Lake Mineral Wells State Park, located east of Mineral Wells in Parker County, consists of 3,282.5 acres, encompassing Lake Mineral Wells. The City of Mineral Wells donated 1,095 land acres and the 646-acre lake to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1975. The U.S. government transferred some of the remaining acreage from Fort Wolters Army Post to the State of Texas for use as parkland. The park was opened in July 1981.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park is located along Rock Creek, a large tributary of the Brazos River. This area was an early home to several Native American, tribes including the Comanche.

White settlers began arriving in the early 1850s, and intermittent warfare occurred until the late 1870s. Rugged terrain and lush native grasses attracted many early-day ranchers to this area, including Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving and C. C. Slaughter, who ran large herds of Longhorn cattle. Ranching continues to be an economic mainstay of this area.

In 1877, James Alvis Lynch settled this area on the spot of land that is now Mineral Wells. In 1880, a well was drilled on the land. Mrs. Lynch suffered from rheumatism, but after drinking the water from the well, she was not bothered with rheumatism anymore. The well water seemed to have "curative powers." This began Mineral Wells' tumultuous affair with water, and it quickly became a world-renowned health resort. The purported curative effects of the local well water brought people from all walks of life to bath and take "the cure."

The City of Mineral Wells became too large for Lake Pinto, the town water supply, so in the late 1910s plans were laid for another lake east of town. In 1922 Lake Mineral Wells was completed.

World War II demanded an increase in activities at Fort Wolters, a military base located adjacent to the lake. This, coupled with the growth of the City of Mineral Wells, required the city to raise the height of the dam, thereby increasing the water supply in the lake.

In 1963, the City of Mineral Wells found a better water supply and ceased using Lake Mineral Wells as the main city water supply.

In 1975, after the closure of Fort Wolters, the City of Mineral Wells and Fort Wolters donated the lake and acreage around the lake to Texas Parks and Wildlife. On July 1, 1981 Lake Mineral Wells was opened as Lake Mineral Wells State Park.