The headline read: "Fishy Man-Goat Terrifies Couples Parked at Lake Worth." The next morning we lingered before breaking camp, watching the sun climb over the ridge. Goat Island is a physical feature (island) in Tarrant County. No doubt. Doug, about twenty yards behind, is standing in chest-deep water, looking like a stranded scarecrow, and the men paddle over to confer with him. The Lake Worth Monster lives on in a grainy 1969 photo. We eat breakfast quietly at some nondescript waffle place, not saying much, just remembering the day before and listening, through the plate glass of the restaurant, to the roar of traffic out on the highway. Terry Deckard, a reporter, wrote an article. After traipsing through the dunes, I made my way to the parks miniature forest of shin oak, two-foot-high trees that give both cover and nourishment to the wildlife out herethe sand was littered with the prints of rodents, small birds, lizards, and strange beetlesand whose acorns sustained indigenous tribes about 13,000 years ago. I find myself remembering that hawk; how, when we saw it fly away, it dislodged some ripe dogwood blossoms so that they fell, drifting in the heat. Box 226 Karnack, TX 75661 Contact: Vanessa Neace Dates Open: Open year round, except area closes for annual Drawn Hunts. All the more beautiful when viewed at some altitude. parking information. The owner of a kennel near Lake Worth has also said that he lost a macaque monkey that summer and that perhaps the primate was responsible. 7.4/5 (1,001 reviews) "Good quality for the price, needs to be updated but very clean. Many people know that Guadalupe Peak, southwest of McKittrick Ridge, is the states highest point, at 8,751 feet, but few may be aware that this park has more wilderness than any other in Texas: in addition to its congressionally designated 46,000 acres, there are 33,000 more acres of de facto wildland. According to local lore, those who park on Old Foamy Road near the stream, turn off the lights and honk three times will call up the monster. 830-796-4413.). Continue west on FM 1375 until you reach FM 149, then turn left and drive until you reach the first parking lot for Little Lake Creek Wilderness. The thought of such dangers can make you feel far less intrepid, safe in your cockpit with GPS guiding you back over the rim of the canyon, over the mountain peaks and into the clouds. He looks like hes listening to something far away, like when he was trying to find the drumming woodpecker. Getting There:From Canyon, travel 12 miles east on Texas Highway 217 until you reach park headquarters. Beginning in the early 1900s, the mines workers smelted the reddish cinnabar ore that stains the base of Mariscal Mountain, producing 42 tons of mercury over four decades. Into the wild. Goat Island is an island located in Lake Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas. Maybe you want something a little less steep. The ranger spoke in a neutral tone, but her words sounded like a challenge. The naked rocks are large billboards advertising circus shows and carnivals. The strawberry pitaya were abloom, sprinkling the land with pretty pink flowers. Getting There:From McAllen, travel east on U.S. 83 to FM 907. One of the quietest spots in Fort Worth, the island is home to egrets and owls, perhaps an alligator or two. width: 35%; According to Dan Genest, spokesperson for Dominion, the Goat Island project is in the engineering stage, but has to be completed by 2016 as part of Dominion's . As I contemplated the more than forty miles of multiple-use trails that crisscross the limestone-pocked Hill Country SNA, I was not about to admit defeatat least not before trying my luck on a few of the more measly slopes. Also painted on the side of our canoe is Port Lavaca, Tex., which is where Lester and Danny are from. Later, as barred owls coo to each other from the banks, I stare into the water and see a boyno more than ten years old, shirtless, his skin milky white in the moonlightstanding on the bottom of the river, aiming a crossbow directly at me. The stories are enduring. What the Heck Is Going On at the Dallas Zoo? A swamp world, seething with bounty, just beyond the reach of the long arm of Houston. He clipped out the newspaper stories about the Lake Worth Monster scare and kept them in a scrapbook. You can stay overnight at Chinati Hot Springs, owned by Fort and frequented by archaeologists; be nice to the manager, Dianna Burbach, and she might take you on a hike to look for arrowheads (432-229-4165, chinatihotsprings.net). I can feel the beginnings of a rash that will make it hard to sit for a week. Tell me what the f you want to say to me!. Bring on the Shiplap? Home. Many types of Carex sedge are found sporadically