The Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area (ABK), a 3,814-acre property straddling Bandera and Kendall counties along Highway 46 between Boerne and Bandera, is targeting a late fall 2026 opening, according to a recent episode of The Building Texas Show. The episode, hosted by Justin McKenzie and published October 21, 2026, features new site superintendent Stephanie Kwiatkowski, who took the role in June and explained why the site is classified as a state natural area rather than a state park.
Kwiatkowski detailed the legal and operational distinction between the two designations under the Texas Administrative Code, comparing ABK to Government Canyon, Lost Maples, Inks Lake, and McKinney Falls. She framed the park-versus-natural-area question as a spectrum between recreation and conservation, emphasizing the importance of protecting the ABK viewshed. Standing in a UTV above the canyons during her first weeks on site, she said, “The site owns both sides of those canyons. And so that view, that viewshed, it is safeguarded for, um, forever.”
The episode, titled New Texas State Park Near Boerne: Why It Isn't a Park | ABK, is a return visit for the show, which previously hosted founding superintendent James Rice while the land was still in survey and planning. Kwiatkowski credited the volunteer corps assembled by Rice, a former biologist, calling the relationships “integral to our success as a site.”
The ecological specifics that justify ABK’s protective designation include bigtooth maples that rival those at Lost Maples State Natural Area, riparian corridors along Red Bluff Creek and Pipe Creek, and transition zones between ash juniper woodlands and creek bottoms. The site will offer 28 miles of multi-use trail open to hikers, mountain bikers, joggers, and strollers.
Kwiatkowski also discussed operational lessons from the July 2026 flooding event, which washed out landscaping, trails, and campsites before any public visitation. Construction crews, subcontractors, and a six-person site team are now preparing cabins, screened shelters, tent sites, backcountry camping, and hike-and-bike infrastructure for public access.
Kwiatkowski’s path to the role included a childhood of camping in a pop-up trailer, an environmental science degree with a minor in environmental sociology, GIS and consulting work, a seasonal job with the City of New Braunfels parks, a park operations trainee role at the Lost Pines Complex (Bastrop and Buescher State Parks), and an assistant superintendent stint at Pedernales Falls State Park before her June promotion.
The opening will expand outdoor recreation options in the Hill Country while safeguarding sensitive landscapes. For listeners interested in Texas conservation and community development, The Building Texas Show spotlights the people, places, and projects shaping Texas communities, from Hill Country conservation to small-business entrepreneurship. New episodes publish weekly across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, with sponsorship support from Chisos Boots. The ABK episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
