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Visited Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose, TX this week with family. This sign greeted me as I drove into the park AFTER I paid my entrance fee



Can't find any reference to this area being a game reserve, nor any statutory authority to prohibit firearms.

Closest thing I can find is prohibition on certain uses of firearms in rules & regs of state parks, here:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/park ... gulations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(d) Arms and Firearms. It is an offense for any person to display or discharge an arm or firearm in a state park, unless:

1. the person is participating in a public hunting activity within the state park that has been authorized by written order of the director so long as the person is in compliance with the applicable public hunting rules and regulations; or
2. the person has been authorized by written order of the director.
emphasis added by me

So, thoughts? ideas? actual knowledge of parks law that would grant them authority to prohibit firearms possession in a state park?

I'm all

I don't see a 30.06, and it's a state park, so carry away. (30.06 can't be enforced on public land anyway) That sign means nothing to you.
(Just verify that it's not ACE land)

I specifically asked the ranger at Cedar Hill SP about CHL and he said that was the only exception to their firearms rule. He told me that exemptiing CHLs was a State wide regulation in the State Parks. I haven't been to DVSP since I got my CHL but we have been in others and the Sig is on my hip. I look at that sign just like any of the gun buster signs and carry away.

IANAL

I've carried there several times. My guess is that the sign is intended to keep people from bringing along any plinking guns and taking them into the more remote areas to shoot. There are LOTS of hikers and visitors in that park. Unnecessarily discharging a firearm there is a potentially pretty dangerous situation.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/park ... ations/#5c:

59.134 Rules of Conduct:
(d) Arms and Firearms. It is an offense for any person to display or discharge an arm or firearm in a state park, unless:

1. the person is participating in a public hunting activity within the state park that has been authorized by written order of the director so long as the person is in compliance with the applicable public hunting rules and regulations; or
2. the person has been authorized by written order of the director.

OK, so you can't shoot your gun in the park without a real good reason.

THIS THREAD is informative also.

And then there's this:

I go to state parks all the time throughout our great state and several have these signs. It does NOT apply to a CHL!

Every State Park I see in Texas has those, no firearms are permitted in State Parks EXCEPT CHLs can have the type of gun they are licensed for ... that does not mean it's ok to take a shotgun in your car to a State Park because you have a CHL ...

Glen Rose is a neat place

chasfm11 wrote:I specifically asked the ranger at Cedar Hill SP about CHL and he said that was the only exception to their firearms rule. He told me that exemptiing CHLs was a State wide regulation in the State Parks. I haven't been to DVSP since I got my CHL but we have been in others and the Sig is on my hip. I look at that sign just like any of the gun buster signs and carry away.

IANAL

Is Cedar Hill SP on a COE lake (Joe Pool)? I haven't checked, but I would have thought it was on COE property.

mikeintexas wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:I specifically asked the ranger at Cedar Hill SP about CHL and he said that was the only exception to their firearms rule. He told me that exemptiing CHLs was a State wide regulation in the State Parks. I haven't been to DVSP since I got my CHL but we have been in others and the Sig is on my hip. I look at that sign just like any of the gun buster signs and carry away.

IANAL

Is Cedar Hill SP on a COE lake (Joe Pool)? I haven't checked, but I would have thought it was on COE property.

Dinosaur Valley State Park, located just northwest of Glen Rose in Somervell County, is a 1524.72-acre, scenic park set astride the Paluxy River. The land for the park was acquired from private owners under the State Parks Bonds Program during 1968 and opened to the public in 1972. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/find ... ur_valley/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cedar hill ... http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/find ... edar_hill/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'd contact TPWD all I see as a hint is......remnants of the original Penn Farm survive intact in the confines of Cedar Hill State Park..............shoreline and the water based recreation on Joe Pool

could go either way

I stayed at a park in west Texas where there was nobody but my girlfriend and I. We were at least 30 miles from the nearest town. It was one of those pay at the front parks that had no park rangers. It also had one of those no firearm signs. I would think that you would have to be crazy to stay at that park being so close to the border without a firearm. A border patrol agent came by and asked if I had a firearm. I said yes and he said nothing else but good and have a good night.

mikeintexas wrote:

chasfm11 wrote:I specifically asked the ranger at Cedar Hill SP about CHL and he said that was the only exception to their firearms rule. He told me that exemptiing CHLs was a State wide regulation in the State Parks. I haven't been to DVSP since I got my CHL but we have been in others and the Sig is on my hip. I look at that sign just like any of the gun buster signs and carry away.

IANAL

Is Cedar Hill SP on a COE lake (Joe Pool)? I haven't checked, but I would have thought it was on COE property.

Good point. I assumed that since Cedar Hill is managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife, they had control of the park. We just take the RV there and don't go out on the lake. Lake Whitney, on the other hand, has both a COE park and a TPW controlled area. I would be definitely be more concerned there.

I'll do a little digging. I thought that I remember that Penn Farm was willed to the State of Texas. The COE business really needs to get fixed. None of these problems exist at DVSP but it only has about 60 campsites versus the 350 at Cedar Hill. The rangers there say that it is the most occupied of all the State Parks. I believe that.

I got pulled over by park police at the Huntsville State park for speeding. They have a very similar sign. When I showed him my CHL he asked if I had a gun with me and I said yes. He then told me to make sure I leave it in the car. I didn't argue with him because he just gave me a warning for 35 in a 20 and I was going swimming so wouldn't be carrying anyway. But it is legal to carry there isn't it?

40khammer wrote:I got pulled over by park police at the Huntsville State park for speeding. They have a very similar sign. When I showed him my CHL he asked if I had a gun with me and I said yes. He then told me to make sure I leave it in the car. I didn't argue with him because he just gave me a warning for 35 in a 20 and I was going swimming so wouldn't be carrying anyway. But it is legal to carry there isn't it?

The land is owned by the state and you are allowed to carry under your CHL.

I have been to Huntsville state park many times. I am sure if you complain to his supervisor the officer would just say it was a suggestion to keep your gun in the car. You can legally carry there out of your car! If he told me that (I don't speed in state parks and am usually the guy in the right lane) I would immediately call his supervisor and parks and wildlife in Austin. Obviously never argue with an officer at a traffic stop. If he is manipulating the law who knows what he will run you in for? It might not seem like a big deal but it is your right to carry where ever the laws of our great state allow and that my friend is in Huntsville state park! It is his job to enforce the law, not dictate his own personal laws.

I was taking a caravan of homeschool families to DVSP. Already had called for a group discount for school outings that was also listed in their material. After paying at the window, I went inside to use the restroom and they had some display cases next to the pay window inside that I was looking at. The head ranger came up and told the lady taking the money "charge them all full price unless they notice and call you on it." Another family was told they didn't appreciate our group coming in. Wow, we were just having a homeschool out/picnic. Needless to say, after that, we haven't been back. Guess my point is be careful as they seem to be willing to skirt the law to suit them, so no telling what their attitude and reactions to firearms would be.