LAKE MINERAL WELLS
  STATE PARK  & 
PENITENTIARY HOLLOW

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Lake Mineral Wells State Park is just a couple miles from beautiful downtown Mineral Wells.  

 This park has many attributes, a fishing lake surrounded by woods which becomes a warm swimming hole in summer, a trail connection to the main Lake Mineral Wells Trailway and a major rock climbing area called Penitentiary Hollow.

CLICK HERE FOR A MAP AND DIRECTIONS 
TO MINERAL WELLS STATE PARK

Click here for Texas Hunting & Fishing Info

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  click a thumbnail to view a photo 

A dam forms Lake Mineral Wells. Dams seem to form most of the lakes in Texas. The road across the dam often serves double duty as a spillway.

minwell.jpg (64226 bytes) The entry to Penitentiary Hollow.
minwell7.jpg (50631 bytes) Looking into the Hollow. The photo assistant for this look at Penitentiary Hollow was an acrophobic West Texan. West Texans grow up in a flatland with few opportunities to get acclimated to cliffs and mountains.
minwell6.jpg (62262 bytes) Dozens of rock climbers, here above the Hollow, dozens more down in the Hollow.
minwell11.jpg (66241 bytes) Ropes tethered to trees with humans dangling below.
minwell12.jpg (41663 bytes) Rock climbers and rock climber assistants in the Hollow.
minwell14.jpg (46226 bytes) As you can see in this photo rock climbers in Texas come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
minwell10.jpg (46031 bytes) Like a bug on a wall this climber seemed glued to one spot for a long time. And then he fell.
minwell9.jpg (46332 bytes) Rappelling down appeared to be a lot more fun than trying to climb up.
minwell8.jpg (49072 bytes) This one appears to be climbing up. But he may be rappelling down.
minwell3.jpg (45769 bytes) There are caves down in Penitentiary Hollow. And narrow passageways between cliffs. These passageways activated the West Texan's claustrophobia. That flat West Texas land seems to be a severe phobia generator.
lake.jpg (33680 bytes) Trails take you from Penitentiary Hollow down to Lake Mineral Wells and then lead around the lake to the other parts of the park, like the camping area.
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Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway is located in Mineral Wells, Parker County, Texas. It includes Lake Mineral Wells and Penitentiary Hollow, a geological feature which resembles a small canyon. It is a popular site for rock climbing. The park also has over 17 miles of hiking trails, 9 of which are open to bicycles and horses. 

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