelters that need cleaning, a small swim area, overgrown stretches on the Maroon loop and a few complaints about unfriendly service at the entrance window
• Cell signal: spotty. One camper reported 5G in the Live Oak area and one bar in Plateau

Nearby Parks

• Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose, about 1.5 hours southeast, for dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River
• Cedar Hill State Park on Joe Pool Lake, about 1.5 hours east
• Lake Whitney State Park, about 2 hours southeast

Day-trippers on Reddit also pair Lake Mineral Wells with Palo Pinto Mountains State Park to the west, where weekend day passes can run out by mid-morning. See more parks near Dallas.

Know Before You Go

• Fees: $7 per person 13 and older, children 12 and under free. The Texas State Parks Pass ($70 a year) covers entry. Confirm current fees on the TPWD fees page
• Reservations: day passes up to 1 month ahead and campsites up to 5 months ahead through Texas State Parks Reservations. The park often fills on busy-season weekends
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
• Dogs: 6-foot leash; not in screened shelters, buildings or the swim area
• Water and shade: no drinking water on the trails. The Cross Timbers woods give partial shade; the Trailway and lakeshore are more exposed
• Difficulty: rocky, easy-to-moderate park trails; flat Trailway
• Best season: fall through spring for hiking and climbing; summer for swimming and paddling. The busy season runs mid-March to mid-November
• Closures: trails and the climbing area close after rain; call (940) 328-1171. The park closes for public hunts in December; check the reservations page for dates
• Contact: 100 Park Road 71, Mineral Wells, TX 76067, (940) 328-1171
• Official site: tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-mineral-wells
• Map: TPWD park map (PDF) and Google Maps
• Last checked: October 2026

Lake Mineral Wells FAQ

Does Lake Mineral Wells State Park have cabins?

No. The park has 15 screened shelters with electricity instead, bookable through Texas State Parks Reservations for $36 a night plus entry fees.

Is swimming allowed at Lake Mineral Wells State Park?

Yes, at the designated swim beach in the day-use area near the boat ramp, with no lifeguard on duty.

Is a fishing license needed at Lake Mineral Wells?

No. TPWD says no fishing license is needed anywhere in the park, because the lake lies entirely inside it.

Featured photo: Larry D. Moore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)