Texas opens 3,000-acre state park along the Colorado River with $1 billion expansion fund

In 1889, John Fletcher and Mattie Lou Vann settled on a piece of ranchland along the Colorado River in Central Texas. The couple raised seven children there, and generations of their family continued to use the property for ranching, cutting cedar and operating a fishing camp.More than 137 years later, land that includes part of the family's former ranch has become Post Oak Ridge State Park. The 3,118-acre property opened for independent day visits on September 24, 2026, giving the public access to a landscape of rolling hills, wooded ridges, limestone cliffs and river overlooks. The park is still being developed, with camping facilities and additional visitor amenities expected around 2029, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).From a family ranch in 1889 to a state park in 2026The history of Post Oak Ridge stretches back to 1889, when John Fletcher and Mattie Lou Vann established their home on the land. Their seven children and later generations maintained a connection to the property, using it for cattle ranching, cedar cutting and recreational fishing.In January 2025, Texas began acquiring land for the new state park, including property owned by descendant...