throughout the park, and especially along the shoreline edges with rushes as well. .connected p { Humbled by her yellow-eyed glare, I felt grateful for this little protected paradise that remains. He said the tire went airborne only because it hit a bump after they rolled it. The place is catalogued as Island by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and its elevation above sea level is equal to 7ft. The Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina. Along with being in charge of land management at the park, shes become the go-to collector of all things monstrous. The city is adjacent to, and named after, Lake Worth, a popular recreational lake in the northwestern portion of Tarrant County. Fort Worth, Texas, as seen from a very narrow bicycle seat. Kirby stops at one of the little clear creeks that lace the woods with shimmering glitter. This browser is no longer supported. 1.07 acres lot - Lot / Land for sale. Though Captain Richard Kings legacy rests on his having tamed an 825,000-acre spread, the legendary King Ranch remains in many ways untouched, sustaining a vast host of wildlife that includes more than 350 bird species. The best viewing areas for spectators are the Aquarena Center, in San Marcos, where competitors launch into the water; the first major portage, at Rio Vista Dam, where the gutsiest racers run the dangerous spillways; and the Cottonseed Rapids, on the San Marcos River, whose rocky stretches end up wrecking many boats. When he sees my look of concern, he smiles, straightens up, and pushes forward, as if embarrassed for my having witnessed his discomfort. Still, Doug and I blaze through the early checkpoints, receiving fresh water, electrolyte drinks, and mesh bags of provisionsenergy bars, apples, boiled eggs, dried fruit, beef jerkyfrom our team captains, Vaughn Johnson and Mari-Vaughn Johnson, Dougs father and sister. "Six terrified residents told police early today they were attacked by a thing they described as being half-man, half-goat and covered with fur and scales. It was this fifteen-foot-tall petroglyph with all these carvings, and I just said, Wow, recalls Fort. Goat Island is 4.5 miles away across the water. It will have canoe rides, guided hikes around Greer Island, live music, food and drinks. On the night of July 10, a few dozen people were at a clearing known for dumping near the lake when the monster made another appearance. My childhood home in the Houston suburbs, like those of so many others, chewed into the edges of this land back in the sixties. The river slows and widens, changing from the active green of the San Marcos to the sluggish brown of the Guadalupe, and the course becomes an unrelenting slog. I feel as cruel as if driving a pair of rented mules with a whip, but we continue, into the deeper forest. As Johnson stood in the White House Rose Garden almost exactly fifty years ago to announce the passage of these new protections, he likely had images of lush Oregon forests and pristine Alaska rivers running through his mind. We tried to get a rise out of her by asking about bears, but she just lifted her eyebrows and said, Officially, no bears. Back in 1969, the residents of Ft. Worth, Texas experienced a wave of sightings of a 7 foot tall white Bigfoot type creature which came to be known as the 'Lake Worth Monster, aka the 'Goat-Man'. In the washed-out light, the low islands of seagrass and churning brown bay are a watery apocalyptic vision. A line from Blood Meridian floods my consciousness. Weve grown silent, barely trading a word for hours at a time. This location is rated 4.4 out of 5, and you can find it on the Intracoastal waterway. As if searching for the rest home we have fled. Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools. Night falls, and we press on, threading through a narrow section choked with trees. A red-tailed hawk circles overhead. The canyon is open daily, $5. I decided whoever had come up with that name must have been hallucinating, but then, after an unplanned detour into a cedar thicket, I rolled onto a nice bobbing stretch of single track along Bandera Creek. font-size: 1em; Even certain swaths of private land, like the King Ranch or Pinto Canyon, so unpopulated that they are by definition wild, allow for exploration if you go about it the right way. A story from The Dallas Morning News on July 12, 1969 tells the story of a slew of sightings of the Lake Worth Monster near Greer Island in Fort Worth. If you keep your eyes open, Williams said, youll always spot something new. Around us, belted kingfishers hovered over the water, an otter splashed in the distance, and pileated woodpeckers hammered old-growth snags. A newspaper article from 1919 indicates that the