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Picnic Area

Picnic Area from directly overhead

Picnic Area is a rest area in Texas, at a modelled elevation of 533 m. Brokeleg Mountain stands 715 m to the west, 25 miles off. The nearest named place is The Oliver Pecan, a historic site 0.8 miles away. Texas Pecos Trail passes 2.0 miles off. 85 named places lie within 25 miles, 10 of them named summits.

To meet the needs of travelers for places where they could stop for rest and eat their lunches, Texas began creating roadside parks in the l930s. Built in typically shady areas, the parks offered drivers and their passengers some respite on hot summer day

What to expect

Operated by
Texas Department of Transportation

How to reach it

Coordinates30.48518, -99.73848

85 named places within 25 miles

Peaks: 10
  • Round Top: 2.7 mi
  • Teacup Mountain: 6.0 mi
  • Black Mountain: 11.2 mi
  • Allison Mountain: 12.3 mi
  • Monument Mountain: 18.5 mi
Springs: 6
  • Rock Springs: 11.0 mi
  • West Spring: 13.2 mi
  • East Spring: 13.3 mi
  • Walton Spring: 14.4 mi
  • The Big Springs: 22.5 mi
Cliffs: 4
Ghost towns: 3
Parks: 2
  • Schreiner Park: 1.3 mi
  • Hill Country Fair Grounds: 1.6 mi
Museums: 1
  • Kimble County Historical Museum: 1.6 mi
Rest areas: 1
Nature reserves: 1
  • Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve: 24.9 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Picnic Area. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Brokeleg MountainW 274°715 m24.6 mi
Cedar KnobW 266°701 m21.2 mi
Black MountainW 262°683 m11.2 mi
Allison MountainW 260°682 m12.3 mi
Gobblers KnobS 171°676 m20.0 mi
Joes PointW 262°671 m19.1 mi
Monument MountainENE 72°662 m18.5 mi
Steamboat MountainE 91°608 m22.0 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:4419:1919:51
June solstice06:3820:1020:45
September equinox07:2819:0519:37
December solstice07:3317:0717:43

Local time (America/Chicago).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: Feb–May, Sep–Nov.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F485259677581848377675649
Precip in0.91.12.01.83.22.81.52.02.42.11.51.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Junction Kimble CO AP, 2 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element way/897282320

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