Abilene State Park and the surrounding area make a great getaway in North Texas.
Many visitors to Abilene State Park are surprised to find that the 529-acre park is heavily wooded. Level hiking trails meander through the woods and there are several nice picnic areas for day visitors.
Deer are abundant in the park, wandering through the campgrounds and day use areas. There's a blind for bird watchers and fishing is available in Buffalo Wallow Pond in the park and in nearby Lake Abilene.
The huge swimming pool, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s, features a concession stand and other structures constructed of local red sandstone. Other amenities include a basketball goal, sand volleyball pit, horseshoe pit and a large open area for soccer, baseball, and football.
Abilene State Park has wooded campsites with water and electric hookups, plus a limited number with sewer hookups. Visitors can also stay in screened shelters or furnished yurts, which come with a bunk bed, sofa, and microwave. Restrooms with showers are available in the campgrounds.
The park is just south of Abilene near the quaint community of Buffalo Gap, situated in a natural pass through a chain of hills in the area. In the late 19th century, this area was on the famed Butterfield stage route and the Goodnight Loving cattle trail.
Attractions in Buffalo Gap include the Buffalo Gap Pottery studio, the famous Perini Ranch Steakhouse, and the Buffalo Gap Historic Village, featuring the original Taylor County courthouse, along with a church, bank, school, train depot, and several homes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In nearby Abilene, visitors can enjoy the zoo, Dyess Air Force Base's display of vintage aircraft, the Paramount Theater, and the Grace Cultural Center, a historic hotel housing the Abilene Fine Arts Museum, Historical Museum, and Children's Museum. Don't miss the Frontier Texas interactive historical museum.
The ruin of Fort Phantom Hill is located just north of Abilene, and the more interesting Fort Griffin State Historic Site is north of Albany, about an hour's drive away.
Learn more at the Abilene State Park website and check the Abilene Convention and Visitor's Bureau for local information and discount coupons to area attractions.
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