Old Tunnel State Park. The night that I went (early June 2018), it was at the end of a long day spent state parking with The Manling. We had adventure after adventure after adventure already on this particular day, but since seeing the bats emerge is a sunset activity and we were only an hour away, we decided to go for it.
First off, if you’re wondering what the big deal is, I’ll tell you, dear reader. The fine folks in the Texas Hill Country have this thing about watching bats emerge at sunset. All of these Mexican free-tailed bats hole up in the Hill Country for some reason April – October. Google it. You’ll see. There’s a bridge in Austin where millions emerge in a whispy-type ribbon that is completely mesmerizing. There are caves on privately owned Hill Country land where the things fly like bats outta you-know-where just because the sun is setting (see photos below) and you’d better not be nearby if one falls because, Hello!They will crawl up your legs until they are high enough to launch themselves back into the air from hanging on you! Knowledge is power, my friend, and that little tidbit of knowledge was enough to make me seriously consider power walking back to the car! And now? We discovered that there is a whole Texas State Park completely devoted to the little guys. Just go with it.
The Man and me a handful of years ago. The smiles were before the bats emerged from that abyss behind us.Exactly half of us were “into” this several years ago when we Groupon’d a deal for viewing on someone’s private land in the Hill Country. Surprise, surprise, The Manling was in that camp.I gotta say, on the private land with the hole-in-the-ground cave, we definitely saw bats. Maybe a little too closely? But we saw, smelled and heard them. Plus, the bit of education regarding the possibility of them crawling up your legs if they collided and fell is kinda priceless information in my book.
We arrived at OTSP about 8:35pm, quickly parked and made a beeline toward the people congregated on the upper viewing deck. Everyone was mostly quiet. I figured they must be anticipating the awe until I read the signage asking everyone to be library quiet. I started whispering to The Manling at this point because there was park staff on-site and I didn’t want us to get the boot so close to what was sure to be an amazing spectacle. After waiting – quietly – for about 10 minutes, we noticed another park staffer down near the tree line waving her hands to our park staffer, who let us know that they had begun their emergence. We saw nothing. We waited with baited breath. We still saw nothing. We kept our eyes peeled. Finally we saw what appeared to be the smoke monster from Lost smudging the view of the trees. We {quietly} asked our park staffer if that smoke was the colony emerging. She excitedly explained that it was! Bless her. She really digs the bats.
We eventually allowed the strongly-scented ammonia air (um, guano) to signal that we were good-to-go…home.
We hoofed it back to the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) and headed her toward our home away from home. As we were sharing our perceptions, The Manling noticed something traveling in the sky about 10 feet above our car. Bats!! Those little buggers were swarming just above our Tiny Toyota Tardis, helpfully devouring the mosquitoes that like to feast on our flesh during the summer here in Texas. They continued to travel with us for a couple of miles down that tiny Texas back road** until we finally out horse-powered them. (I envisioned our Tiny Toyota Tardis bursting free from the ginormous sand storm of bats that had completely enveloped us. It was epic.)
I just want to point out that the mom in the lower left of the picture is having to point out where her minion should be looking. The bats emerge into the trees and it’s hard to see from the upper observation deck. (The lower observation deck wasn’t open on the day of the week we visited.)I seriously need to figure out how to up my selfie game.
Why We Love Old Tunnel State Park
Bats. Make sure you plan your visit April through October. And time your departure while they are still emerging because while we didn’t really see them from the upper observation deck, we definitely experienced them up close and personal on the road as we left!
Park Staff. These folks are enthusiastic about these bats. Ask questions – quietly, of course.
Must Do’s
See the bats emerge. It’s a Hill Country must.
Drive away while the last rays of sunlight are disappearing. Cross your fingers, drive slowly and maybe the bats will make your trip to OTSP as memorable as ours.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Old Tunnel State Park! Please share your thoughts on this twilight Texas State Park 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.
