This campground is located just 15 miles southwest of Abilene along side of Lake Abilene and the shady banks of Elm Creek, where large trees arch overhead, deer herd and other critters wander by in flocks.

The state park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in a location where the Rolling Plains meet the Edwards Plateau. This is a wooded oasis of oak and juniper which rmix with the prairies and afford a home for a large diversity of wildlife.

This has become one of my go to locations because this state park has many amenities and one of the best of these amenities is camping with electric and water for as little as $12.00 per night.

Comanche Indians: Just south of Abilene, Texas, this state park features a large grove of oak, cedar, elm and pecan trees, now a favorite picnic area, but once was a campground for Comanche Indians.

Abilene state park includes 529 acre, much of which is Lake Abilene. There is also a baseball field, bird blind, biking and hiking trails, boat ramp, canoe-kayak launch, camping (group, RV, tent), fishing, park store, picnic areas, playground, screened shelters, showers, swimming pool, volleyball court, yurts and wildlife viewing.

Elm Creek, which is a tributary of the Brazos River and rises 3 miles southeast of Nolan, Texas in Nolan County and then flows northeast for 60 mile, during which it passes through Lake Abilene at Abilene State Park, then Buffalo Gap, next Abilene in Taylor County. Next, Elm Creek flows seven miles north to and through Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County and then flows north for five miles where it merges with the Clear Fork Brazos River a short distance north of Historic Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County.

Buffalo Wallow, which is a small spring fed lake where fishing is allowed without a state fishing license due to it being in Abilene State Park.

Like many of the state parks in Texas, this one too is beginning to become run down with park roads cracked and pot holed in places. Still, over all, I really like this park as the park personnel go out of their way to help visitors.

One nice feature I especially noticed is that in the one shower building that I visited for this review (shower building between the Yurts and Screened Shelters), it has the best ADA facility that I have seen anywhere. However, the sit down shower feature did not have extra hot water even though the stand up shower did.

Still, because the faucets in these shower stalls are valve temperature controlled, it is my opinion that the hot water could have been a little hotter. This is why I gave the hot water in this shower a rating of Medium Hot (only +2 points) and not my top rating of Steamy Hot (+3 points).

On a more recent visit, I stay one night in the Pecan Grove Loop and find this shower to have steamy hot water. Later, when talking with the camp hosts, I am told that they were the ones who raised the temperature to 130 degrees.

Buffalo Gap, Texas, which is the closest town to the state park, is for the most part has an old western theme with quite a few of old homes and businesses which have been preserved and/or restored. Of these homes and businesses, most all of them are now just turkey shoots which support the tourist industry, having become so by selling gifts, trinkets and other junk.

Except for stopping once or twice in Buffalo Gap, Texas, I have not explored these surrounds.

Daily entrance fee is in addition to the camping fee.

Each campsite allows eight people per site.

Drive to access, fire ring with grill, picnic tables, and water.

Restrooms, some with showers are in loop or nearby.

For electricity and water hookups, see camping fees below.

$5.00 per day per person: 13 years and older

$20.00 per night, $120 per week

3 sites - 30 amp electric, water and sewer.

$18.00 per night, $108 per week

3 sites - 30 amp electric and water hookups

13 sites - 30-50 amp electric and water hookups

Showers nearby

$15.00 per night, $90 per week

8 sites - 30-50 amp electric and water hookups. Lantern post.

Restroom and Shower house in loop.

$12.00 per night, $72 per week

35 sites - 30-50 amp electric and water hookups. Tents are allowed

Picnic tables and fire rings included. Restroom in loop and limited WiFi.

$12.00 per night, $72.00 per week

12 Sites, Tent only, lantern post.

Water, shower and restroom in loop.

5 sites $18.00 per night

One tent allowed, water and electric

6 Yurts, five person capacity, $50.00 per night

1 Yurt, eight person capacity, $75.00 per night

Double, single bunk, futon bed, microwave, mini fridge, cooling unit.

Brushy Tail Campsite: none (closest restroom-shower: Oak Grove)

Cedar Grove Campsite: Restroom and Shower (Medium Hot)

Oak Grove Campsite: Restroom and ADA Shower (Medium Hot)

Pecan Grove Campsite: Restroom and Shower (Medium Hot)

Wagon Circle Campsite: Restroom only (closest shower: Oak Grove)

My morning alarm awakens me and I arise, dress in my winter blues, step outside and walk to the pavilion in the middle of the wagon circle for the mens room. The sun has just risen above the tree tops in the east and my shadow stretches westward across the inner circle of the loop. Also, inside the inner circle is an ancient Live Oak tree that has large branches extending outward and then down to rest on the ground. The last time I saw a live oak this large, I believe, was when I was at Goose Island state park, yes, in December 2022 when I was there camping.

