State parks open for free to Hurricane Harvey evacuees
Inks Lake State Park in Burnet County is one of several state parks open for free to Hurricane Harvey evacuees. Staff photo by Jared Fields
STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS
BURNET — Texas state parks, including those in the Highland Lakes, are open for free to evacuees from Hurricane Harvey, Gov. Greg Abbott announced.
Parks open to evacuees in the Highland Lakes are Colorado Bend State Park, Inks Lake State Park, and Pedernales Falls State Park.
Cory Evans, superintendent of Inks Lake State Park, said the parks have opened in the past to evacuees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“We still have quite a few campsites. This week, about 70 or so are still open,” Evans said. “If anybody is needing those, we are trying to accommodate as many as we can.”
Evans said many of the park’s cabins have been filled with more than 70 evacuees.
“There are local folks that are providing food and water and that kind of thing,” he said. “If they run low, food pantries are contributing, too.”
Many state parks near Houston and almost all of Southeast Texas are closed due to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website has updated information on which state parks have spaces available for evacuees.
“We want to make sure they’re headed to the right location that will have a place for them,” Evans said.
Inks Lake State Park is located at 3630 Park Road 4 near Burnet. Pedernales Falls is located at 2585 Park Road 6026 near Johnson City. The entrance to Colorado Bend is located of FM 580 in Bend, west of Lampasas and southeast of San Saba.
