Wichita Falls: Parks, River, and Culture

When planning a trip to Wichita Falls, the river landscape, trails, and museums offer a variety of points of interest. Around Lucy Park, the focus is on nature and outdoor activities; the River Bend Nature Center is dedicated to environmental education, while museums explore different aspects of history. When planning your stay, you can first consider which of these subjects are most important to your trip.

Lucy Park and the Wichita River

Lucy Park is a 178-acre regional park in central Wichita Falls. It lies in a bend of the Wichita River, among large pecan and cottonwood trees and numerous other native and introduced tree species. This location gives the park a clear connection to the river and its tree cover. A 1.7-mile concrete loop trail in the park is intended for hiking and biking. The loop and its location within the regional park distinguish this trail from longer routes with different endpoints.

Loop trail or point-to-point route?

The Wichita River Section of the Circle Trail follows the river for 4.37 miles from Lucy Park to Williams Park. There, the section connects to the Holliday Creek Section. For route planning, the difference from the loop in Lucy Park is clear: one trail is a 1.7-mile loop, while the other is a 4.37-mile section between two named parks. The Wichita River Section passes through wooded areas where white-tailed deer, squirrels, and birds are often seen. In addition to the route type, the wildlife observations described are another distinct aspect.

The Falls: Waterfall and Current Status

The Falls is a 54-foot artificial waterfall with multiple cascades on the south bank of the Wichita River. Parking for The Falls is inside Lucy Park on Sunset Drive. From there, a concrete path leads about one mile round trip to the waterfall. As of September 5, 2026, The Falls is out of service indefinitely; work is also underway on a long-term preservation plan for the landmark. Check its current status before planning a visit. This lets you distinguish information about the path and parking from the question of whether the waterfall is currently operating.

Nature Education and Regional History

The River Bend Nature Center is a private, 20-acre environmental education facility in Wichita Falls. It includes the Ruby N. Priddy Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. This adds a place focused on environmental education and a nature and butterfly conservatory to the subjects explored at Lucy Park and along the river trails.

The Museum of North Texas History focuses on different subjects. Its galleries explore the heritage of North America's Indigenous peoples, frontier life, the oil boom, military history, and modern development. Permanent and changing exhibits also cover cowboy culture, the heritage of North America's Indigenous peoples, the region's diverse communities, and military and aviation history. As of September 5, 2026, the museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check the schedule before your visit.

Other Historical Perspectives

The Kell House Museum presents the history of Wichita Falls from the perspective of the Kell family. The Newby–McMahon Building in downtown is commonly known as the “world’s littlest skyscraper.” These two places offer different historical points of interest: one foregrounds a family perspective on the city's history, while the other is known by a commonly used name for a downtown building.

When planning, take the dated museum hours and the current status of The Falls into account.

Discover more destinations: Burkburnett.

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