Copper Breaks State Park

Copper Breaks State Park
Camping area in Copper Breaks State Park
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Location	Hardeman County, Texas
Nearest city	Quanah
Coordinates	34°6′41″N 99°45′9″W
Area	1,898.8 acres (768 ha)
Established	1974
Visitors	30,604 (in 2022)[1]
Governing body	Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Copper Breaks State Park is a state park in Hardeman County, Texas, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of Quanah, the county seat. It covers 1,898.8 acres (768.4 ha) and contains two small lakes and 10 miles (16 km) of trails.

History

Originally, Copper Breaks was part of the land held by the Comanche and Kiowa. Comanche mound sites can be found in Hardeman County, but not in the park itself. Purchased from a private landowner in 1970, the state park opened to the public in 1974.[2]

Features

Copper Breaks Lake

The park has two bodies of water in it, Copper Breaks Lake and Big Pond. It also includes a portion of the official state Texas longhorn herd.

Flora

Copper Breaks is a semi-arid region receiving 23.4 inches (590 mm) of rainfall in an average year, allowing the growth of bunch grasses, and narrow shallow breaks of mesquite, juniper, cottonwood, some scattered native pecan, hackberry, soapberry and a variety of wildflowers.

Fauna

Wildlife observed in the park includes mule deer, rabbits, raccoons, armadillos, opossums, bobcats, porcupines and coyotes. Roadrunners, great blue herons, many species of ducks, meadowlarks, quail, doves, cardinals, owls, flickers, bluebirds, kites, hawks and mockingbirds are just a few of the many species of birds found in the park. Numerous frogs, turtles and lizards can be seen, as well as an occasional horned toad. Lake Copper Breaks is stocked with rainbow trout each winter.

Stargazing

Stargazing at Copper Breaks State Park with Milky Way Galaxy

Copper Breaks is an International Dark Sky Park[3] and hosts a stargazing program once a month from April through October. The park's Bortle Scale rating is a Class 2, which indicates there's a very low amount of light pollution there which makes it a great place for celestial photography.[4]

References

1. Christopher Adams. "What is the most visited state park in Texas? Here's the top 10 countdown". KXAN.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
2. Copper Breaks State Park History
3. "Copper Breaks State Park (U.S.)". International Dark-Sky Association. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
4. "Stargazing at Copper Breaks". Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved June 28, 2023.

External links

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department page on Copper Breaks
• Copper Breaks State Park from the Handbook of Texas Online (used as reference)