**Tiny Texas back roads are narrow. Please use extreme caution, especially when deer are present. We had two dart in front of our car as we drove home that night, a very dangerous thing when their weight rivals your Tiny Toyota Tardis! Upon the advise of friends, we bought these for future trips.
We revisited Blanco State Park in early June 2018. The first time we went, we spent a third of the day tubing down the Blanco River on tubes we had rented from the park’s store for a nominal fee (see photo of our Tiny Toyota Tardis – because the Yaris is bigger on the inside – hauling our 4 tubes like a boss!), a third of our time swimming in the Blanco pool next to Falls Dam, and a third of our time fishing at the last dam on the northeast end of the park. That was such an excellent adventure we were excited to see how well BSP held up to our memories (queue the nostalgic photos, Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World, and my ginormous Mama tears for yesteryear).
Our Tiny Toyota Tardis hauling tubes!Not much has changed; the little fishies like us at BSP and The Manling still likes catching them. (He’s so adorable as younger him!)We all caught something our first trip to Blanco, even the Kinder Frau when she was much younger.I spy us in the pool…can you?
We entered the park after the HQ closed. After we checked ourselves in at the self-pay station, we immediately headed left along the Blanco River to the same dam we enjoyed fishing from years ago. There was a family fishing and swimming from the dam, so we began shoreline fishing the lower side of the dam – me with worms (made possible only because The Manling gentlemanly offers to place them on the hook for me because I don’t want to touch them – ewwwww!); him with lures. To make things interesting, I asked who he thought would catch something first – him with his fancy lures, or me with good old fashioned worms? We agreed it would likely be me (because, life) and we were both right! I caught a wee little thing not big enough to be away from it’s mother between some rocks off the little island near the dam. I dropped another in the same spot and bam! I caught another. And another. And another! About this time, I began to feel Mama-type feelings about showing my angler up, so I threw in the proverbial towel and prayed begging prayers that he would be able to catch something – ANYTHING! – before we left. And they worked! The Manling caught a cute little guy like the ones I had caught and then he finally – nay, gloriously! – hooked the very fish he had been hoping to catch the past few hours (photos below; cue the magnificent Hallelujah chorus as you feast your eyes on the two catches that redeemed the trip for The Manling because catching is more fun than fishing).
I think his little guy was bigger than all of my little guys.The Manling kept his eyes on the prize and with hours of patience finally landed what he’d come to catch.
What We Love About Blanco State Park
Water. The Blanco River is the bell of the ball at BSP and for good reason. Tubing. Fishing. Swimming. Kayaking. The Texas heat doesn’t have to beat you down at BSP because there are a wealth of ways to enjoy long & lazy summer days on the Blanco River.
Fishing. I know I included it above, but fishing is The Manling’s love language so it gets it’s own category. Both times we have visited Blanco State Park, everyone has caught something. ‘Nuff said.
Must Do’s
Fish. Drop a line anywhere on the shoreline. Perch yourself across a dam. Walk across to the tiny island*. Grab a kayak or conoe. Our experience at BSP is that if you drop a line, they will bite it – which makes for an excellent experience for first time anglers and more experienced fishermen alike.
Tube. The all-day rental rate for a tube at BSP’s store is insanely affordable! Grab some friends/family, slather on the sunscreen and enjoy a lazy day floating down to the Falls Dam from the westernmost part of the park.
Swim. After tubing to Falls Dam, enjoy the swimming pool set into the side of the river/dam. Or swim in the Blanco River proper. Both are excellent ways to cool off.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Blanco State Park! Please share your thoughts on this tubing/fishing/swimming family favorite Texas State Park 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.
I’m pretty sure historic sites are more my thing than The Manling’s thing, which is why I was stoked when we pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) in the direction of Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site in early June 2018. As The Manling slept, I drove past such cool places as Fredericksburg, Texas (mental note, take Kinder Frau to Fredericksburg, Texas while she is still studying German!), and a really cool-looking vineyard that looked plucked out of Europe and relocated in the Texas Hill Country.
