The CCC Built Cleburne State Park Around a Spring-Fed Lake

Cleburne State Park began taking shape in 1935, when a Civilian Conservation Corps company moved into the valley southwest of Fort Worth. The crew built a dam, a scenic road, a bridge, and park buildings, and kept adding structures through 1940.

Their dam created 116-acre Cedar Lake, and the three-level masonry spillway was cut by hand into local limestone. After a good rain, water stepping down those levels looks like a broad waterfall. Nearly 13 miles of trails now wrap around the lake and its wooded hills.

Visitors can paddle, swim, fish, or use no-wake boats; personal watercraft are not allowed. TPWD lends fishing gear, and no license is needed to fish inside the park. Check the live park page for alerts and passes, then look for the hand-built spillway that still gives the lake its shape.