Resaca de la Palma State Park

History

Walking through history

large tree surrounded by various shrubs and smaller trees

Walking along the banks of the park’s ancient resaca is like taking a tour through history. Flooding of the fourth largest river in the United States, the Rio Grande, formed this land.

A tropical forest grows along the banks of the resacas. These are likely the same trees that blocked the Spanish conquistadors when Nunez Cabeza de Vaca led his expedition to explore the Rio Grande in 1535.

Restoration

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department opened Resaca de la Palma in 1977 as a Wildlife Management Area. Biologists re-introduced native plants to land that had been used for agriculture.

In 2008, Resaca de la Palma opened as a state park.