3 Trails for Family Hiking at Lake Mineral Wells State Park Texas.
If you like to hike with your family, Mineral Wells State Park hiking trails are for you. It has 12.8 miles of trails to explore, from lakeside to Cross Timbers trails. They are marked by color and range from easy to challenging.
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People like to come here for a day hike – single, couples, families – with or without their dogs.
At Cross Timbers trails, people can even bike or ride their horses.
It’s a place to spend quality time with your loved ones, just 45 minutes west of Fort Worth.
There are nine hiking trails in Lake Mineral Wells State Park. Some are connected in one spot, while the other one is to the city of Weatherford. That’s why I grouped them into three trails and crossed out the one that connects to the city. I only talked about the hiking trails inside the park.
So, here is the guide to the Mineral Wells State Park hiking trails you need to know before your trip!
Mineral Wells State Park Hiking Trails
- Blue Waterfront Trail
You will find this trail along the lake’s western edge. It is winding past the screened shelters and camping loops.
There are spots where you must climb or hop a bit where your children will have fun exploring it. You will find open areas for taking in the beauty of the lake.
Don’t forget to bring your binoculars for bird watching. If you like fishing, there are three fishing docks along the trail.
This trail is just a stone’s throw away from our favorite camping spot in the park (Post Oak Camping Area site #10.)
When my husband prepared lunch or supper, my son and I liked to explore the trail and follow the unmarked paths to the lake’s edge.
While you can do bird watching in the morning, the sunset view from this trail is gorgeous!
Distance: 1.49 miles
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
- Black, Green, Orange, Yellow, and Maroon Cross Timbers Trails
As I mentioned above, this is where several trails are connected and where park visitors can bike and ride horses on trails.
It started from Black Trail, where you can see part of Fort Wolters, an Army training center during the 20th century (fenced). You can loop the trail or continue to Green Trail before back to the trailhead.
If you want to hike longer, continue to Orange or Yellow, which will take you to the last loop, the Maroon Trail.
See how the plants change along the trails, from wetlands to grassland savannah.
If you take Yellow Trail, you will hike through an old paved military road used by troops training for combat at Fort Wolters.
There’s another trail in this area that crosses the Black Trail. It is called the Primitive Camping Trail (Purple Trail), which starts at the same point and ends at the Primitive Camping area. However, you can only hike along this trail.
We did these trails several times. Next time we go there, we plan to take our bikes with us.
BLACK TRAIL
Distance: 2.32 miles
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
GREEN TRAIL
Distance: 1.52 miles
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
YELLOW TRAIL
Distance: 1.59 miles
Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
ORANGE TRAIL
Distance: 1.28 miles
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
MAROON TRAIL
Distance: 2.18 miles
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
PURPLE TRAIL (PRIMITIVE CAMPING TRAIL)
Distance: 1.95 miles
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
- Red Waterfront Trail
You will find the trail along the lake’s eastern edge that ends at Penitentiary Hollow. It is the shortest and the only challenging one in the park.
With its steep and sheer walls, Penitentiary Hollow is a haven for rock climbers.
You can also get a great view of the lake from the Penitentiary Hollow Overlook above.
Your children will have a blast exploring the rock formations here as well.
I would say this is the famous trail and area in Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway.
There are two fishing piers here. The closest one to Penitentiary Hollow is the Eagle Project of one of the boys in my son’s Boy Scout troop. They built the steps to the pier.
Distance: .7 mile
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Challenging
Mineral Wells State Park Camping
Are you planning to camp in Mineral Wells State Park?
You have two options: campsites or screened shelters, with 1-2 wheelchair-accessible sites available in that area.
Here are the five campsite areas in the park for your convenience:
1. Live Oak Camping Area – campsites with electricity (50-amp) – $30 nightly + daily entrance fee
Number of sites: 47 (sites #48 and #54 are wheelchair accessible)
People per site: 8
Amenities: picnic table, outdoor grill, fire ring, water, 50 amp hookup, lantern post, restrooms nearby, showers nearby
One Labor Day weekend, we stayed at site #28 in our teardrop trailer. The Blue Waterfront Trail is behind the site, and there are rock outcroppings where campers can set up their chairs to fish or just relax. We love that site.