Upon my return to the jammer, I climb back inside and turn on the electric heater to take the chill out of the inside of the jammer. I do not have to run it very long before I am taking off my shirt. Yes, the day warms up very nicely, and I find myself in only my shorts and shirt most all day long. True to my prediction about not having to cook supper, I have more than enough leftovers to satisfy my food needs. In fact, I was not hungry enough to may my Day Start but just waited until I was ready to eat my leftover meal from yesterday. I stay inside most of the day, getting out to walk to the mens room a couple of times.

Also, I stepped outside in the middle of the day to examine the rear two fixed windows, and to cut the newly purchased window shade into the shape of those two windows. I got a good start on doing that, but installing them behind the plastic paneling will be for another day and likely will not happen until arriving at the bottom of Texas for my winter hiatus. Only then, am I likely to have the time to remove all the screws necessary to remove those panels. At about five this evening, I put away my tools and stow the window shades, close the rear lift door and climb back inside the jammer and again turn on my computer to update today′s journal entry.

Awake this morning and it is really cold outside, so cold that I do not even venture outside until after eleven this morning. Instead, I just stay in to keep warm. This is my second morning here during this Arctic Storm and I have two more nights to stay hunkered down here. Then on Thursday morning after the Arctic storm has run its course, I will drive out of the state park and continue my journey eastward towards my next stop in Tennessee to visit my friends Joe and Sarah.

At about twenty minutes before four this afternoon, just before completing all of the revision that I have been making, I stop, step outside in the now wonderfully warm day, get out my cook pot, stove and all the remaining vegetables. After sitting down at the picnic table, I begin by putting on a quart of bone broth to boil and add a cup of quinoa and a quarter cup of sprouted brown rice, then I proceed in chopping all of the vegetables and begin adding them to the cook pot.

The recipe today is identical to what I cooked on Monday of this week, except that I used the last one of my sweet potatoes in the pot today. Next, when the stew is just about done cooking, I begin stowing all of my gear and by four-thirty, I carry the cook pot inside, put away the stove and fuel, close the rear lift door and climb inside to finish up my current upgrade while I enjoy the vegetable stew.

And goodness gracious wow, this meal is really the best that I have cooked. I hold back the leafy greens until the last five minutes of cooking the stew

When this campground was built, there were 37 spaces for just about any size RV to park in, however, as the park ranger told me upon my arival this past Sunday afternoon, "We used to use all of the spaces but it was too crowded for that many vehicles. Also, it was COVID that convinced the park to keep the number of spaces at the current number of eighteen."

As can be seen on this next photo, each space has two electrical boxes but only one number.

After arriving yesterday afternoon and parking my vehicle in space number 65, I then walk to the shower house and getting into so steamy hot water. Then, I return to the jammer, close all the doors and windows and crank up the heat because the temperature is steadily decreasing.

This morning, I sleep in so as to not have to deal with the below freezing weather. Still, by eight this morning, I risen, climbed out of the jammer and begun boiling water for my morning two cups of hot and a cup of Daystart. Then, when I have finished my breakfast, I unplug and drive to the ranger entrance station to obtain my camping permit for three nights in the Wagonwheel Loop. After sticking the permit to the windshield, I drive to the loop, back into space number 2 and then after setting my alarm to four this afternoon, I climb into the rear of the jammer to take a nap.

When I awake, I return to my key pounding and while doing so, methinks that as the world enters into their end of the year season of holiday celebrations, this old wayfarer will be striving to evade of all of those pagan rituals, primarily doing so by staying away from the larger cities during my migration south, but also by spending as much time as possible in the forest or otherwise undeveloped areas at least until the end of this year, when the holiday season ends. What I infer to by calling it the forest, is that I will be looking to spend a lot of my time camping in the national forest, state parks or just in a very small town where I can hole up for a couple of days.

I awake at half past three, dress in my winter blues, and find that the temperature has warmed up to 42 degrees, so I get out my cook pot, stove and vegetables to make a pot of my Repast stew, which today includes: sprouted rice, sprouted quinoa, chopped red chard, chopped young broccoli, a yellow onion chopped, all in a quart container of bone broth. I do so love this recipe as it is both nourishing as it is filling. After the meal is ready, I put away my stove, climb into my office and sit down to eat my supper while I pound keys. I finish eating at six-thirty this evening and because this meal is not only very tasty but also very filling, I am only able to eat half of the pot of my vegetable stew. I will save what remains to eat for my midday meal.

At seven this evening, I look outside and see that it has become dim with the forest totally black with the sky still has some light but it to is fast turning into the darkness of night. I continue pounding keys right into the evening.

Arriving here at the campground in the late afternoon, and drive first to the shower house for some hot water. Then, I drive to my campsite and set up to stay for only one night. I am here primarily for the hot water because it has been about a week since my last shower of hot water.

