fort richardson state park and historic site

Texas certainly has a rich history, and this is a great place to feel transported into the past. I appreciated how the displayed accounts of the relationships between settlers and the Kiowa seemed factual and didn't defend either side unfairly. Our guide was honest about the fact that settlers and governing people didn't always hold up treaties and bargains and about how there were atrocities on both sides. I really appreciated the passion and dedication that the ranger at headquarters and the guide at the education center had to their jobs and how willing they were to talk and teach about this interesting place. The restoration of these buildings is impressive and I am happy most of the buildings were open to walk into. The park is really pretty. The creek was running and had clear water thanks to a recent rain. It looks like it has hydrilla in it, probably another reason it looks so clean. One campsite had a pretty running stream on one side. Many campsites have creek views, nice privacy and access to hiking; there was a nice breeze when we were there. One can see the wind turbines in the distance, but they don't detract from the view, in my mind. The cabins are very cute, with bunk beds and what looks like A/C and heat. You need to bring your own twin-sized linens. I would definitely tent camp here or stay in one of the cabins. The RV sites looked very easy to navigate and were numerous, but offered privacy. The park was not crowded. This is a beautiful time of year to be there. The rock creek banks are pretty, there are huge rocks here and there, and the trees are changing color. The bluestem grass is seeding, a red color, and makes the pairie look pretty. The grass is high in protein and probably desirable to foraging deer. This park is known for its numerous deer, but we got there in mid afternoon, and they probably would have started walking around at dusk. The quarry lake is a little gem. It had plenty of water, and the rock banks make it look very inviting to sit and gaze for a while. The ranger at HDQ said it is stocked with trout and catfish. Highly recommend this destination for singles, couples or families.

Campsites are not very private. Only two restrooms with only one of those having one shower that was not in walking distance. In a 36 hour period, our group was harassed by the rangers 7 times for one reason or the other, speeding when we were not, at which we were followed by the ranger to our site. Just sitting in a parking lot looking at the fort, again being harassed, etc...Otherwise, clean and family friendly. Lots of coyotes and deer.

It is very educational. It is a lot of walking, would not suggest it on a summer day. We visit every Fall. Has good hiking trails. Nice campgrounds. Quiet . As far as fishing, Quarry Lake is a pond due to the drought. The creek has dried completely up. If you want to fish, go down the road a bit to Lost Creek , it is low as well from the drought, but at least it has fish in it.

I got to fort early and was disappointed to hear that buildings did not open until 10 am (two hours). One of the rangers sensed my disappointment and offered to give me a tour. It was great having a personal tour and got all my questions answered!

We stayed for two nights at Fort Richardson. The park has two areas, one in the open with not so many trees, and another area that is heavily shaded with trees. Beautiful scenery. Level, paved sites with a lot of space for privacy. We had deer around us almost the entire time. Restrooms were very clean. We visited the Fort, which was awesome. So much to see at this park. We would definitely stay again. We travel in a motorhome with a tow vehicle. We stayed in Space #20 and recommend that area.

You should experience the many events on site and the camping is the best you will find! Many amenities and quality sites.

This would get a 5 star rating for physically fit people with RV's. There are two camping areas, they have the usual amenities, concrete driveways, fire rings, and picnic tables. An RV would work out great in any of the spaces, but the land is rocky, slightly sloped, and has underbrush, so it can be challenging to find a spot for a tent sometimes. I was in a tent, and had site 36, the best spot to pitch the tent was a grassy area right by the road. It sort of negated the private feel of the lots. There is a lovely trail with a small spring-fed creek behind the campsites. The catch is that you must be able to climb and descend large rocks to get to it, as well as to walk the entire trail. The old fort is amazing, there are several historic buildings, open to the public, which are authentically furnished. The old hospital is a "must-see". The buildings are quite spread out, there are dirt paths connecting them. It is a considerable walk to see them all. You will need to stay on the trails because of large red ants. I'd say in hot or rainy weather, seeing all the buildings could be challenging.

Spent a long weekend at Fort Richardson. Great place. We stayed in a trailer but there were many tenters and great modern small cabins. The park is well kept and bathrooms clean. We stayed at site 12. The hike and bike trail is excellent and I highly recommend exploring it. 12

I have been to the fort so many times I can't remember. It was a fun place as a small kid walking the nature trails, playing on the playgrounds and walking the old buildings. As a parent taking my children, it is a great teaching tool of the way those before us lived, worked and the hardships they endured. My young kids enjoyed seeing the old buildings, the various artifacts and pelts that reside in the different buildings. The park rangers are super people and very accommodating to visitors. If you can make it on a reenactment weekend or special event, all the better.

Really enjoyed Ray giving my g-kids and other family members a "inside"tour of the hospital and the stories that went with the tour ! Ask him about the soldier that died and was put upstairs !! The g-kids talked about it each night around the campfire. The park itself was not scenic but some of the camp sites were nice---(we stayed in a shelter)--very little shade ! I would suggest going in Nov. when they have a reenactment of drills,battles and life at the fort with all the sounds and clothing !!

