A 650-acre ranch on the shores of Lake Palestine in East Texas, owned by the same family since 1940 and long associated with a pecan-growing business, is set to become Texas’ next state park after the property was acquired for more than $10 million. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation closed the purchase on October 1, 2026, securing one of the largest remaining contiguous tracts of land along the lake, reported The Texas Tribune and The Dallas Morning News.The property, in Henderson County between Tyler and Athens, will not immediately open as a public park. The foundation plans to hold the land until the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) can acquire it, likely in late 2027, using additional funding from the voter-approved Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. Development will then take place in phases, meaning visitors may have to wait several years before the full park is operational.
History stretching back more than eight decades
The Pollard family has owned the property since 1940, when it became part of the family’s Texas Pecan Nursery operation. The ranch was used to grow pecans and later to sell pecan trees, while portions of the property remained relatively undeveloped. For the Pollard family, it was also a place for hunting, fishing and spending time together across generations.Now, the family property is headed for a very different future. Sam Pollard, president of Texas Pecan Nursery, described the land as deeply personal to his family. “This land is part of my soul,” Pollard said, adding that it meant a great deal to him that the property could become a legacy for others to enjoy.The proposed park occupies a strategically important stretch of Lake Palestine. The property has about 2,000 feet of lake frontage and is located roughly 18 miles west of Tyler and 20 miles east of Athens. It contains native East Texas pine forests, grassland, a pecan orchard, ponds and other water features.The site also contains a 58-foot-deep lake and approximately 10 ponds, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The property provides habitat for white-tailed deer, bobcats, waterfowl and other birds and wildlife, giving the proposed park both recreational and conservation value.Lake Palestine itself is a major recreational reservoir in East Texas. The Texas Water Development Board says the lake was created by the Blackburn Crossing Dam on the Neches River. Construction of the original dam began in 1960 and was completed in 1962, while a later enlargement was completed in 1971. The reservoir covers more than 23,000 acres at conservation-pool level, according to the agency’s data.The new park would add a significant publicly accessible tract to that landscape. According to TPWD and the foundation, potential future activities include hiking, biking, boating, paddling, swimming and fishing, along with day-use areas, camping and lakefront recreation. Planned amenities include hike-and-bike trails, traditional and primitive campsites and areas for visitors to spend time along the lake.
Development to take place in phases
But officials have stressed that the property will not suddenly become a fully developed state park after the purchase.TPWD plans to open the future park in phases, beginning with guided access before expanding to day-use facilities and eventually overnight access. The agency also intends to carry out habitat restoration and seek public input on the property’s future after it formally acquires the land.The unusual arrangement behind the purchase is part of the story. Rather than waiting for the state to complete its acquisition, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that supports the state’s parks and wildlife programmes, stepped in and bought the property first. It will temporarily hold the land while TPWD waits for additional money from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, allowing the state to preserve the opportunity to acquire the property rather than risk losing it to another buyer.The Centennial Parks Conservation Fund was established after Texas lawmakers approved a $1 billion investment in 2023 for the purchase and development of state parks. The Lake Palestine property is among the projects being advanced through this broader expansion of Texas’ public-land system.Anne Brown, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, said opportunities to protect properties of this scale and location are uncommon and that timing was important in securing the ranch. She described the acquisition as an example of how a public-private partnership can help conserve land for future generations.Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks, also highlighted the property’s combination of lake access and its existing pecan trees. “We are excited to add this East Texas gem to the Texas State Park system,” Franklin said, noting that families would eventually be able to enjoy Lake Palestine along with the pecan trees that are a signature feature of the property.The property’s potential was apparently visible even before the purchase was completed. Josh Smith, a co-founder of TexasLand, the brokerage that represented the Pollard family, recalled his first visit to the ranch and said, “This place looks like a state park.” He said TPWD officials subsequently carried out extensive site visits and evaluations involving agency leaders, park planners and wildlife biologists.The property remained under contract for nearly a year while those studies were completed. The foundation ultimately closed the deal for more than $10 million, according to its October 2 announcement. The NextEra Energy Foundation contributed $100,000 to the project, while the foundation also used its donor-supported Land Conservation Loan Fund to help move quickly on the acquisition.
