Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway

State Parks - they're all special and have neat features and scenery - but now that I've been to a dozen or so, I realize there are State Parks and then there are State Parks.

Now don't get me wrong.... I'm not trying to dis any parks or the folks that run them.... every park I've been to has been great in its own respect.

But there's something that separates the good parks from the great parks.... it's the people!

I can always tell right off when I go into the headquarters to get my camp site. I'll talk to the ranger and strike up a conversation about the park and its features..... and you know what happens - in the really great parks, the ranger starts talking about the park and bragging about it.... it's not that they're being cocky or anything....

But it's obvious.... they take pride in their park and they love what they do!

Case in point - Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway and Ranger Edward Dollins.

First of all, I knew LMWSP was gonna be a winner because the nice folks at the Cool Cafe' talked it up and it was obvious they frequented it a lot because they described the features in detail and told me what to go see and how to get there - I figured if the locals thought it was special..... it must be special.

So I arrived at LMWSP yesterday with high expectations, go into Park HQ and ask for a camp site and meet Ranger Edward Dollins..... and after about 2 sentences of conversation I liked this guy already.

He was polite, helpful and informative - I told him I needed a tent site with water and electricity with tree shelter for my lean-to tarp setup preferably on the water.

It was obvious this guy knew the park liked the back of his hand cause he goes "Yeah - #28 in Live Oak Camping area - that's what you need!"

It turned out the campsite was everything I wanted and more - I've walked the whole Lake Trail and as far as I'm concerned this is the best camp site in the park!

Anyway, Ranger Dollins and me keep talking about hiking and trails and I ask him about this Trailway thing.... that's when the pride kicks in and Ranger Dollins opens up - he points at this State Park Award that the Park has won sitting on the counter and then goes on to explain the history, current status and future of the Trailway system.

It turns out it's kinda like the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Coast Trail and Appalachian Trail.... States are creating "trailways" which are extended hiking corridors that run from one state park to another using old railway lines. Ranger Ed tells me about a long one in Kansas, one in Caprock Canyon State Park and then this one that starts in LMWSP and runs 20 miles to Weatherford. The future plans are to link these and create another "national trail"..... is that cool or what?

Here's a link to one of the conservancies that is helping sponsor this:

http://www.traillink.com/home.aspx

and here's a link that provides details on the LMWSP Trailway:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_mineral_wells/trailway.phtml

I told you this place was special.....oh, I almost forgot.... this place has Bald Eagles!

Yeah - Ranger Dollins tells me about the eagles and tells me there's another Ranger out trying to spot and photograph them..... then as I'm pedaling to my camp site, I meet up with Ranger David Owens. He tells me he has spotted the eagles and has tried to photograph them but they're a long way off.

Ranger Owens gives me his card and I give him my e-mail and blog addresses and ask him to send me any photos he gets of the eagles so I can post them on my blog.

It's obvious this guy loves what he does too.... I mean come on - he works in one of the most beautiful State Parks in Texas and gets to locate and photograph Bald Eagles.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway - you've got to come experience this place!