Texas is set to gain its second-largest state park, a nearly 54,000-acre property in the Hill Country, after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) announced the completed acquisition of Silver Lake Ranch on May 27, 2026. The Moody Foundation donated its 87.5% ownership interest, while TPWD purchased the remaining interest for $11.85 million.
The ranch is in Edwards and Kinney counties and is about 150 miles west of San Antonio, between Rocksprings and Uvalde. Once development is complete, Silver Lake State Park will be second in size only to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Access and facilities will be introduced in phases as planning and infrastructure work progress.
The transaction came after the Moody Foundation announced on Nov. 6, 2025, that it planned to donate its direct and indirect interests worth 87.5% to TPWD. At the time, the donation was proposed and pending due diligence, final surveys and title work, as well as mutually agreed-upon documentation. The Moody Foundation stated that the rest of the minority interest was owned by a non-Moody organization. According to TPWD’s release in May 2026, the purchase was completed, with the state buying the rest for $11.85 million.
Canyons, creeks, and natural wildlife
Historically, Silver Lake Ranch has served as sheep and cattle ranch land. Its topography includes rugged canyons, limestone cliffs, and gentle rolling hills, as well as native flora such as live oak and juniper trees. The West Nueces River bisects the property, with other creeks and waterways such as Sycamore Creek, Lost Creek, North Spring Creek, Blue Waterhole, and Dutch Waterhole.
The property takes its name from Silver Lake, a 30-acre spring-fed lake. TPWD also identified groves of oaks, caves, and pictographs, which must be accounted for by the park planners. Wildlife in the area includes white-tailed deer, turkeys, javelinas, and doves.
In addition to mentioning that the donation is expected to facilitate development into a park, the announcement from the Moody Foundation in November also included descriptions of the ranch as a landscape with river access, steep canyons, and a spring-fed lake. Possible activities that could be available at this location included camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, paddling, and wildlife viewing. All of these were possibilities, not existing public facilities.
Access and park development will require some time
According to TPWD, Silver Lake State Park will be developed in phases. Initial access could include guided tours and limited day-use opportunities, followed by trails and basic visitor facilities. Later development could introduce camping and paddling opportunities. TPWD has not announced an opening date for the park.
TPWD and its contracted personnel will conduct surveys of natural and cultural resources on the site before determining where and how the area would be used for visitors. The results from the surveys will be included in any management plans and interpretive exhibits that come out of the planning process.
TPWD said the acquisition was funded through the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund and the Sporting Goods Sales Tax. The $1 billion Centennial Parks Conservation Fund was approved by Texas voters in November 2023 through Proposition 14 to support the acquisition of land and development of new state parks. Only the interest earned on the endowment can be used for these purposes, with funding allocations subject to a process involving the Legislative Budget Board. TPWD said Silver Lake Ranch was considered suitable for a state park because of its natural and recreational resources.
The transaction will add a large family-owned property to the state park system. Ross R. Moody, a trustee at the foundation, said the land had been special to many generations of his family and that he wanted Texans to connect with the landscape. TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz described the transaction as an addition to the state park system.