Brownwood Texas Nature Trails
Serving Brownwood, Lake Brownwood, Early, Zephyr, Bangs, May, Brady, Comanche,
Fabis Primitive Park
Suggested Seasons to visit: All Seasons
Site open for day use only.
Return to Coleman and follow US 283 south 7.2 miles to US 67/84. Continue east 21.2 miles to Brownwood. Turn north on TX 279, following 1.3 miles to FM 2125. Go 1.9 miles to the park entrance on the left. Follow the entry road 1.0 mile to parking area.
The park is an old pecan orchard located along a creek. Look for Eastern Bluebirds in the pecan trees and listen for Great Horned, Eastern Screech, or Barred Owls. Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers can be seen year round, and in the winter look for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Brown Creeper, and Red-breasted Nuthatch. Resident kingfishers, herons, and egrets are easy to see, and in winter the creek hosts Northern Pintails, Mallards, and Blue-winged Teal. Vermilion Flycatchers can also be seen along the water’s edge.
Lake Brownwood Spillway/Dam Overview
Suggested Seasons to visit: All Seasons
Site open for day use only.
From the intersection of SR 279 and FM 2125/ Stonecreek Circle in Brownwood, go north on FM 2125 for 6.5 miles to the stop sign. Turn right at the stop sign; the name changes to Spillway Road. Follow this road 0.4 mile to the dam. Park by the historical marker and follow the short, wooded trails to the lake. Return to Spillway Road and drive to the end of the dam. On the right is the parking lot for lake patrol. Park on this hilltop for a cliff-side view of the lake and the spillway.
The short, wooded trails south of the dam are densely vegetated with hackberry, pecan, and some oak. Eastern Phoebe, Belted Kingfisher, and White-eyed Vireo occur here. Look for herons and egrets, and in the winter for gulls, ducks, and terns. The oak-mesquite brush that surrounds the overlook can be productive for birds. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Western and Eastern Kingbird, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher occur here.
Lake Brownwood State Park
Suggested Seasons to visit: All Seasons
Site open daily. Developed camping available. Fee.
The park is located 16 miles northwest of Brownwood on TX 279 to Park Road 15, then east on Park Road 15 for 6 miles.
Located on Lake Brownwood, a 7300-surface-acre reservoir, the park offers a variety of outdoor activities, including camping and lodging. Visitors enjoy an atmosphere of rustic beauty and tranquility, with miles of shoreline where wildflowers, White-tailed Deer, Ducks, Raccoons, Armadillos, Squirrels, and a variety of birds can be observed in a natural setting. Many structures in use today were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the early 1930s, from timber and native rock found in the park.
Phone: 325-784-5223. Lake Brownwood State Park page
010 Riverside Park
Suggested Seasons to visit: Spring, Summer, Fall
Site open for day use only.
From the intersection of US 67/84 and US 377 in Brownwood, go east on US 67/84 for 0.2 mile. Turn north off US 67/84 at the Riverside Park sign. Follow the road 0.4 mile into the park.
This 43-acre municipal park has a 0.7-mile nature trail that wends along the banks of the river, with pecan-lined edges that provide good habitat for land birds. Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Belted Kingfisher, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped warblers occur here, as do wintering Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, and Red-tailed Hawk.
Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.
