After being closed for more than three months due to a massive wildfire that burned much of the park, Bastrop State Park will reopen today (Friday, Dec. 2). Campers, picnickers and hikers are being welcomed back to the park in what is being called a "soft opening."

Texas Parks and Wildlife fire-fighting personnel were continuing with clean up work at Bastrop State Park Thursday, having saved almost all the historic Depression-era structures on the 6,000-acre park just east of fire-ravaged Bastrop.

Collegiate anglers throughout the country may begin registering online for the 2010 Collegiate Bass Fishing Open presented by Pepsi on Thursday, April 1. This unique, new event, scheduled for June 21-25 at Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee is part of the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series and is open to all eligible collegiate anglers nationwide.

When considering a New Year's resolution, try setting a goal to spend more time reconnecting with what matters most -- your family and the natural beauty of Texas.

Paddling and nature enthusiasts, government officials and interested Houstonians will celebrate the official opening of the Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail at Briar Bend Park on Thursday, April 16 when the Bayou Preservation Association teams up with TPWD for a festive dedication ceremony.

Nature-based fun abounds for Texas families, from diverse and outstanding state parks to programs and workshops that teach fishing, camping, paddling and much more. But alongside this good news, a growing body of books and studies reveals a serious issue: today's kids are losing touch with nature and that's taking a toll.

TPWD is inviting journalists to cover the Big Bend Ranch State Park Fiesta on May 2, when the park is waiving entrance fees for the public, there will be a free BBQ lunch and free tours, mountain bike and horse rides, live music and other activities.

Spring in Texas, with its pleasant temperatures, budding trees and riot of wildflowers, reigns as the most popular season for camping. So, there's no better time than the coming months to participate in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's increasingly popular program that introduces reluctant campers to the joys of pitching a tent under the stars.