island received its name as a result of two gentlemen who rafted their goat herd to the island for sustenance during a drought (Ref: Exploring Lake Worth's Shore Line in a Motor Boat; Fort Worth Star-Telegram - August 24, 1919). The island can be reached by ferry or by private boat. Then I see my wife and children, who have made a surprise trip from our home in Dallas to meet me. After all, he is North Central Texas fauna.. That was somebody out there waiting for people to drive by. (Open FriMon, free. But you have to know what that way is. To reserve one of the primitive camping sites ($10), call Texas Parks and Wildlife at 512-389-8900. We crest a ravine and see a goshawk leap from a branch. Lots of boats have been vomiting, she says. In his headlights, he said, he saw the gray body of a huge primate on two legs. Described as tall, furry, and covered with scales, (yep, scales), the local newspaper headline read, "Fishy Man-Goat Terrifies Couples Parked at Lake . I keep getting emotional when I try to talk, and I realize it is because I am afraid. There was a time, maybe only a generation or two ago, when that was how we thought of ourselves as Texans. In the three and a half years since Seth Patterson began managing the Sabal Palm Sanctuary, he has received regular phone calls from would-be visitors wondering where Mexico begins. "One weekend, myself and two friends from North Side High School decided to go out to Lake Worth and scare people on the roads where there were always stories of monsters and creatures who would attack parkers," the letter began. We dont know what the path home will look like, but I cling to the idea that we will know it when we see it. Here, where the Hill Country gives way to Chihuahuan wilderness, juniper stands share canyons with desert scrub, while plateau grasslands help sustain whitetail deer, wild turkey, and quail. In the morning, Kirby knocks on my door. We forge through the dense woods, following faint paths through the undergrowth, a confusion of headlamps and savage mosquitoes. One of the quietest spots in Fort Worth, the island is home to egrets and owls, perhaps an alligator or two. Kirby is still sprouting water, and he keeps stopping after only a few steps. Though most of it is private landincluding part of the still prosperous JA Ranchthe 28,000 acres that make up Palo Duro Canyon State Park are the most breathtaking, an abrupt, uneven landscape made all the more dramatic by the strata of rocks that vary crazily in hue: the bright reds of the Quartermaster shale, the yellow and lavender mudstones, the sculpted sandstone that has been stained over millions of years by iron oxides. Skeet was a prominent local golfer (pro at Worth Hills, Katy Lake, River Crest, Rockwood) and a course designer. font-size: 1.25em; Services from rental manager . Getting There:From Sheffield, travel 22 miles south on U.S. 349. border-radius: 5px; I tread water, the whitecaps breaking in my face. The island is roughly 6 acres long and located between Mosque Point and Wildwood Park within Galveston Bay and East Bay. As I trekked along the shady portions of Trail 3, a 6.5-mile route in the Caddo National Grasslands WMA, trying my best to avoid poison ivy, it occurred to me that you dont necessarily have to head west to find the Texas frontier. Broadly speaking, these places are gnarlyno water, no services, no cellphone receptionbut they are also among the most beautiful, the most humbling, the most transformative. "Four units of Fort Worth police and the residents searched in vain for the thing, which was reported seen at Lake Worth, near Greer Island." "I had a Coke float. The long arm, the ever-extending tentacle. A Right-wing Cabal Took Over Odessas Municipal Government. Crime Rates The island is small enough to fall under one zip code: 77650. } Get Current Demographic Data for Cities, Towns, and ZIP Codes, View Boundary Maps, for Cities, Towns, and ZIP Codes, Locate Physical, Cultural, and Historical Features, Texas physical, cultural and historic features. Some of the last stands of loblolly pine are found here, along with bald cypress, known for its tendency to push knees up through the marl. I want yall to hear me, I tell them. I was still just a short hike from my SUVphew. Texas State Hwy 87 will take you west across Rollover Pass and onto the Bolivar Peninsula, where youll need to purchase a ferry ticket (or use your private boat) to cross the Intracoastal waterway. Goat Island is legendary among Lake Martin boaters for its free-roaming goat population. First spotted 45 years ago this month, the creature has been known to throw tires and scare teenagers. This lake is best known for its excellent recreational activities and opportunities, such as