state parks day

All Texas state parks offer free entry for one day in November

Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose is one of the many state parks that will have free entry on November 2.

tpwd.texas.gov/

North Texans who haven't touched grass recently will get their chance to reconnect with nature at a local state park for free for one day only this fall. In honor of Texas State Parks Day on Sunday, November 2, Texas residents can enjoy free admission to more than 85 state parks.

It has been a stellar year for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The department has acquired several parcels of land to create new state parks or expand existing ones, and it's actively working on a deal to acquire a 54,000-acre ranch outside San Antonio. In May 2025, TPWD launched its new podcast that dives into park conservation initiatives, explores "hidden gem" parks around the state, and more.

Now the agency is gearing up for its third annual free admission day, which was established during the Texas State Parks Centennial Celebration.

The department recommends travelers reserve "Save the Day" passes to guarantee entry to the park they want to visit. Day passes are non-transferable, only valid for a visitor's chosen entry time slot, and are valid until 10 pm or whenever the park closes.

The following parks around North Texas will have free admission on Texas State Parks Day:

Cedar Hill State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose
Cleburne State Park
Meridian State Park
Lake Whitney State Park
Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway
Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site and Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway
Ray Roberts Lake State Park, Pilot Point
Lake Tawakoni State Park, Wills Point
Purtis Creek State Park, Eustace

Visitors heading west should keep in mind that they won't be able to access Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in Strawn, which closed for construction in January 2025.

Dallasites who want to get the most out of their day can visit award-winning Garner State Park, which was named one of the top 10 best state parks in the U.S. for 2025. The spacious park is about 350 miles from Dallas, and sits on 1,774 acres of land. Hikers have 16 miles of trails to explore across varying difficulties, or visitors can swim, float, or kayak down 2.9 miles of the Frio River that runs through the park.

Day passes for Texas State Parks Day can be reserved online or by calling the TPWD customer service center at 512-389-8900.

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DART News

DART receives $7 million federal grant for new low-emission buses

Gillig

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a grant to update its fleet of buses. According to a release, the agency was awarded a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support the purchase of new buses as the agency phases out its fleet of older model vehicles.

The grant awarded to DART is one of 165 transit projects across the U.S. funded with more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In February, DART purchased 476 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from Gillig, a California-based manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, to fulfill their goal to modernize their transit system over the next decade — particularly via new buses and light-rail vehicles to replace the oldest units in their aging fleet.

The phase-in of those new vehicles is expected to be executed through 2027.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses are a near-zero emission option, which was a key component in DART qualifying for the federal grant. Gillig has already delivered the first buses ahead of a Spring 2026 timeline — meaning that DART riders will get to start riding the upgraded buses on routes by the end of December 2025.

In a statement, DART President & CEO Nadine Lee says the timing is perfect.

“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state-of-the-art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup," Lee says. "We are grateful to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, and our entire congressional delegation for valuing their strong federal partnership with DART, recognizing the need to find additional funding to support transit programs in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation."

This new grant is in addition to $103 million initial federal grants, bringing the total federal support for DART’s purchase of new buses to more than $110 million – reducing the overall cost to DART and member cities.

U.S. Congressional delegates, representing communities across Texas, were instrumental in securing the funding for the grant. The purchase of 476 buses is one part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the DART system.

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