Exploring Texas

Texas' new Palo Pinto State Park opens just a 2-hour drive from Dallas

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park opens March 1

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Texans will be able to hike, fish, camp, and explore a brand-new state park — the first new Texas state park in 25 years — starting on Sunday, March 1.

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, located at 100 Park Road 77 in Strawn, spans 4,871 acres of former ranchland between Abilene and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (about a two-hour drive west from downtown Dallas).

According to a press release, the land was originally purchased by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 2011 and the park was expected to open three years ago, but construction delays impeded the opening. Funding for the park was provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF), the Texas Legislature, the Sporting Goods Sales Tax, the federal government, and $10 million was raised by TPWF through private donations.

The park offers more than 16 miles of trails for hikers, bikers, and horseback riding, and the park's website states 1.25 miles are ADA compliant, and all-terrain wheelchairs are available for some non-accessible trails. Campers and overnight guests also have three campsites to choose from, including RV sites, walk-in tent spots, and primitive camping areas.

Visitors are also welcome to swim, fish, and boat (note: motorboats are not allowed) in the 68-acre Tucker Lake using the park's accessible kayak/canoe launch, fishing pier, and fish cleaning station. Visitors don't need a license to fish at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, and the park will loan fishing gear upon request.

Tucker Lake at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park Visitors are welcome to kayak and canoe at Tucker Lake, but motorboats are not allowed.Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Birding enthusiasts might spot golden-cheeked warblers during their visit, as the endangered species take residence in the park's oak and Ashe juniper trees in the spring and summer months. Many other migratory birds can be seen at the park throughout the year.

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is anticipating high visitation in March with the spring season's temperate weather and Texas schools' spring breaks. TPWD strongly encouraged visitors to reserve day passes in advance to avoid being turned away if the park has reached its capacity limit.

"This is a tremendous moment for Texas State Parks and the state of Texas," Texas State Parks director Rodney Franklin in the release. "Opening Palo Pinto Mountains State Park represents the culmination of collaborative efforts that includes our Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation as well as private donors. I am proud of the dedication of our TPWD team but also the unwavering support of the Texas Legislature and the voters of Texas that have brought us to this moment. State park staff stand ready to welcome families far and wide to begin making memories at Texas’ newest state park."

Day passes are available up to one month in advance, are non-transferrable to another person or park, and are valid all-day until 10 pm unless the park closes earlier. Day passes can be reserved online or by calling TPWD's Customer Service Center during regular business hours at (512) 389-8900. Entrance fees are $7 daily for adults and children aged 13 and older, and admission is free for children 12-years-old and younger.

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Pack Your Patience

DFW declared No. 2 worst airport for flight delays and cancellations

Photo by Izyan Sultanali on Unsplash

DFW International also ranks as the second-worst airport for flight disruptions over the holiday travel season.

Ahead of the busy holiday season, North Texans should budget extra time into their travel plans before flying out of the metro's bustling Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

DFW was just declared the No. 2 worst airport in the nation for flight disruptions by consumer review platform ConsumerAffairs, which analyzed the rates of moderate and severe delays, diversions, and cancellations at the 29 biggest U.S. airports. DFW also appeared as the No. 2 worst airport where holiday travel causes the biggest disruptions.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia led the nation as the No. 1 worst airport overall — the only airport deemed more disruptive than DFW.

Unlike many other airports on the list that experience high cancellation rates, the report revealed DFW's biggest issue is its high volume of flight delays. DFW has the No. 1 highest moderate delay rate out of all the airports examined, with more than a quarter of all flights (25.18 percent) delayed by 15 minutes and up to three hours.

"It’s the kind of delay that eats into your day without necessarily blowing up your whole trip," the report's author wrote.

Nearly two percent of all flights are delayed over three hours, making DFW the fifth worst airport for severe delays. However, the study says there is a silver lining for travelers saddled with severe disruptions.

"DFW offered more scheduled backup flights to the same destination than many of the other airports on this list, giving travelers a decent shot at rebooking if a flight fell through," the report said.

These are the cancellation and diversion rates at DFW, per the report:

Cancellation rate: 2.31 percent
Diversion rate: 0.29 percent
Average same-day flights to the same destination: 3.95
Cancellations that were the last flight of the day to that destination: 24.88 percent

Flying at DFW will be even more stressful during the holidays, as 30 percent of flights will suffer from disruptions during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel periods — starting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after, and again from December 18 to January 5.

DFW has the eighth highest holiday disruption rate out of the biggest airports, and the fifth highest holiday severe delay rate. Put some padding on your itinerary, because about 2.5 percent of all flights will be delayed more than three hours during the holidays.

In ConsumerAffairs' separate list of the worst medium-sized airports, Dallas Love Field landed as the 15th worst out of 32 U.S. airports. About 22 percent of all flights at DAL experience moderate delays — the No. 1 highest rate in this category — and 1.07 percent are severely delayed.

Additionally, over 26 percent of all DAL flights will be disrupted during the holiday travel season, and two percent of flights will experience severe delays.

The top 10 worst U.S. airports for delays and cancellations are:

No. 1 – Ronald Reagan Washington National
No. 2 – Dallas Fort Worth International
No. 3 – Newark Liberty International
No. 4 – Miami International
No. 5 – Philadelphia International
No. 6 – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
No. 7 – LaGuardia
No. 8 – Tampa International
No. 9 – Washington Dulles International
No. 10 – George Bush Intercontinental

Surprisingly, Los Angeles International Airport landed as the best major U.S. airport for avoiding travel disruptions. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (No. 2) and Seattle-Tacoma International (No. 3) round out the top three best airports for on-time travel.

The report offers the following suggestions to help anxious travelers avoid flight disruptions: look into travel insurance to protect against delays or cancellations; look for nonstop flights; or book flights with earlier departure times on an airline with multiple departures to your destination.

For flights that do get delayed or cancelled, travelers need to "act fast" to rectify their situation, says Jennifer Rykaczewski, the CEO of nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Affordable Skies.

"In the first 10 minutes, open the airline app, see whether you have already been rebooked and search for acceptable alternatives," Rykaczewski said. "Throughout the process, save any documentation of the delay or cancellation, plus receipts for meals or hotels, in case you need it for an insurance claim later."

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