Park brings nature, wildlife to Lancaster

by Bill Conrad of Lancaster TODAY

Lancaster's newest park is aiming to bring a little piece of the wilderness to the city.

Bear Creek Nature Park was opened in Nov. 2006 as a joint venture between Lancaster and Texas Parks and Wildlife. The park's mission is “to promote educational studies, conserve nature and enhance the quality of life for generations to come.”

The park consists of nearly 200 acres of wooded and prairie terrain, as well as a small lake and natural wetlands.

One of the main goals of the park, according to park naturalist Linda Dunn, is to help students learn science in the field, rather than the classroom.

A home school group meets at the park weekly, and Dunn said she has talked with the Lancaster Independent School District about having students come out and observe nature, rather than just reading about it in a textbook.

If the proposed partnership with LISD goes well, Dunn said the park would welcome students from other area districts as well.

Don't think the park is just for students, as that is not the case. The park currently has two hiking trails as well as an equestrian trail. Dunn said the trails only cover about half the park currently, with plans to expand in the future.

The park's lake is open to fishing, and has been stocked with native sunfish, largemouth bass and channel catfish. Fishing is possible from the fishing pier, as well as from the banks surrounding the lake.

Dunn, who previously worked at Cedar Hill State Park for seven years, said the park has a lot of untapped potential, but she currently lacks the manpower and money to implement some of the things she would like to do. As a result, Dunn is hoping that local scout troops will help her with things such as trail building and brush clearing. Dunn said she has several things in mind that should work as Eagle projects, which boy scouts must complete before they can reach the rank of Eagle Scout.

The park will also benefit boy and girl scouts in another way, as Dunn says they hope to allow those groups to camp out at the park beginning soon. Dunn said there are no plans to open the park to other groups for camping, due to lack of park staff. Currently, only Dunn and one maintenance person are assigned to the park.

If fishing and hiking aren't enough, the park also features a wide variety of wildlife. In addition to the abundant squirrel population, other park visitors can include raccoons, bobcats, coyotes and birds such as red-tailed hawks and various owls. The park is also on the migratory path for many species of birds and hosts migrating monarch butterflies in the fall. Some of the more interesting visitors to the park so far are a pack of feral hogs, and a small alligator, which was trapped and removed soon after it was spotted.

Other park amenities include a covered pavilion with seating for 90, which can be reserved.

Bear Creek Nature Park is located at 1000 Bear Creek Road, south of Lancaster Country View Golf Course. For more information, call 469-223-1209.

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