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Picnic Area

Picnic Area from directly overhead

Picnic Area is a rest area in Texas, at a modelled elevation of 969 m. Goat Mountain stands 1,156 m to the south-southeast, 23 miles off. The nearest named place is Marshall Cator, a artwork 0.3 miles away. Texas Plains Trail runs past it. 47 named places lie within 25 miles, 9 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

Coordinates35.52422, -102.26154

47 named places within 25 miles

Historic sites: 23
Peaks: 9
  • The Cedar Brakes: 12.0 mi
  • Rotten Hill: 12.1 mi
  • Five Fingers: 12.5 mi
  • Torrey Peak: 12.6 mi
  • Indian Fort Mesa: 16.2 mi
Museums: 3
Attractions: 3
  • Magnolia Gas Station: 21.3 mi
  • DOTS Mini Museum Route 66: 21.4 mi
  • Magnolia Gas Station: 21.4 mi
Rest areas: 2
Artworks: 1
  • Marshall Cator: 0.3 mi
Ghost towns: 1
Parks: 1
  • City Park: 21.5 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
Goat MountainSSE 149°1,156 m23.1 mi
Wolf MountainSE 143°1,126 m22.9 mi
Torrey PeakWSW 257°1,118 m12.6 mi
John RayE 80°1,117 m19.5 mi
The Cedar BrakesSW 228°1,089 m12.0 mi
Coyote BluffSE 139°1,088 m20.4 mi
Rotten HillSSE 158°1,035 m12.1 mi
Five FingersSSE 163°1,030 m12.5 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:5419:2720:01
June solstice06:3520:3121:08
September equinox07:3819:1419:47
December solstice07:5517:0117:40

Local time (America/Chicago).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F374149576777807871594637
Precip in0.60.41.11.31.82.72.73.31.62.10.60.7

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Boys RCH, under a mile away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element way/946063014

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