Big Spring State Park is a Texas state park in Big Spring, Howard County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It was opened in 1936 after the upon which it is situated was deeded to the state by the city of Big Spring in 1934 and 1935. It is named for the natural spring once located on the site that was later replaced by an artificial one.

History

The first written record of the spring was made on October 3, 1849, in the journal of Captain R.B. Marcy of the U.S. Cavalry while on his return trip to

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the List of municipalities in Arkansas, third-most populous city in Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, Sebastian County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the pop ...

, from

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

. The Spanish are thought to have visited the area as early as 1768, while Comanches and other Native American groups likely frequented the region much earlier, probably attracted by the permanent water source. Carvings dated c. 1917 indicate that other visitors to the park area included cattle drivers and those travelling to new territories. Shortly after the state of

acquired the land in 1934, the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

began construction on the park.

Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

quarried on-site was used in the building of the headquarters, pavilion, lodging, pump house and restroom. The limestone was also used in the building of retaining walls for a three-mile (5 km) drive that loops around Scenic Mountain. The walls were built using mortarless

masonry Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...

techniques with large blocks of limestone, some weighing as much as two tons.

Nature

Animals

Wildlife species in the park include cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, black-tailed prairie dogs and greater roadrunners.

Flora

Trees in the park include honey mesquite, shin oaks, and redberry junipers. Other plants include species of cacti with prickly pear being most abundant.

Facilities

Facilities at the park include a lighted group pavilion, which can accommodate up to 50 people; restrooms with no showers and a Texas State Park store. Native American artifacts and

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

s from the area are on display at a seasonal interpretive center, which is also located in the park.

Activities

Some of the recreational opportunities offered on the site include

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, mountain biking, nature study, jogging and star gazing. The Big Spring Film Society began screening movies on top of the mountain in 2008, and continues to do so every summer. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and

The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy, dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell (actress), Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was prod ...

are just a few of the films they have screened over the years. File:Big Spring State Park Scenic Drive 2009.jpg, alt=A photo of the scenic drive with the city of Big Spring in the background, Scenic Drive File:Big Spring State Park Picnic Table 2009.jpg, alt=A photo of a park picnic table in Big Spring, Shaded picnic table with a view File:Big Spring State Park Scarp 2009.jpg, alt=A photo of the escarpment in Big Spring State Park with the city in the background, View from the summit of Scenic Mountain

References

{{authority control State parks of Texas Protected areas of Howard County, Texas Protected areas established in 1936 Civilian Conservation Corps in Texas 1936 establishments in Texas