Lake Mineral Wells State Park, Texas

Home to the famous Penitentiary Hollow, so while you’re at this park beware of escaped convicts and dangerous criminals on the loose! Well not exactly. Unless these outlaws come in the form of ghosts. The bizarre name for Lake Mineral Wells’ famous rock-climbing canyon, this spot was supposedly where ancient cattle thieves used to hide their stolen spoils, long before the area was turned into a 3,283-acre state park. Today, this land of buried treasure is also popular to park goers for lake activities such as swimming, fishing and boating (although tubing, skiing and jet skiing are not allowed, sad face). The 12.8 miles of park trails are excellent for hikers, bikers and horseback riders as is the 20-mile multi-use trailway, which passes through the park from Mineral Wells to Weatherford. As you meander your way through the trees and wildflowers that blanket the park and trailway, you might just spot a wild turkey, waterfowl, white-tailed deer or songbird. And who knows, maybe you’ll happen to stumble across that long lost loot!