Cleburne and Johnson County are growing courtesy of the Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road , a professional baseball stadium and increasing home construction .
For all that growth the Cleburne and Johnson County remain rural and remain rich in parks and outdoor recreation opportunities ensuring that within a growing city and county the wonders of nature still remain just minutes away .
The city holds more than 14 parks , ranging from large to small , each offering its own unique attributes .
Just outside the city limits sits Cleburne State Park , which in recent years underwent major rebuilding projects , courtesy of voter-approved bond funding from the Texas Legislature .
Park officials and members of the Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy “ Cowtown ” Chapter 123 several years ago formally opened and dedicated the park ’ s CCC bridge , better known as Camp Creek Bridge .
Originally constructed in 1936 , the bridge crosses Camp
Creek , which sits below Cedar Lake . The bridge is now used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic . A newer , adjacent bridge handles vehicle traffic .
The 1936 bridge cost $ 300 at the time , Texas Parks & Wildlife public affairs officer Bryan Frazier said at the dedication . Some of those costs included $ 100 for cement , $ 10 for hardware , $ 10 for sand and $ 5 for lime . The bridge ’ s logs and stone , harvested on site , came at no cost .
The 1936 $ 300 cost equates to $ 4,918.03 in today ’ s dollars , Frazier said . The renovation , among other things , brought back the bridge ’ s wooden rails , crafted from native materials , which were replaced by iron railing in 1953 .
Other park additions in recent years include a new air-conditioned and heated group barracks building , complete with modern men ’ s and women ’ s bathrooms and a breezeway that accommodates 48 guests in bunk beds . The facilities rent for $ 450 per night with a two-night minimum on consecutive days from Thursday to Sunday . Also available for guests is a day-use group dining facility that can accommodate up to 75 , officials said . Reservations for that facility are available at the park .
The improvements at the park , originally built by Civilian Conservation Corps Co . 3804 and opened in 1938 , were part of a $ 44 million list of major Texas State Parks rejuvenation projects completed or underway , and aimed at making the parks more fun , safer and more customer-friendly .
The renovations , project manager Greg Thelen explained , included refurbishment of the beach area , curing erosion problems and bringing in sand .
The new buildings and changes replace the former bathhouse area , which had deteriorated , Thelen said . The improvements now provide a major day-use area for people visiting the park .
The park ’ s former concession building recently underwent renovation and now serves as the Cedar Lodge , a day-use facility with a
Cleburne This is Texas 41 kitchen and dining / meeting area .
Park officials are looking for someone to lease and run the facility and hope to see it open sometime this year .
Just across Cedar Grove camping loop from the concession bathhouse , the group barracks will fill the demand , park officials said , for barracksstyle accommodations . Families , Scout troops , church groups and others are among those leasing the entire unit .
The new barracks have modern and larger bathrooms with lockers for both genders , are more energy efficient , and have built-in bathroom heaters and heated and air-conditioned dorms . Wi-Fi is available throughout the park .
“ We ’ re also working with fisheries to increase our fish habitat and improve fishing ,” park officials said . “ So our stock is going up and we ’ ve had people catching some really nice crappie lately . You also don ’ t need a fishing license to fish in Cleburne State Park .
“ We have people who bring their big boats , their pontoons ,