2. Plateau Camping Area – campsites with electricity (30-amp) – $24 nightly + daily entrance fee
Number of sites: 30
People per site: 8
Amenities: picnic table, outdoor grill, fire ring, water, 30 amp hookup, lantern post, restrooms with showers nearby
3. Post-Oak Camping Area – campsites with water – $16 nightly + daily entrance fee
Number of sites: 11 (site #11 is wheelchair accessible)
People per site: 4
Amenities: picnic table, outdoor grill, fire ring, water, lantern post, restrooms nearby
4. Cross Timbers Camping Area – campsites with water (equestrian) – $16 nightly + daily entrance fee
Number of sites: 20
People per site: 4
Amenities: pull-through, picnic table, outdoor grill, fire ring, water, lantern post, restrooms nearby, showers, max four people and four horses, max one truck/trailer combo
5. Primitive Campsites (Hike-in) – $10 nightly + daily entrance fee
People per site: 4
– it’s about a 1.7-mile hike to the campground – on a first-come, first-served basis – ground fires prohibited
And here are some info on screened shelters that you need to know:
Fee: $36 nightly + daily entrance fee
Number of sites: 15
People per site: 8
Amenities: picnic table, water nearby, electricity, restrooms nearby, showers nearby, no pets.
Additional: Tents are allowed outside the shelters if you pitch them in the designated area. Shelter #4 is not fully accessible, but has a cement route from the parking area to the shelter’s door.
If you haven’t been to Lake Mineral Wells State Park, now it’s time to check the park yourselves. Here are some other things that you need to know before you go:
– You can fish and do water sports such as kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, row boating, and swimming. Bring your boat, or rent from the store.
– One of the favorite places for rock climbing in North Texas is Penitentiary Hollow.
– There’s a park store where you can buy basic supplies for camping, souvenirs, snacks, and other things.
– Check their website for ranger programs. We did Kid’s Wilderness Survival, Night Sounds, and Wildflowers Walk. They were awesome!
– Pets are not allowed in any Texas State Parks building, including the screened shelters.
Address: 100 Park Road 71, Mineral Wells, TX 76067.
Entrance Fees: Adults $7 daily, child 12 years and under free. Or use your Texas State Parks Annual Pass. (You can buy it for $70. It is valid at all Texas State Parks for a year.)
Hours: Open daily. Gate opens 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
The park recommends you reserve daily passes, campsites, or ranger programs in advance. Check out Mineral Wells State Park Reservations for your convenience.
This is a really informative article and great for anyone traveling to this area! I always like to know what I’m getting myself into before starting a hike…and you’ve provided some nice details!
I think it’s great if we can share info with others. Thank you.
this is perfect for social distancing – assuming they are open and dont get too crowded, right?
Yes! State Parks in Texas has reopened since last Monday and they limit number of visitors per day. But of course, permits for Saturday gone in a flash. I think people can’t wait to go outside.
Family hikes are great for bonding and problem solving skills. You nailed your description of these hikes so perfectly. They look fun and doable because they are medium short walks.
Thank you. And yes. it’s a perfect activity for bonding time.
A family trail for hiking?! That is just perfect! I always loved hiking and now that you’ve shared this trail, I’m so excited to try it with my family. Thanks for sharing this!
You are welcome! I hope you will enjoy it!
As someone who has been to Blue Waterfront Trail, I can testify to the awesomeness of the experience. Texas is also one of my favorite places when it comes to engaging with the outdoors.
I agree with you. My family and I like Blue Waterfront Trail, too. Sometimes we just made our own trail along the waterfront. It’s always fun! And we still have to explore more of Texas’ outdoor though we live here.
Nice for hiking and camping as well.
It is. One of locals favorite.
