Bonham -- With almost half of fiscal year 2016 on the books, Bonham State Park is showing a whopping 48% increase in revenue at this point over the same time period in 2015.
The historic 261-acre state park located three miles south of Bonham has added more interpretive programs on Saturdays, which has attracted additional visitors. A sample of these programs from 2015 included Dutch Oven Cooking, Conservation and Wetlands, Bats and Beavers, Orienteering, and Night Sounds. Interpretive programs will begin again in late March.
Another major factor for the substantial increase so far in 2016 is that first-time campers at Bonham State Park began showing up in large numbers when record rainfall in 2015 led to flooding and closures at Cedar Hill State Park, Eisenhower State Park and Ray Roberts State Park. And evidently these new visitors liked what they found at serene and scenic Bonham State Park, because they keep coming back.
"We ended up getting some new campers in addition to our regular core campers," explains park manager Lee Ellis. "We had a huge summer and it really hasn't stopped."
In fact, camping spots for one particular weekend in October 2016 are already booked up.
Ellis believes that what happened in Austin at the last legislative session could pay dividends for years to come at state parks all across the state.
"The state legislature did a good job for us this year," Ellis remarked. "We are receiving the vast majority of the sporting goods tax, which gives us a dedicated source of funding."
Ellis believes there may very well be some interesting TPWD projects announced in the month aheads, although he cautions that any major TPWD capital improvements will require 1-2 years planning.
"A lot of this is 3-4 years down the road, but these are exciting times for TPWD," remarks Ellis. "We have great leadership in the legislature this year. This has been the most successful year for TPWD in my 30-year career."
Park reservations are available at www.texasstateparks.org or by calling 512-389-8900. To rent group facilities at Bonham State Park, it is necessary to call 512-389-8900.