Texas has dozens of state parks, each with its own stash of natural marvels and outdoorsy adventures. But if you enjoy exploring history and nature in one place, consider a trip to Mother Neff State Park. What sets this patch of wilds apart from the rest is the fact that it holds the distinction of being Texas’ very first state park. The recreation area officially opened its doors to the public in 1937, but its roots stretch back long before that.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department seems to give conflicting information about the park’s origin story online (you can read all about it here and here). But what can be ascertained is that some, if not all, of the land was once owned by husband and wife Noah and Isabella Neff, aka Mother Neff, both of whom decamped to the Lone Star State from Virginia in the 1850s. The grounds were later donated to the state after Mother Neff’s passing in 1921 — the same year the couple’s son, Pat Neff, was sworn in as the governor of Texas — and the park was eventually born.
Today, Mother Neff State Park encompasses just shy of 400 acres along the winding Leon River. The recreation area sits just west of the small community of Moody, between Waco and Austin. While the Waco Regional Airport is only about 45 minutes away. Many more flights arrive into the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (and it’s known for its food options), though it’s about twice as far away. However you get there, aside from its storied heritage, Mother Neff is beloved for its many hiking trails, scenic camping spots, and its historic lookout tower, which offers sweeping views of the Central Texas countryside.
Scenic trails and bird’s-eye views
Want to see some of the best panoramas of Mother Neff? Then venture up to the state park’s crown jewel: the old Rock Tower, which one parkgoer described on Tripadvisor as “truly a work of art.” The stone lookout tower was built by hardworking members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a public relief program that gave unemployed men jobs during the Great Depression. Made to store water, the tower is a fine example of American ingenuity. “Keep in mind, bulldozers and backhoes weren’t a part of the technology of the 1930s,” Texas Parks & Wildlife notes on its website. “It was all done by hand and by the sweat of their brows.” Scramble to the top of the observation deck via a spiral staircase by taking the short Tower Trail. The route is moderately challenging, given the stairs, but it’s pretty short at only about 0.6 miles…