We called in on this state park en-route for Fort Worth. As we were limited to time we only visited the preserved buildings so did not go on any of the trails so cannot comment on the trails, caming or angling facilities.There are a number of preserverd buildings to visit dating from the late 1800's when this was a military fort. Once youve paid your $3 dollar fee you are given a park map & leaflet giving a short description to each building. On the day we visited all the buildings were locked & on asking about this at the entrance station was told that normally they are open but on this particular day the park was short staffed. Fair enough as it did not detract from a pleasant visit. Whats more the park is located walking distance from Jacksboro.

***Disclaimer*****************We’re a family of 5 with kids ages 9,9, and 6. Our setup is a 35’ motorhome with 50amp service. We rely on the MH bathroom and shower but will take advantage of park facilities when they are acceptable. We have an inflatable kayak for smaller lakes and we like to fish and geocache. We also take the kids’ bikes along. We typically spend 2 or 3 days max in a park and consider things to do nearby, but most of our time is spent in the park itself. Our park experiences and reviews are based off the above.**************Fort Richardson State ParkI spent 2 nights at this state park with just one of the kiddos over a hot weekend in July. We had a nice experience at the park and would recommend it if you have a chance to visit. On to the details:Camping Sites – The full hookup (water/sewer/electric) sites and the screened shelters are located in more of an open area towards the back of the park. There is not as much protection from the sun along these sites but there seemed to be a nice breeze along the stretch since it is more open. I noted that most of these campsites seemed backwards to me. The picnic tables and firerings were on the opposite side of where your RV door and awnings are. It just seemed odd as I don’t think I’ve run across a Texas SP set up in this fashion. Even the RV dump station was on the wrong side as almost all RV plumbing fixtures seem to be on the driver’s side. In order to dump you have cross the oncoming traffic and pull to the side of the road. Not a huge deal, but odd. Although we normally get a full hook-up site, we opted to stay around the curve and down at #22. There is a lot more shade down there and it is an elevation change as well. Site #22 is right next to the path that leads back on one of the creek trails. It is about 50 yards from one of the creek fishing holes. The campsite pads had plenty of room to accommodate some very large rigs and outside of crossing the small creek bed the whole park was easy to get in and out of. Lake/Reservoir - I thought this looked like a good size pool of water to drop the kayak in from the looks of satellite images. Well, it was perfect size, but the water is about 25’ straight down a rock wall. The reservoir was actually a nice peaceful place and you can walk all the way around it. Water was pretty low from the looks of it. Fishing was hard due to all the grass/moss you had to fight through, and since you are fishing from so far above the water it is a little more difficult. We had no luck fishing for bass during the weekend. We had some really decent catfish bites at night but only had luck hooking one small one that didn’t make it up the rock ledge before wiggling off. It was a little scary fishing off the ledge in the dark as it was a good drop down to the water with no easy way back out. Be careful with the kiddos out there.Bathrooms/Showers – The bathroom over by the group area was pretty new and kept nice. The all appear to be cleaned daily. the shower facilities were “meh”. I wouldn’t use them given I have a better option, but I’ve seen worse. Misc. – If you are into historical things you will probably enjoy the actual fort park of the park. I myself I’m not a huge history buff but we checked it out. The hospital is nicely reconstructed and staged and my 9 yo son enjoyed it. It was really hot while we were out there and this part of the park is wide open to the sun so we went, we saw, and we left. The interpretive center has some stuff to read and check out. We did not do the tour.Trails – we walked the trails on both sides of the creek and they were nice. Very shaded for the most part and was surprised at the elevation changes. We stumbled on a couple of the fishing holes. Very small and shrinking fast. Held a couple good size fish but they had no interest in anything. They were fun to watch none the less and we spent a decent amount of time down there. Group Area – this park had one of the best group pavilion areas I’ve seen in a Texas SP. It looked newly constructed with a big grill area and a huge group fire pit/ring made out of stone. The playground was pretty nice and the whole area is pretty well shaded back there. Wildlife – this park is filled with white tail deer. I don’t think I’ve seen more deer in one specific park. We mainly saw them in the morning up on the main road by the back campsites. The fawns looked like they were only a couple weeks old. We also saw a decent bit as we were hiking on the trails along the creek. If you’ve not been out there, there’s not a whole lot heading into Jacksboro. There is a small grocery store and a Fred’s general store, but I’d take what you’ll need rather than plan on getting things while you’re there. Dining in town is slim. Chicken Express, Sonic, and a couple small sit down restaurants. We did have a pizza at Romas on the main road into town and it was pretty good. I didn’t see a whole lot of reason to head into town personally. All-in-all, we had a good trip and enjoyed visiting this state park. It was hot as heck, but it was Texas in July! I’d recommend stopping by if you’re anywhere in the general area, especially if you like Texas history.

The low rating for this attraction is not on account of the features on site; it is because of a problem with interpretation. We received a potted history of the post that was at odds with the facts, disrespectful of Indians and Blacks (completely ignoring the service here of the 10th US Cavalry, a Buffalo Soldiers regiment), and utterly chauvinistic. I mean, we are not politically correct people, but we know Western history, and this guy was just out of line. We left the tour to walk about on our own, and greatly enjoyed the preserved buildings of the old post. Do check this place out, however, and bring your own facts! A fine historic site, administered by the state of Texas.

This is a very nice State Park and has a well maintained garrison hospital. Park staff is accommodating and knowledgeable of the history of this area. Our tour of the remains of the Fort was very interesting and the guide was well informed. Would certainly recommend.

abrievated view of history but nothing too exciting.