We arrived about 4:15pm and stopped to take our selfies at the entrance (glam photo below) before proceeding to the HQ. By the time we made it into the HQ, it was around 4:30pm at which time we sadly discovered that the buildings all closed at 5pm. Deflated, we asked the staff what we COULD see that would still be opened and they helped us plan a quickie hike that took us to the Living History Farm (which we could only see from the fence) and to the pen of a couple of farm animals we didn’t get to see (Both were a no-show reminiscent of the T-Rex exhibit in Jurassic Park.).
We hiked the trails around the Living History Farm in a half-hearted attempt to salvage a ill-timed visit and left with our heads hanging around 5:15pm.
What We Loved About Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
Trails. They were wide and included shade in parts. There were also interpretive signs on the trails we followed, which helped us learn a couple of new things.
(I dearly wish I could write more, but we didn’t get to truly experience LBJSP&HS. This is going to be a definite revisit when we take the German-studying Kinder Frau to Fredericksburg later this year.)
Must-Do’s
Check Hours of Operation. In my enthusiasm to visit LBJSP&HS, I was negligent to check and we suffered a crushing blow during our visit because of it. Always, always, always check the Hours of Operation before your visits. Lesson learned.
I’ve got to figure out how to up my selfie game.Fascinating, right?! I had no idea and we had been spotting deer all over the Hill Country.My newly minted Manling. I love this kid.I’m truly thankful we didn’t run across this guy on our brief hike.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site! Please share your thoughts on this historic state park 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.
South Llano River State Park was a last minute adventure in early June 2018. We had originally planned to visit Enchanted Rock State Natural Area that day, but a strong storm had blown through the night before and lingered into the morning, deciding for us that it was a visit best saved for another day. Who wants to spend half the morning trudging through muddy trails to then climb up wet granite, AmIRight? Undeterred by the weather, we set out for a completely different adventure at SLRSP.
Rabbit Trail #1
I want to point out how utterly fantastic two apps are for exploring our excellent State Parks in Texas: 1) the Texas Parks & Wildlife app; and 2) my iPhone’s map app. When Enchanted Rock was off the table, all I had to do was open the Texas Parks & Wildlife app to see what was nearby (for us, that means within a 2 hour drive), press a couple of screens and there appeared step-by-step driving directions to our next adventure! Easy-breezy!
We caffeinated up on that wet morning and set out for South Llano River State Park, looking forward to getting in some hiking before the oppressive Texas heat set in for the day. While The Manling slept, I drove down beautiful Hill Country roads, blissfully alone in my thoughts. (Extroverts might not understand the bliss of aloneness. It’s maybe an Introverted thing? Move on.) The caffeine hit, not hard at first, but as I drove mile after mile after mile down the aforementioned beautiful Hill Country roads, my bladder began a slow panic as there were no public facilities in sight. An hour later, when we finally reentered civilization (meaning there was a McDonald’s), I made a beeline for the Golden Arches. Being an uber responsible grown up, I unplugged my phone (and only means of navigation), grabbed my purse, and hastily made my way to the ladies room, conveniently located halfway between McD’s and the gas station adjoined to it. “Relieved,” The Manling and I headed back to the car. We decided he would do some of the driving, since I thought we were close to our destination, while I navigated. He got onto the road heading in the direction we were going before our bio break, nearing the huge intersection at which I thought we might change roads…and I could not get either of my apps to load. We decided to go old school and pulled into a gas station to ask directions from an actual person. Which mortified my introverted Manling. And then, because I wasn’t sure I believed him, I asked directions from another actual person.
Rabbit Trail #2
When traveling on the beautiful back roads of Texas, have old school means of navigation as back up to your fancy pants apps because…
A great many of the state parks are in remote areas without trusty cell phone towers.
Beautiful back roads in Texas are fantastically twisty and turny and the odds of you being able to wing it to where you’re going (or back home) aren’t in your favor, friend.