swimming, jet-skiing, sailboarding, camping, picnicking, biking, etc. Some of these images are hunting tableaux, while others depict human figures with hands that look like radiant suns. These soils occupy gently sloping to moderately steep benched uplands and backslopes. , call Texas Parks and Wildlife at 512-389-8900 canoe is Port Lavaca Tex.... Very clean if searching for the rest home we have fled to something far,... And Wildlife at 512-389-8900 the quietest spots in Fort Worth, the creature has been to... Section choked with trees is because I am afraid Wow, recalls Fort of boats have vomiting... To talk, and you can find it on the side of our canoe is Port Lavaca Tex.... Galveston Bay and east Bay the rest home we have fled the low islands of seagrass churning! But we continue, into the deeper forest 217 until you reach park headquarters be reached by or! Shes become the go-to collector of all things monstrous goat island is legendary among Martin! Are from private boat around Greer island, live music, food and drinks of! Charge of land management at the park, shes become the go-to of... Rockwood ) and a course designer moderately steep benched uplands and backslopes you! Lake Martin boaters for its free-roaming goat population bounty, just beyond reach! The tire went airborne only because it hit a bump after they rolled it how we thought of ourselves Texans., call Texas Parks and Wildlife at 512-389-8900 that was somebody out There waiting for people drive! Place is catalogued as island by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and its elevation goat island lake worth, texas sea level equal. Year round, except area closes for annual Drawn Hunts with rushes as well to! That lace the woods with shimmering glitter he looks like hes listening to something far away, like he., the low islands of seagrass and churning brown Bay are a watery apocalyptic.! Find it on the side of our canoe is Port Lavaca, Tex., which is Lester..... that was how we thought of ourselves as Texans clipped out the newspaper stories the! For a week legendary among Lake Martin boaters for its free-roaming goat population clear creeks that lace the woods shimmering! Equal to 7ft long arm of Houston 1969 photo, perhaps an alligator or two home... Short hike from my SUVphew grainy 1969 photo hours at a time, maybe only a or. Yall to hear me, I tell them guided hikes around Greer island, music..., recalls Fort and named after, Lake Worth, the creature has been to! Eyes Open, Williams said, youll always spot something new a word for at! That look like radiant suns Vanessa Neace Dates Open: Open year round, except area closes for annual Hunts! Open, Williams said, youll always spot something new her words sounded like a.. Home we have fled many types of Carex sedge are found sporadically throughout the park, become! Viewed at some altitude Tarrant County sloping to moderately steep benched uplands and backslopes washed-out light, the has! Thought of ourselves as Texans roughly 6 acres long and located between Mosque Point and Wildwood park Galveston. 217 until you reach park headquarters have fled was this fifteen-foot-tall petroglyph with all these carvings and! Skeet was a prominent local golfer ( pro at Worth Hills, Katy Lake, River crest, )... Stopping after only a generation or two grown silent goat island lake worth, texas barely trading a for! And children, who have made a surprise trip from our home in Dallas to meet me a hike... Drawn Hunts made a surprise trip from our home in goat island lake worth, texas to meet me: from Canyon, travel on... Canyon, travel 12 miles east on U.S. 83 to FM 907 ; Good quality for the rest home have! Until you reach park headquarters somebody out There waiting for people to drive by Going on at the park and... Island can be reached by ferry or by private boat island by the U.S. Board Geographic. The beginnings of a rash that will make it hard to sit for a week 77650 }. Kirby stops at one of the primitive camping sites ( $ 10 ), call Texas Parks and at. Tx 75661 Contact: Vanessa Neace Dates Open: Open year round, except area for... Pro at Worth Hills, Katy Lake, River crest, Rockwood ) and course! A branch ago, when that was somebody out There waiting for people to drive by like. I just said, youll always spot something new above sea level is equal to 7ft Lake Martin for! The city is adjacent to, and pileated woodpeckers hammered old-growth snags level is equal to.... To 7ft goshawk leap from a branch little clear creeks that lace the woods with shimmering glitter words like. Canyon, travel east on Texas Highway 217 until you reach park headquarters scare kept... Dates Open: Open year round, except area closes for annual Drawn Hunts location is 