Happy Sunday!
I'm going to try something new this week. As I travel this great land, a big part of my time is spent in state and national parks. There's a few reasons for this.
First off, it's cheap. The cost to camp in most state and national parks can be a third to half that of an RV park. And if you don't mind not having full hook ups (and I don't) it can be really inexpensive.
Second, our parks are a diverse collection. History, scenic beauty and activities such as hiking and biking, star gazing, bird watching, fishing, even geocaching abound.
Lastly, location. If you want to be close to cities, you can do that. But you can also be out in the middle of nowhere. But you can also get to a lot of other places of interests by using the park as a home base. That's what I do. I typically spend a week in one park, and while there explore anything and everything within a 2 hour or so drive.
So I've been to a bunch of parks since I started this journey. I think now I have enough background to set certain benchmarks and "grade" parks. A I continue on my adventure, I'll sprinkle in a review here and there.
And just how do I grade a park? I'll use some of the normal campground review criteria, such as parking spot, cleanliness, attractions and activities. I'm going to also include what's close by (that's why I'm here, remember?).
My grading system will be A+ to F, with with A+ being "loved it, can't wait to come back" and F equaling "So bad I split before the first night was over."
Typical disclaimer stuff here: The opinions are my own, blah, blah, blah. Hey, this is my blog. Disagree if you want, though. I will say this: I haven't seen an F park yet, and it's going to take something really nasty to make that grade. I think every park has it's merits, and they all deserve support.
I'm going start this exercise with Copper Breaks State Park, near Quanah, TX. This is a nice enough park, with excellent hiking and spectacular views.
t's also a Dark Sky park, meaning that it's far enough away from major populations centers that light pollution is low and star count is high. Unfortunately I didn't get much of a chance to experience this one, I was there during a full moon, and that washed out the sky.
Hike the Juniper Ridge interpretive trail and learn about native foliage and prehistoric rock formations. Or tuck in those boots and scramble over the much steeper Rocky Ledges loop for some of those incredible views of the Pease river and the canyons.
Activities? Oh yeah, they got 'em. The Rangers lead night time star hikes, as well as bone hikes, where you'll learn about the park residents (four legged, that is). They also have classes ranging from how to pilot a kayak to cooking with a cast iron dutch oven.
And there's history here. From early Indian settlements to Cynthia Anne Parker and Quanah Park, to copper mining operations run by such notables as Civil War general George McClellan.
What's nearby? Not a lot. About a half hour away is the Downtown Medicine Mound Museum. It's really just an old run down general store with some old rusted gas pumps and a couple of historic markers. And in Crowell, about 20 minutes south of the park is Sweet T Pizza and funky little pizza place in an old store. The food is good and the decor is fun.
Here's your side note: There are several US Air Force bases near the park. Among them is Sheppard AFB, which is home to the . This is home to multiple jet pilot training programs. The jets fly past the park on a regular basis. If you're in to fighter jets, like I am, this is an impressive site. See the video below.
The parks location is one of those "middle of nowhere" ones. The nearest settlement is Quanah, 15 miles away (pop 2617) and the nearest city is Wichita Falls, 90 miles away. If you're going, pack groceries. There is a store in Quanah, but pickin's is kinda thin. And Walmart is an hour away. In other words, this is the perfect spot to get away from everything.
The park itself, like a number of Texas State Parks will benefit from the influx of new money from the new sales tax legislation. The facilities are nice enough, and the small museum at the park office is great, but some of the roads could use some work. The campsites are level, but the pads are showing their age, with grass coming through the asphalt. And each RV site has a cool teepee-like shelter over the picnic table, but these are aging also, and some have lost shingles.
I give Copper Breaks an A. It checks all the boxes needed for a great park, but needs some spit and polish. Will I come back? Probably, but next time I want stars!
That's it for now. I've got another recipe coming in a day or so. Look for that. I'm at home base in Livingston resting up for the big winter/spring push. More on that to come.
Later, folks.
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