Williamson County’s new 1000-acre River Ranch Park to emulate state parks

​LEANDER - River Ranch County Park, a new Williamson County park, is expected to be on par in quality with some state parks. 

Expected to open summer 2017, the 1,000-acre park will include 12.5 miles of hiking trails, 7.5 miles of equestrian trails, multiple camping areas, pavilions, a clubhouse, park facilities and bathrooms.

The property already includes 11 miles of existing trails and 85 percent of those will be repurposed. 

The park, which will be located between Leander and Liberty Hill, will have entrances off CR 282 and Bagdad Rd.

The county purchased the property in 2008 with $10 million in bond funds approved by voters in 2006. The county plans to fund the project with the $40 million in park bond funds approved by voters in 2013.

Phase one is expected to cost about $6.5 million to $7 million.

Steven Spears, a principal with Design Workshop, one of the firms tasked with designing the park, compared the caliber of the upcoming park to Pedernales Falls, Lost Maples and Bastrop state parks.

Spears said the vision is to create a park destination that serves a wide variety of users, demographics and communities and connects people to the natural and scenic qualities of the site.