Meridian State Park

The Tonkawa lived in this country before Anglo settlement, and the Tawakoni occupied it before 1841. In that year the Texan Santa Fe expedition passed near the park's present site in the Bosque Valley. The state acquired the land from private owners between 1933 and 1935, and the park opened in 1935.

Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1827(V), made up of World War I veterans, built the park in 1933 and 1934. The crews put a rock and earthen dam across Bee Creek, which makes the 72-acre Lake Meridian, and built a cut-stone refectory and an open-air pavilion beside it.

The park sits among limestone bluffs at the top of the Hill Country, at an elevation of 1,040 feet. Five miles of trail include the 2.2-mile Bosque Hiking Trail, which circles the lake past limestone outcrops. The endangered golden-cheeked warbler nests here from March to July. Swimming and no-wake paddling are allowed on the lake, and fishing from shore, pier or boat needs no license. TPWD points to spring wildflowers and fall foliage, and says the park often reaches capacity, so reservations are recommended for camping and day use. Campsites range from primitive to full hookup, and there are three cabins.