CLEBURNE STATE RECREATIONAL PARK. Cleburne State Recreational Park is located on Park Road 21 just south of U.S. Highway 67 and twelve miles southwest of Cleburne in southwestern Johnson County. The park originated in 1934 when a group of Cleburne businessmen purchased a few hundred acres of land at the present site and turned it over to the State Parks Board with the understanding that a park would be developed according to the arrangements that existed between the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Park Service. The land had been the home of Comanche raiding parties during the Civil War. In 1934 the CCC constructed a dam, a shelter, a residence for the park superintendent that still stands, and nature trails. In the park are deer, quail, and raccoons. The park covers 529 acres and has an artificial lake with a surface area of 116 acres. Because of its proximity to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Cleburne State Recreational Park has become a popular camping spot.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ray Miller, Texas Parks (Houston: Cordovan, 1984 Vertical Files, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin.
