Lake Meredith National Recreational Area - Fritch, TX
Posted by: WalksfarTX
N 35° 38.620 W 101° 35.181
14S E 265829 N 3947508
Park Headquarters are located at coordinates given. The Park is on the Canadian River some thirty miles northeast of Amarillo in Moore, Hutchinson, and Potter counties, in the Texas Panhandle.
Waymark Code: WMQ0X2
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2015
Views: 8
Texas State Historical AssnThe park comprises 45,000 acres of canyonland and grassland. The lake was called Sanford Reservoir until 1974, when it was renamed for A. A. Meredith, an early promoter of the lake. It was given the status of a national recreation area in 1990. The park headquarters in Fritch is the main contact point for the lake, though information is also available at the Lake Meredith Aquatic and Wildlife Museum in Fritch, at the Sanford-Yake Ranger Station, and, during the summer, at the Alibates Contact Station. Short grasses, including buffalo grass, grama, and sand dropseed, abound on the mesa tops and hillsides, and such tall grasses as Indian grass, switchgrass, and reeds are found in the watered creeks. The geological features of the area are the result of erosion by wind and water. The mesa tops are the result of the Alibates dolomite, a resistant rock layer. Where this has eroded away, hills of various shapes, sometimes resembling artificial mounds, are found. Wildlife-including birds, coyotes, and deer-is common, and raccoons, skunks, and porcupines are regular visitors. The western diamondback and prairie rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes in the area.
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is the primary recreation area for the Texas Panhandle and surrounding area, with opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting, camping, picnicking, off-road vehicle use, and nature study; it is used by some 1½ million visitors annually.
Visitor's center open Monday - Friday. Closed on holidays between Labor Day and Memorial Day.