| Lake Arrowhead State Park | |
| Map: | Texas#USA |
| Relief: | yes |
| Location: | Clay County, Texas |
| Nearest City: | Wichita Falls, Texas |
| Area: | 524acres |
| Created: | 1970 |
| Operator: | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| Visitation Num: | 63,636 |
| Visitation Year: | 2022 |
| Visitation Ref: | [1] |
| Coords: | 33.7586°N -98.3953°W |
Lake Arrowhead State Park is a state park located in Clay County, Texas, near Wichita Falls. The park is 524acres.[2]
Lake Arrowhead was built as a water source for the city of Wichita Falls and the surrounding area. The surrounding state park land was purchased from the city in 1970, and the park opened the same year.
The land of Lake Arrowhead State Park was once part of a vast prairie of central North America. Agriculture changed the character of the land. Honey mesquite seeds were brought from South Texas with the cattle drives, and the mesquite savanna has taken over the grasslands of the park.[3] The park has an ongoing prairie restoration project that includes controlled burns.
White-tailed deer, coyote, bobcat, striped skunk, nine-banded armadillo and North American beaver are seen in the park. Monarch butterflies pass through during migration in spring and fall. Birds documented in the park include painted buntings, bald eagles, osprey, eastern bluebirds, belted kingfishers, American white pelicans, great egrets, scissor-tailed flycatchers, great horned owls, screech owls, barn owls and barred owls.
The dominant tree in the park is honey mesquite. Other tree species include cottonwood, hackberry and wild plum.[4] Some plants in the park are Texas bluebonnet, Indian blanket, Texas Indian paintbrush, Maximilian sunflower, Texas blazing star, pink evening primrose, snow-on-the-mountain and milkweed.
The park offers ranger-led educational programs throughout the year. The park has facilities for picnicking, fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, nature study, hiking, wildlife observation, horseback riding, camping, and disc golf. There are tent and RV campsites, as well as a pavilion and about 5miles of hiking trails.[5]