The cities of Temple and Belton announced Tuesday that they will reopen Miller Springs Nature Center Thursday.

The 260 acre scenic natural area is located on Highway 2271 north of the Lake Belton Spillway between the cities of Belton and Temple.

When the volunteers struggled to keep it open, the park closed in August of 2017 to the public.

“We knew we could not let this unique property close down, but also knew this was going to be a huge undertaking and couldn’t do it alone,” said Kevin Beavers, Director of Temple Parks & Recreation. “Many repairs and maintenance issues needed to be addressed to make the area safe for visitors once again. After several volunteer clean up days and the dedication of two full-time City of Temple Parks Maintenance employees, the Center is now ready to reopen.”

Volunteers got together in April to clean up the park, a necessary step to get it ready for its public reopening.