Texas is big. Colossal. Massive. Ginormous. YUGE (as President Trump would say). As a resident of North Texas, you have to get up early and ride like the wind if you want to visit South Texas – because geography. (Or go halfsies, spend the night in an airbnb RV on a rural ranchette in Llano, TX, and drive the rest of the way the next day so that you’re not all Hunchback of Notre Dame from hours on end in the car once you reach your faraway destination.)
Father’s Day weekend 2018, we went the halfsies route.
Being unfamiliar with the South Texas Plains, I took to the internet and researched the area we’d call home over the extended weekend prior to our visit. I was specifically interested in two things: 1) What slithery neighbors we might encounter of the zero-legged nature; and 2) Is human trafficking a concern (because since I first saw Taken with Liam Neeson, this has been a back-burner concern of mine, being a mom of two attractive daughters). I researched, read, and then reached out to Texas Parks and Wildlife a couple of weeks before our trip because my diligence uncovered an incident involving drugs and pirates and kidnapping and I tend to obsess about such things. I was assured repeatedly (because I repeatedly asked the same question in varying detail about the aforementioned drugs, piracy and kidnapping – don’t judge) that they have had no incidents within their boundaries. That being the case, we booked a shelter with air conditioning (because, hello, it’s June in Texas) and prayed begging prayers that the no-incidents-within-the-park streak would continue through our visit. Because we’re myopic that way.
I called Falcon State Park on the road the day we arrived because we knew we would arrive after the HQ closed and we needed to know how to get into our locked shelter after business hours. Two things happened that were complete surprises upon our arrival: 1) We were greeted by State Park Police at the gate who were checking every single car entering the park; and 2) When we arrived at Shelter #9 – our home sweet home for the weekend – we discovered that the Park Staff not only left the light on for us by the door, but they had also turned on the a/c so that it would be cool upon our arrival. <3 The FSP Staff could not have offered a better welcome to their park for us – a feeling of safety and chill.
Once we unpacked the Jeep, set up our beds, and ate our Fry-day dinner (Smith family camping tradition dictates deep fried food on our first night camping, which usually falls on Friday/Fry-day.), we headed toward the beach for some fishing. We parked at the boat launch parking lot, planning to do some shoreline fishing only to discover the water level wasn’t quite up to snuff. We prepped ourselves for some hiking to actually get to the water when a Park Ranger entered the parking lot. He explained that if we just drove through those trees there, we would be able to reach the beach in our Jeep.
Me: Um, really??? We’re allowed to drive our vehicle off road?!?!
At this point, I should probably point out that there are always, always, always taboo roads or paths at Texas State Parks and while your first instinct may be to explore them, the signage clearly indicates that it would be a no-no. This is the first time we have been invited to be “naughty” and explore off road and I’ve gotta tell you, we were having it!!
We navigated the Jeep past trees and deep ruts in the combo sand/dirt path, smiling and squealing like school girls as we were tossed about the interior of the car on our first off-road adventure in the Jeep. Not too far away, we saw several extra-large pick up trucks attached to boat trailers in what appeared to be the make-shift boat launch/parking area. We parked the Jeep beside one of the behemoth trucks and just as we were beginning to feel some size-related issues, the same friendly Park Ranger drove by and suggested we go further.
Friendly Park Ranger: Keep driving until you get to the beach. You can park over there.
Me: Are you for real?
Friendly Park Ranger: Yes, ma’am.
And we did just that, dear reader. We drove further off road. We parked on the beach. Like rule breakers. Like rebellious fisher-people.
And then, giddy and completely feeling ourselves, we fished. And photographed. And explored the beach. And watched as other awesome people did the same, but with jet skiis, kayaks and boats, too! It was the magic moment during our weekend spent shelter camping on the border of Mexico. Sure, we enjoyed the bat show in the evening and the peccaries that came to see us off at 6:30am, but that off road fishing adventure? That was epic.
Why We Love Falcon State Park
- Air Conditioned Shelters. No need to let the Texas summer heat keep you from enjoying camping. Staying in an air conditioned shelter was a new experience for us and we loved it! The a/c worked so well in our beloved Shelter #9 that we felt like we needed more blankets. Awesome problem to have when it’s 100* outside! (Note: The outlets are very high on the walls, so bring an extension cord for electronics.)
- Off-roading. The fact that you can drive onto the beach is priceless! Seriously awesome! (Just make sure you have a vehicle that can take the beating of the uneven, deeply rutted sand/dirt paths.)
- Water. Fishing, kayaking, boating, jet skiing, swimming, wading…Falcon State Park offers it all!!
- Wildlife. Fish. Butterflies. Bats. Scorpions. Peccary. We had some pretty amazing encounters, and all of them ended positively. Awesome!
- Safe. Initially I was afraid, but this park takes safety seriously. Not only do they have Park Rangers, but they also have State Park Police and Border Patrol. Oh, and those bolted locks on the screened shelters are a nice addition.
Must Do’s
- Camp. FSP’s peak season is winter when all the northerners head south for a milder winter. Take advantage of that during the summer months. We felt like we had the whole park to ourselves and we loved that! And with the Shelters with A/C, there’s no reason not to enjoy all that Falcon State Park has to offer, year-round.
- Beach. Look for shells. Build a sand castle. Go off-roading (in an appropriate vehicle). Swim. Kayak. Jet ski. Fish. Boat. The water is where it’s at in the summertime in Texas, but FSP takes it one further and has a genuine beach! Felt like we were at the Gulf of Mexico for a fraction of the cost of vacationing there! You’re welcome.
- Photograph. It’s too beautiful not to point out – the beach at sunset was gorgeous. The lighting, divine. The scenery, dreamy.
- Explore. There are almost 3 miles of trails to explore, but there is a lot of beach, as well! The park has geocaching, which is one of my favorite ways to explore because it’s exercise with a purpose!
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Falcon State Park! Please share your thoughts on this awesome border beauty in the comments.
*In all natural areas, you are a guest. Educate yourself on what lives in the areas before your visits, always talk to the Park Rangers upon arrival and take precautions so that your experiences end as positively as ours.