In fact, that is the first place that I drive to upon arriving, after which, I drive to my campsite, plug in my electric cord and climb into the jammer. The wind here rages all day long blowing dust and leaves into the air, so I spend most of the time here inside the jammer pounding keys, well except for a trip or two to the mens room.

The next day, upon awaking, I dress in my fall blues, step outside and get out my stove and teapot to boil water and prepare my morning meal. When the hot drinks and food are ready, I climb back inside and pound on the keyboard while I enjoy my meal.

Late in the morning, I pack out and drive back to the shower house for my second shower during this stay in the park. Next, I drive out of the campground and south on SH 89 to Lake Abilene.

Yesterday, when I checked in, the ranger asked if I have seen the lake recently and told me that it is nearly empty. Upon arriving at the swimming beach, I see how low the water level actually is. Abilene lake is just one more casualty of the twenty plus year drought that this continent is currently experiencing.

After I enjoy my mid day meal, I drive to the north Bird Trail trailhead and take a couple photos here, but since I have decided not to walk the entire Bird Trail, I get into the jammer and drive to the south trailhead.

When I arrive at the south bird trail, I find a place to park and then walk the 150 yards distance to the bird blind where I plan to take some photos of the bird feeding there.

Upon arriving at the blind, I begin taking photos and see several Carolina chickadee, a black-crested titmouse both male and female cardinals and a female Pyrrhuloxia.

Then, since there are not many bird, I leave here and drive to the shower house for a hot shower. After that, I return to my space here in the state park for one more night before I must needs continue to move south. As the sun begins to set in the west the temperature drops quite rapidly.

Awake, dress in my fall blues, unplug the jammer and then drive to the Oak Grove shower house for a hot shower. Along the way, I see the Elm Creek Nature Trail but pass it by for now. After my shower, I drive back toward my site, stop at the Elm Creek Trailhead and take some photos.

Then, I drive back to the Wagon Circle Campground, park and begin working on my morning meal. Since the temperature is now well above freezing, I have decided to not only make hot drinks like I have been doing for the last two days, and then later making my meal, but to cook my skillet cheese omelet with chopped vegetables at the same time. I start a charcoal fire and also boil water on my cook stove.

After chopping the vegetables, I begin grilling the onions which seem to take a long time. When I add the rest of the vegetables

The charcoal seem to have lost their heat and there is no sizzle in the skillet. So, since I have finished boiling the water and making my hot drinks, I determine that I need to use the cook stove to finish my breakfast.

I put the skillet with the vegetables onto the stove and immediately I get the sizzle as well as steam coming up from the skillet. In no time, the vegetables are sautéed and I can add the egg and coconut milk mixture. Soon, the omelet is done and I add two ounces of Monterey Jack cheese and retune the lid back over the skillet to bake.

Finally, I move the skillet inside the jammer, then clean up the kitchen and stow the stove in its place. Then I move inside to eat while I pound the keys.

Awake, dress in my fall blues with my raincoat on and get out my stove and tea pot to boil water. When the water boils, I make a cup of coffee, cup of tea and a cup of Daystart, carry all the cups into the jammer office and then return to the rear tail gate to put the cookpot away for now. Next, I step back to the slide door and climb inside to pound keys while I eat my breakfast.

About mid day, the temperature rises to a very comfortable warmth and I step out of the jammer, get out my brush, bucket and hose and begin washing the outside of the jammer. I stop just short of cleaning the windows with glass cleaner and will leave that for another day.

With the warm air outside, I start a charcoal fire in the fire pit so that I can cook a meal. I choose to prepare a vegetable omelet with cheese on top. I begin by chopping celery, bell pepper, yellow onion and zucchini to grill in the skillet with butter. Once the vegetables are sautéed, I pour the whipped eggs over the top, cover and let cook. Next, I sprinkle some Monterey Jack cheese over the top and recover for another five minutes.

Finally, I bring the skillet into the jammer and set it on the desk and enjoy the omelet while pounding on the computer keys.

I arrive in Abilene on a Wednesday and will have to stay in town four nights before my reservation at the campground begins. I am taking a respite here due to an Arctic blast that is coming down over the continent. I had been in contact with my friend David in central Tennessee who tells me that the temperature has been getting down into the low 20s there. He lives near the IH 40 corridor and earlier this month when I was in that latitude, it was that cold as well, but now, I am near the IH 20 corridor latitude and find it just a little bit warmer here.

I still have until this Sunday before I will be able to drive into Abilene State Park and plug in.

Wake, start engine, dress, drive, sip coffee, check com, pound keys until noon. Then, I pack out and drive twelve mile south on Buffalo Gap road (SH 89) to Abilene state park for a hot shower and while here take some photos of the park, including some in the bird blind.