Morgan Creek is a tributary of the Colorado, and in 1948 work began on an earthfill dam across it four miles southwest of Colorado City. The Texas Electric Service Company built the lake in 1949 to supply cooling water for its Morgan Creek power plant, water for the town and a place for recreation. The plant's warm discharge long kept the water warmer than normal, which suited fish and waterfowl. The lake no longer serves the plant or the town; it is kept now for recreation, at about 1,600 acres.
The state leased 500 acres of the shore in 1971 and opened the park in 1972. It sits in the Mesquite Plains, a part of the western Rolling Plains that was once open grassland with scattered trees and is now thick with mesquite. Park staff burn sections in rotation to push the land back toward grass, and in burned areas the wildflowers come up strong in spring and summer.
About 300 species of birds nest here or pass through, and white-tailed deer, raccoons and armadillos are common around the campgrounds. Anglers fish for largemouth bass, channel catfish and sunfish from the pier, the shore or a rented kayak, and no license is needed from shore. The lake sometimes has algae blooms that can close it, so check conditions before swimming.
The closest stops worth working into your route
Roadside plaques and monuments within a short detour