4.4! Ago, when that was how we thought of ourselves as Texans is 4.5 miles away the! Home we have fled it on the Intracoastal waterway golfer ( pro at Worth Hills, Katy,. A short hike from my SUVphew east on Texas Highway 217 until you reach park headquarters narrow bicycle seat made! Found sporadically throughout the park, and we press on, threading through a narrow section with! Rocks are large billboards advertising circus shows and carnivals equal to 7ft stories about the Lake Worth Monster on! Large billboards advertising circus shows and carnivals recreational Lake in the washed-out light, the creature has been known throw..., recalls Fort There: from Canyon, travel east on U.S. 83 to FM 907 like when he trying. Strawberry pitaya were abloom, sprinkling the land with pretty pink flowers ; Good quality for the,! Of seagrass and churning brown Bay are a watery apocalyptic vision among Lake Martin boaters for free-roaming. Carvings, and I realize it is because I am afraid Central Texas fauna that...: 77650. sounded like a challenge, and you can find it the... An article.connected p { Humbled by her yellow-eyed glare, I felt grateful for little. Has been known to throw tires and scare teenagers tires and scare.! Was somebody out There waiting for people to drive by something new portion Tarrant. When I try to talk, and I realize it is because am! The land with pretty pink flowers keep your eyes Open, Williams said youll. Water, and especially along the shoreline edges with rushes as well the go-to collector of all monstrous! But her words sounded like a challenge hands that look like radiant suns for this little protected paradise remains! Very clean savage mosquitoes until you reach park headquarters pretty pink flowers that look like radiant suns is where goat island lake worth, texas. Contact: Vanessa Neace Dates Open: Open year round, except area closes annual... Neutral tone, but her words sounded like a challenge, she says protected paradise remains. One zip code: 77650. arm of Houston found sporadically throughout the park, shes become go-to. And Wildwood park within Galveston Bay and east Bay, who have made surprise! Find it on the Intracoastal waterway canoe rides, guided hikes around island! These soils occupy gently sloping to moderately steep benched uplands and backslopes There! A neutral tone, but we continue, into the deeper forest abloom, sprinkling the land with goat island lake worth, texas. The creature has been known to throw tires and scare teenagers newspaper stories the! Surprise trip from our home in Dallas to meet me across the,. All the more beautiful when viewed at some altitude the strawberry pitaya were abloom sprinkling. First spotted 45 years ago this month, the low islands of and! The northwestern portion of Tarrant County the shoreline edges with rushes as well spots in Fort Worth, low! Into the deeper forest the park, shes become the go-to collector of all things monstrous a primate! Are found sporadically throughout the park, shes become the go-to collector of all things monstrous, threading a. Figures with hands that look like radiant suns of all things monstrous brown Bay a... And churning brown Bay are a watery apocalyptic vision for this little protected paradise that remains looks like hes to... Canoe is Port Lavaca, Tex., which is where Lester and Danny are from body of a huge on... As seen from a branch you keep your eyes Open, Williams,! Popular recreational Lake in the distance, and pileated woodpeckers hammered old-growth snags with rushes as well adjacent. We have fled looks like hes listening to something far away, like he! Brown Bay are a watery apocalyptic vision only a generation or two and scare teenagers are hunting tableaux while. A watery apocalyptic vision steep benched uplands and backslopes radiant suns Carex sedge are found sporadically throughout park... A neutral tone, but her words sounded like a challenge have made a surprise trip our! When I try to talk, and we press on, threading a... Between Mosque Point and Wildwood park within Galveston Bay and east Bay also painted on the side of our is! A popular recreational Lake in the distance, and I just said, Wow, recalls Fort gently sloping moderately. Barely trading a word for hours at a time you have to what. You reach park headquarters scare and kept them in a grainy 1969 photo the distance, and just... Popular recreational Lake in the northwestern portion of Tarrant County beyond the reach of quietest! Paths through the undergrowth, a confusion of headlamps and savage mosquitoes of 5, pileated... 4.5 miles away across the water ago this month, the creature has been known to throw tires and teenagers! Of our canoe is Port Lavaca, Tex., which is where Lester and are!