Warmer weather is here. You have no excuse. Get outside and enjoy nature. And if you get outside to a state park in the Texas Hill Country you cannot ever be bored.
"They're close to urban centers like San Antonio and Austin, and there's something for everyone in every season," explains Tara Humphreys, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Region 3 Interpretive Specialist. "Spectacular views, spring wildflowers, fall colors, abundant wildlife, and many miles of trails to recreate in make these parks special."
Take Colorado Bend State Park, near Bend at the northern edge of the Hill Country, for example. It's a true wonder. You'll find 32 miles of trails and access to the Colorado River for boating, fishing and swimming. The park rents sit-on-top kayaks to paddle.
All that would be good enough, but the park offers much more.
The Wild Cave Tours explore underground formations on guided adventures unlike a typical cave tour. On this trip you'll have to crawl on your belly and slither through small spaces. You'll truly get down and dirty.
Then there's the park's Gorman Falls, a breathtaking experience after a nice rainfall. It's a 60-foot travertine waterfall splashing down over rocks and hundreds of ferns in a secluded grotto covered in lush vegetation. And getting there is part of the fun—a three-mile roundtrip over rough terrain, especially the final steps getting into the grotto the falls drop into. And if you're lucky, the falls will outline a sitting gorilla in the mists. Gorman Falls is the prettiest spot in the Hill Country. Period.
"The parks with rivers and lakes are popular for beating the heat," Tara explains. "And if you're looking for an overnight experience, most of the parks have camping, screen shelters or cabins to extend your stay."
Inks Lake State Park, near Burnet, is one of the most popular parks in Texas. The lake stays at a fairly constant level, regardless of drought conditions, so it's a favorite for boating, swimming, water skiing, fishing, and scuba diving. Don't miss the Devil's Waterhole at the far eastern edge of the lake.
As good as the lake is, it's not all this park is about. Unusual and beautiful geology surround it like the pink limestone Gneiss Islands, hosting all sorts of lichens and mosses and ferns. You might spot some rock quillwort and basin corn salad plants, found only in this area of Texas. Several hiking trails crisscross the hills and rocks.
The park is very visitor friendly, offering not just camping but many cabins.
Unique is an overused word, but it's accurate when applied to Longhorn Cavern State Park, adjacent to Inks Lake. While the Hill Country is dotted with several show caves, you'll be impressed by several areas inside Longhorn Cavern that have unusually smooth, marble-like walls that were formed by flowing water.
Longhorn Cavern is also the only cave where you can really get down—live music concerts are held underground here during the summer.
You see the cavern on regular guided tours.
Above ground you can hike one of several short trails.
You'll also find a nice museum honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps near the visitor center. The CCC built many of structures and trails in Texas' state parks during the Great Depression.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area near Fredericksburg will take your breath away. Literally. Just stand at the base of this gigantic pick granite dome and look up. It covers 640 acres and rises 425 feet from its base. Massive and impressive. Go walk up it. It's only like going up the stairs of a 40-story building. Without the stairs. Then look out over the expansive views from the summit. Look around at the unusual rock formations you'll find scattered all around. If you can spend a couple of days here, take the Loop Trail and Echo Canyon Trail to the summit as an alternative. It's longer but far more interesting as it passes by Walnut Springs and some highly unusual rock formations.
If you camp here, you won't find a more enchanting place to star gaze—just lie back on top of the dome and you will believe you can reach out and touch the Milky Way, and if conditions are right you'll be serenaded by the moans the dome gives off at night that gave Enchanted Rock its name.
You can also rock climb the big rock on its backside or tackle nearby Buzzard's Roost, Freshman Mountain, or Turkey Peak.
Old Tunnel State Park near Fredericksburg has a nice little nature trail, but in the summer the old railroad tunnel is home to millions of bats. Watching them emerge from their roosts before sunset is a breathtaking experience.
McKinney Falls State Park near Austin has a small waterfall on Onion Creek and offers visitors swimming, hiking, biking and fishing. You'll also find Old Baldy here—a 500-year-old bald cypress tree standing 103 feet tall.
In addition to regular camping areas, the park has screened shelters and a group recreation hall with a kitchen.
Fishing is the big deal at Blanco State Park in Blanco. The Blanco River flows through the park so you have ample opportunity to catch some rainbow trout, float in a tube, paddle a canoe, swim, have a picnic next to the rippling waters, or go for a walk on the nature trail. The park also has a playground and volleyball court. Tube and canoe rentals are available in the park.