Wow, the sunset picture at the Lake Minerals Well State Park is truely stunning. I love going on nature trail, while travelling I always look up for such places. All the spots you listed are a perfect hikng spots with family, thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Hi, Umiko! This is a great article! You did an amazing job providing all of the useful pieces of information, so there is nothing else left than just pack and hit these beautiful trails. I was wondering, do you have a favorite one on this list?
Thank you, Nigel! My favorite one is waterfront blue trail. It’s close to our favorite campsite and we could enjoy the sunset or fishing without people around us.
I like that there is a variety of trails and different difficulty levels. I would probably stick to the easy and moderate ones.
I feel you. For me, sometimes hiking for a relaxation, no need to move fast. So, easy or moderate ones with less miles are always a good choice.
I love that you break down each trail and tell us how long they take and how far they are. It’s also nice to see the photos corresponding to the trail so you can decide which scenery you prefer. I like the Yellow trail, but the one with a chance to view the lake is also nice. Very cool that you can camp out there and get a chance to try the different trails. This is the kind of place we would love to visit!
As avid hikers, we would love it here! And oh, look, there’s a rock climbing crag! This would be a great place for adventure lovers. 🙂
I’m sure it is.
It’s really cool that there are so many hiking options available in the same park which must be enormous! I really enjoy hiking, especially in foreign lands, to take in the beautiful natural landscapes from vantage points. I’d love to try some of those hikes out! 🙂
Well, I hope one day you will be able to hike here.
There are not many family friendly trails around the world which you can take with your children as well. And then having three of them at one single place is definitely an advantage. For me it means going there over and over and enjoying with my family. And the cost is also very economical.
Maybe that’s why we like go there over and over again. I just don’t realized it.
You mention so many options for hiking here. One would be spoilt for choice. But if I had to pick one, I would go with the first one, with that stunning sunset. I wonder if there’s any special reason they named all the trails after colors.
To be honest, I have never asked the rangers why they named the trails after colors. I will ask them next time we go there.
We lived in Dallas together for a year and my I am from Dallas and I have never been to this park. This looks like a great way to get away from the city especially the hustle and bustle of the DFW. We definitely have a lot of hiking to catch up on.
I think because people who live in Dallas tend to go to parks on the north side of the Metroplex.
These trails are beautiful and worth every effort I’ll contribute in hiking. And there are family friendly, that’s one way to do family hangout instead of the boring eating out. I’m sure my little one will like this and I’m going to introduce this to him. And what’s more, it’s cheaper!
I agree with you. I found that eating out sometimes is boring. Why don’t do hike or walk together with your family.
For only $7, that’s a lot of trails. It’s nice that they have a lot of variety too with distance and difficulty. Would be fun to go explore.
And we bought our Texas State Park annual pass because we go to the parks a lot. So, it’s even cheaper.
We LOVE hiking! These trails look awesome 🙂 My husband would love being able to see the bunkers.
The bunkers are in a fenced area though. We can only see them from outside.
FUN! We love hiking trails. I appreciate how you added all the details of how long and how difficult for those of us that want to know! Thanks for this.
shan
The How-to Guru
You are welcome! I know some people are just not too sure whether they can do it or not. I think with information about the difficulties of the trail, it will encourage them to try.
Love the different scenery on each track. I love hiking. Being amongst nature and fresh air is something. Love your photos. Looks like you guys had an awesome time.
Thank you!
You always have the best tips on where to go hiking. I’d love to go rock climbing–that’s one of my favorite outdoor activities.
You do rock climbing? Awesome! I did repelling once, years ago, and I was scared but I did it. I don’t know if I can do it again. But I think I have to give it a try again.
I love all of the trail options! It is nice to revisit the same park, but get new scenery each time due to taking a different trail. I also love that they have short trails. Sometimes you want to squeeze in a hike, but still have plenty of time to enjoy other activities.
You’re right! Sometimes we just explored the waterfront trail by the camp site. It’s always fun!
I like the variety of scenery over the different trails. They are all medium short walks so I might do the loop you mentioned. I like your first photo of the waterfront.
This is why I think they’re perfect for family hiking. My favorite are the waterfront beause of the rocks. I personally think it’s more fun if family hike involves rock exploration.