Possum Kingdom Lake -- Before you ever lay eyes on Hell's Gate, a famous Texas landmark, and before its towering limestone bluffs drop into the water of one of the most scenic lakes in all of the Lone Star State, one thought is almost certain to come to mind: The drive was worth it!

Actually, for denizens of North Texas, the drive is part of the pleasure of experiencing a magical part of Texas where the wide open spaces of horse and cattle country fade in the rear view mirror and a little bit of the Hill Country, with all its rolling terrain, plateaus and cliffs, rises up to meet you.

Welcome to Possum Kingdom.

Yet, even as you revel in the glory of Mother Nature, there is an occasional reminder of her fury.

Here and there visitors will see where the blazing fingers of a raging wildfire raced over a hill only to come face-to-face with firefighters who battled the historic wildfires of 2011.

But that was last year. 

In 2012, Possum Kingdom is in the midst of a building boom and bouncing back bigger and better than ever. More than 200 homes around the lake were destroyed by wildfires in April and again in September.  In all 133,000 acres near picturesque Possum Kingdom Lake were reduced to smoldering ruins and property damage was estimated to be in the neighborhood of $100 million. But this is a remarkable landscape and most homeowners who came back to charred ruins are now watching carpenters finish out bigger and larger homes than those lost to voracious wildfires.

In fact, Mark Anderson, president of Anderson Fine Homes, says he started getting calls before the flames ever reached the homes as resolute homeowners asked to be placed at the top of his list once the smoke cleared. One such rebuild, widely known as the "Texas flag house," is now an icon of the resilient spirit that echoes off 90-foot limestone cliffs in this section of Possum Kingdom Lake known as Sportsman's World.

“It’s no secret that last year’s wildfires made our tourist season a difficult one for local businesses and residents," said Gayla Chambers, executive director of the Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce (PKCC).  "Today, we’re proud that 50 of the 150 homes that were burned are already being rebuilt.  With more growth and development happening every day, the entire Possum Kingdom Lake community is excited to launch a new outdoor travel season. Whether it’s for a relaxing getaway or a fun weekend of play, we’re ready to welcome visitors back to our beautiful 310 mile shoreline.”

Visitors to Possum Kingdom Lake in 2012 will find a 19,800-acre jewel of a lake, ringed by spectacular architecture perched atop majestic limestone bluffs. In many ways, Possum Kingdom is building back bigger and better than ever. Home renovations are underway in all areas of the lake.  In the Sportsman's World housing addition, 27 home rebuilds are underway along with two new homes under construction.  The average rebuild is 66% larger than previous fire-destroyed structure.

Over at Smart Hardware & Building Supply, these are very busy days, but general manager and co-owner James Milton still winces at the memory of 2011.

"No one wants to get business that way," Mr. Milton says quietly.

At The Grille at Hill Country Harbor, chef Steve Mitchell directs the staff of a newly renovated example of fine dining that features a spacious indoor accommodations with a Southwestern flair as well as scenic outdoor dining by the lake. The restaurant even has 10 convenient courtesy floating boat slips that allow guests to boat up to The Grille and walk right in.

But last year Chef Mitchell was directing a rescue and evacuation operation from his strategic location at The Grille.  The restaurant became a cafeteria and rest area for weary firefighters who had been on the scene three days. But two sets of devastating wildfires, difficult evacuations and one of the hottest, driest summers on record are history now. With Possum Kingdom rebuilding and the area booming, Chef Mitchell is preparing for another sort of record: the best year in the history of Possum Kingdom Lake.

About Possum Kingdom Lake -- Whether your interest is water sports, camping, fishing, history, sightseeing, special events or just looking for something different for a vacation or weekend getaway, Possum Kingdom Lake and the counties of Palo Pinto, Young and Stephens offer a huge variety of activities or plenty of opportunity for just plain relaxing.

The lake has a surface area of 19,800 acres and a shoreline of 310 miles. Morris Sheppard Dam named for Senator John Morris Sheppard and authorized by the United States Congress in 1935 was the first erected by the Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation District, later to become the Brazos River Authority (BRA). It was begun on May 29, 1938 and was completed March 20, 1941. Engineers estimated the lake would need several years to reach full level, however, within a few days of completion; heavy rains up river caused the lake to fill within 24 hours.

The estimated annual visitor number is close to one million and facilities to accommodate these visitors have grown dramatically over the last several years. The Possum Kingdom community is an unincorporated area. No population figures are available. Situated 90 miles NW of Fort Worth, Texas Possum Kingdom Lake can be accessed south from Graham, Texas (referred to as the “West Side”) and north from Mineral Wells, Texas (referred to as the “East Side”). Driving distance from each side is approximately 45 minutes.  www.possumkingdomlake.com