In the Hill Country, "toobing" is an almost mandatory summer ritual. Just toss an inflated tire tube into the cool, rushing water, plop your butt inside it and float downstream. It's like a dream. The most popular place to do that is along the Guadalupe River and one of the most popular places along that river is Guadalupe River State Park near Spring Branch.
Of course, you can also fish here and perhaps pull in a Guadalupe bass. Or go for a hike or take a horseback ride on the new equestrian trail that also accommodates mountain bikes.
Adjacent to the park is gorgeous Honey Creek State Natural Area. The area is so pristine that you can visit only on a Saturday guided tour along two miles of trails. Call well ahead of time to reserve your spot. Don't miss it.
You'll find more than 40 miles of multi-use trails at Hill Country State Natural Area near Bandera. Sure you can bike or hike here like most park areas, but Hill Country SNA is a mecca for horseback riding, so much so they even have an equestrian campground. Nearby ranches provide horse rentals if you don't bring your own. If you ride your own pony, the park has corrals and pull-in areas for horse trailers.
The hills here aren't as steep as those found in other area state parks, but many of them are quite exposed so you can get quite hot in the summer. Bring plenty of water and shading headgear.
Hill Country SNA also features a group lodge that will sleep 12.
The Twin Falls are the big draw at Pedernales Falls State Park near Johnson City and justly so. The falls aren't steep but they are unusual, and the river above and below them provides ample opportunities to cool off in hot Texas summers and the rocks on the banks invite you to scramble all over them.
But don't miss the scenic hiking and horseback trails that crisscross the park. They'll keep you coming back in all seasons.
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park near Stonewall along the Pedernales River honors our 36th president and helps preserve Hill Country heritage. Where else are you going to find a working pioneer farm, like the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, longhorns and bison, an abundance of wildflowers in the spring, and a swimming pool?
The visitor center has LBJ memorabilia and the Behrens Cabin, a two-room dogtrot cabin built in the 1870s.
You can also visit the LBJ Ranch, located right across the river (get permits at the state park visitors center), the Johnson Boyhood Home and Johnson Settlement in nearby Johnson City.
You might not expect to find a beautiful natural oasis inside the second largest city in Texas, but that's the case with Government Canyon State Natural Area in San Antonio. The area was once slated to become a housing development like all the land surrounding it, but several groups banded together and saved it and now preserve around 8,000 acres of a pristine ecosystem.
You can camp here on Fridays and Saturdays only, but you can hike or bike over more than 40 miles of trails that will take you into rugged canyons or across grasslands.
Out on the western edge of the Hill Country you'll discover two remarkable parks: Garner and Lost Maples.
Garner State Park near Concan is one of the most popular in the state, especially in the summer when families gather for reunions and the park pavilion hosts nightly dance parties. This place is so popular that B. J. Thomas wrote a hit rock song about it in the Sixties; listen to it on the pavilion juke box.
The park has great access to the Frio River, one of the most scenic in Texas, giving visitors an opportunity to paddle a boat, fish or swim. Several interesting trails wind up the hills surrounding the river. And you'll find a miniature golf course. It has a large recreation area featuring basketball and volleyball courts.
Lost Maples State Natural Area near Vanderpool is justly popular in the fall when the maple trees here shift their leaves into golds and reds, but the park also offers very rewarding hiking trails at any time of the year.
In the off season, Lost Maples can also be one of the best places to watch birds such as vireos, blue jays, cliff swallows, flycatchers, hawks, hummingbirds, warblers, and woodpeckers.
A bonus to visiting Lost Maples is that it's just north of hilly, twisty Ranch Road 337, one of the most scenic drives in all of Texas.
Other interesting parks are located just outside the Hill Country:
• Bastrop State Park (Bastrop) with hiking, biking and scenic views.
• Buescher State Park (near Bastrop) with fishing, biking and hiking.
• Devil's Sinkhole (Rocksprings) with guided hikes and bat flights.
• Kickapoo Cavern State Park (near Brackettville), hiking, cave tours and bat flights.
• Lockhart State Park (Lockhart) with fishing, hiking and golf.
• Palmetto State Park (near Seguin) with gorgeous hikes and access to the San Marcos River.
• South Llano (Junction) with canoeing, fishing and bird watching.
For more information on Texas State Parks, visit the web site at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/
