Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec
Some park days arrive perfectly. The light is right, the trail is easy, and you come home feeling restored. Meridian State Park was not that kind of day — and I think it still counts.
I drove to Meridian because I needed to feel grounded. The book is almost finished. The inventory for the state fair is building up. Somewhere between all of it, I needed a trail and some quiet. The park had other ideas.
It was brutally hot. I missed the pond I was looking for. I should have put more gas in my car before I left home. And even with all of that, I found one worthwhile thing. Stay with me.
This is stop 19 of 88 on my journey to visit every Texas state park.
When the Park Has Other Ideas
I want to be honest with you about this visit, because I think the honest version is the more useful one.
I came to Meridian State Park carrying the particular kind of tired that builds up slowly, over weeks. The book. The soap inventory for the state fair. The content schedule. None of it is bad — all of it is something I love — but there is a weight to holding a lot of moving pieces at once, and I had been holding them for a while.
It had been several weeks since I had been to a park. That is too long for me. I know that about myself now, after nineteen stops on this quest.
So I drove to Meridian.
And then it was hot. Genuinely, brutally hot. I missed the pond I had in mind and walked a little more than I intended. I glanced at the gas gauge on the way and thought about it more than I should have for the rest of the visit. None of it went the way I planned.
In some ways, it’s kind of hard to step all the way back from the real-world overwhelm. But it definitely helps.
That is the honest version. Partially grounded. Partially still in my head. And still worth the drive.
The Thing Worth Staying For
What I found was a cactus.
Not the pond. Not a shaded grove with a breeze. A cactus, standing there in the heat, doing exactly what it does — which is survive, without apology, in conditions that would discourage most things.
I sat down in front of it, hot and a little deflated, and started drawing. I do not know that the cactus solved anything. But it gave me something to look at closely and something to do slowly, which is, honestly, part of the whole point of why I sketch at every park.
Sometimes that is what a tiny ritual is. Not fixing everything. Just giving yourself one quiet thing to stay with.
Cactus grows all through Texas, and there was something right about choosing it on this particular day. It is not a flower you have to catch at just the right moment. It does not need much. It just keeps going.
That felt like the right subject.
Chocolate Mint: The Scent I Packed for the Heat
Before I sat down to sketch, I reached into my bag.
Chocolate Mint is one of the earliest scents I ever made — one of the first that became part of my own regular routine. Mint has always felt cooling and refreshing to me, and on a hot Texas afternoon at a state park, that felt like exactly the right instinct. I did not overthink it. I just packed it.
There is something grounding about carrying something you made yourself. Something that has been part of your routine long enough to feel like an old friend. It did not fix the heat. But it helped.
Your Tiny Ritual for Today
Write down one thing in your life that is still going — even without perfect conditions.
It does not have to be something you have finished. It does not even have to be something you are proud of right now.
Just notice it. Name it. That is enough for today.
Stamping Park Number 19
Meridian State Park is stop 19 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. Cleburne State Park came before this one. Next up is Caddo Lake State Park — a very different kind of landscape, and one I have been looking forward to for a while.
Each stamp in this book is proof that I showed up. Even on the hard days. Even when the park does not go the way I planned.
If You Are Carrying a Lot Right Now
Wherever you are in the middle of your own busy season, I want to gently say: go to the park anyway. Even if it is hot. Even if you miss the trail you were looking for. Even if the visit is, as mine was this time, sort of a mixed bag.
It still helps. The quiet still matters. And sometimes the thing that catches your eye — a cactus, standing in the heat without complaint — is exactly the reminder you needed.
Meridian State Park is stop 19 of 88. Caddo Lake is next. See you there.
| Meridian State Park is stop 19 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. New episodes post every week. If this resonated with you, share it with someone else who is in the middle of their own busy season. |
Practical Notes for Your Meridian SP Visit
- Location: Meridian, Texas, in Bosque County
- Trail to try: The park has a small lake and hiking trails through rugged Hill Country cedar and oak — beautiful even in the heat
- Day use hours and entrance fees: Standard Texas State Park rates apply — confirm current hours at the Texas State Parks website before you go
- Park highlight: The small, spring-fed lake at the center of the park is worth finding — check the map before you leave the trailhead
- What to bring: Water — more than you think you need — sunscreen, good walking shoes, a sketchbook if that calls to you, and something grounding for afterward
- Nearby: The town of Meridian is small and quiet; worth a stop on your way in or out
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Meridian State Park known for?
Meridian State Park is known for its small, spring-fed lake, rugged cedar and oak Hill Country terrain, and hiking trails well suited to quiet walks and nature observation. It is one of the smaller and more off-the-beaten-path stops on my journey through all 88 Texas state parks — and sometimes those are the ones that stay with you.
Where is Meridian State Park located?
Meridian State Park is located near the town of Meridian in Bosque County, Texas, roughly two hours southwest of the Dallas–Fort Worth area. It makes a manageable day trip from many parts of Central and North Texas
What should I bring to Meridian State Park in summer?
The most important things are water — more than you think you need, especially in summer — sunscreen, and comfortable walking shoes. The park is small and peaceful, which makes it a lovely spot for journaling, sketching, or simply sitting still for a while. I also always bring my sketchbook and something from my skincare routine that feels grounding for afterward.
How many Texas state parks have you visited so far?
Meridian State Park is stop 19 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest — a personal journey to visit every park in the system while documenting how nature, sketching, and simple skincare rituals support intentional living and graceful aging.
References
Susan Soaps & More — Chocolate Mint Soap
Meridian State Park is stop 19 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. Next up: Caddo Lake State Park. New videos post every Friday on my Youtube Channel — subscribe to follow along.