We can’t believe that it’s the last month of another year! We’ve had our turkey (and we ate it too!) no pun intended! 🙂 I hope your Thanksgiving was just as wonderful! Folks here at the park seemed to enjoy it and we once again had a full house for another Thanksgiving in the park.
Veteran’s Day was the next eventful occasion here at Caprock Canyons State Park and the park welcomed some newby park visitors. Many of the people who took advantage of the free entrance to state parks were people who had never been to a state park before. It’s nice to know that incentives like these do help to increase the awareness of state parks to the public and that hopefully our messages to them will resonate toward the stewardship of our many resources. Not to mention the fact that we are always proud to honor our veterans and active military!
CCSP also hosted a falcon hunt in the east pasture area of the park. One hunter with his bird of prey reported success with 6 packrats, 2 mice, 2 small birds, and a tarantula taken. Several jackrabbits were actively hunted during the falcon hunt but made some miraculous and skillful acrobatic escapes.
The park is currently undergoing other wildlife management activities this month so be sure to check our park alerts for the latest and most up to date information regarding park closures before your visit! During these scheduled closures, the park will be closed to all visitors. Here’s a list of scheduled park closures coming up!
- From 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 14- 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 18
- From 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 27- 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 31
Have you had a taste of the rainbow yet? No, we’re not talking about rainbow colored candy… We’re talking trout! Rainbow trout that is! Yes, your happiness over the rainbow can begin somewhere in the neighborhood of 1, 2, 3, 4, or even a grand total limit of 5 trout per person right here at beautiful Lake Theo. A huge thank you to the Caprock Partners Friends Group who helps make this recreational fishing opportunity possible each and every year!
What to See & Do This Month: Hike for the win!
With cooler temperatures, there’s no better time here at CCSP to break a sweat! Seriously, we recommend this time of the year to capitalize on some of the cooler weather temperatures for recreation. Hiking in the Summer is often very dangerous due to the summer heat and sometimes Spring and Fall temperatures can be very unpredictable.
Ranger Recommendation: Hike those more challenging trails!
Many of the trails here at Caprock Canyons State Park are considered moderate or challenging with most being longer in length. Choose to challenge yourself this month and take on some of those trails that you’ve been wanting to do when it’s a much cooler temperature outside! And do it safely of course! Be mindful of your own limits and regardless of the temperature, be sure to take at least a gallon of water with you on the trail!
Programs & Events:
First Day Hikes at CCSP:
Speaking of hiking… Did you know that simply getting outside and participating in various recreational activities like hiking is good for your health? If you’re like me, you look back on your year through life and wonder what you could improve upon for next year. And sometimes, the answer is as simple as taking more time for yourself, being kind to yourself, and overall taking care of your body, mind, and spirit. You can accomplish almost all of these things by spending time doing an activity outdoors. It’s about to be the start of another year. Want to start your new year off on the right foot? Or left foot… whichever one you prefer. Well, you can do it by participating in our annual “First Day Hike”. This one’s going to be a little different this year, but we’re still excited for it and the end goal is going to be just as amazing!
This year, here’s how you can participate:
- Download a copy of our “First Day Hike” guide before you hit the trails on January 1st, 2021. We’ll post it on all of our social media platforms (Facebook & Instagram) and on our park events website for easy access and download for those who might be reading this in the paper.
- Then, take your first step in 2021 on one of the trails here in the park.
- Snap a quick (and safe) selfie and tag us on social media. Be sure and include your answer to one of our questions from the virtual guide so we’ll know you participated! Don’t forget to also include the hashtag #FirstDayHike.
Red River Parks First Day Challenge:
Want to take it a step further!? (Sorry I just can’t help myself) There’s a lot of resources that our Texas State Parks along the Red River (Caprock Canyons State Park, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Copper Breaks State Park, and Eisenhower State Park) share with us and there’s many other resources that make each one of us unique! You can experience them all, win a super sweet swag bag, and discover these amazing “Red River Parks” all on the first day of 2021 by participating in our “Red River Parks First Day Challenge”! Here’s how you can participate:
Take a First Day Hike at one of four parks to enter the challenge!
We are excited to announce the Red River Parks’ First Day Hike Challenge! This year’s participating Red River Parks are:
- @palodurocanyonsp
- @caprockcanyonsstatepark
- @copperbreaksstatepark
- our WILDCARD, @eisenhowerstatepark!
Check out the challenge below. The more parks you visit, the more times you are entered to win one of three Super Sweet Swag bags!
- Only posts submitted between Jan. 1 and 3 will be entered to win.
- Post a picture of you at the trailhead.
- Tag the park and use the #redriverparks21 to be entered into the drawing. Only one entry per park and per account.
- IF you make it to the WILDCARD park, you are entered TWICE for a max total of five entries.
- We will publish the drawing results Jan. 4.
No repeat wins for individuals (you can only win one bag).
Interpreter’s Corner:
If you’re anything like me, you love this time of the year. Summer heat is gone and temperatures here in Texas are most often mild (not counting the cold winter winds or cold fronts). I’m of the opinion that you can warm up a little faster than you can cool off! And one of my most favorite things to do anyway, is to sip on something warm under a blanket (regardless of the season). First off, I’m a little different than most so when Daylight Savings time ended, I was even more pleased. I guess you could say that I’m not a morning person as I can’t seem to wake myself up when it’s still dark and I can’t seem to get myself ready for bed (at a decent time) when it’s still light outside. So, does that make me crepuscular? I’m not quite sure. 🙂 My point is, we have quite a lot in common with many of the wildlife species here at CCSP and I’m finding this more and more true the longer I come to work here each and every day. For example, the bison are putting on their “coats” these days. I’ve also noticed that the prairie dogs are eating everything in sight and then the next time I see them, they’re settling in for a much less active state (torpor). I think I’ve been doing that a lot lately. The bats just up and left. Went to Mexico for vacation I guess… How’s your holiday season taking shape? 🙂
Hope you have a very merry one!
Le’Ann