We arrived at South Llano River State Park a few minutes later basically because locals rock. They know where the stuff in their town is located. They’re friendly and don’t seem to mind helping strangers with silly things like landmark-laden directions (ie turn right at the only stop light down the road a-ways). And they aren’t out to get you (unlike the pesky rattlesnakes in my imagination!). Trust them. They {likely} won’t steer you wrong.
Back to SLRSP – The Manling and I are of the opinion that South Llano River State Park has the quaintest, most welcoming HQ in the entire world, hands down. We haven’t visited all of the HQ’s in the entire world yet, but our opinion still stands. God bless my old iPhone, but the pics (below) just don’t do it justice. We thought it was some incredibly hospitable person’s home. There is a long porch shaded by a huge shade tree, a porch swing, wood chairs and a handful of hummingbird feeders being used by dozens of tiny hummingbirds. It’s completely and utterly delightful!
I spy with my little eye…a wee hummingbird! Can you see him?
After mapping a good plan with the Park Ranger for a hike that yielded the least chance of seeing rattlers with the best views in the park that also would include multiple opportunities for fishing and enjoying “safe” nature interaction (song birds and scaredy-cat deer), we headed toward the River Trail/Buck Lake Trail parking lot. We slathered sunscreen, packed water and fishing gear and headed to the trailhead. I won’t bore you with all the details of our adventure, but I will say this – We plan on returning to SLRSP this year! We absolutely fell in love with a place we didn’t intend to visit and had, frankly, never heard of before. Life sure can surprise you in wonderful ways, which directly ties in with…
Rabbit Trail #3
We saw no snakes! There was a bit of a scare involving a tree limb that blocked our wide path (and extended into the grass on either side of the trail by several feet) and whether or not we would have to turn around and walk all the way back around the way we came because the helpful park staff said if we just didn’t get off the trails into the grass OR climb onto any fallen trees there was no reason to think we’d have a negative encounter with any snakes and then my manling reasoned me into doing those things because The car is right there, Mom. and so I caved under the pressure of wanting to be cool only to have him stop in the tall grass to turn and ask me if I just wanted to go back at which point I raised my Mommy voice and ordered him to KEEP GOING!, which he did, and once we got back on the wide path I may have cried, which might have exasperated The Manling, but I gotta let it out, man, so deal.
Why We Love South Llano River State Park
Headquarters. You may already have heard this, but the HQ at this state park is perfectly precious! You’ve got to experience it in person. The staff add to the warm, hospitable feel of the place and there is an overall vibe of “coming home” after a long journey at the park’s HQ.
Buck Lake. It is nestled beside the river and actually not a long walk from the campsites, but it feels completely isolated. There are benches and a huge picnic table available, 95% of the area is shaded, song birds serenade you, deer graze in the nearby brush and the vast majority of the area is mowed & explorable even by my city girl standards. We spent a couple of glorious hours fishing, reading, exploring and enjoying the sights and sounds of this tamed area of the park. Love.
Wide Trails. They have trails wide enough for a car. And they are flat, mostly shaded trails. Sure, you have to dodge the ginormous ants (remember the Indiana Jones movie?), but with wide trails, that’s easily accomplished.
Camping. A family we met that was enjoying the water at the spillway keep coming back to SLRSP year after year to camp and for good reason. Some of the campsites were completely shaded and private, others were more open, so there is literally something for everyone. And the park is large enough that you could spend days exploring and experiencing it. We definitely plan to return when the weather cools so that we can tent camp in the quiet beauty of this park.
Unplug. SLRSP offers you a genuine chance to unplug from technology and reconnect with your friends and family. Legitimately. Because there is absolutely no cell service. Anywhere. I promise. This. Is. Good. Trust me, you’ll leave thankful. (You will have to retrace your steps to that McDonald’s in town, hop on their WiFi, and download directions if you don’t have an old school paper map like this one that we bought the day after we got home from this trip.)
Must Do’s
Hike Buck Lake Trail & the River Trail. Carry water. Watch for ants. Enjoy nature’s soundtrack compliments of the river and the birds.
Fish at Buck Lake. There is shaded shoreline fishing and there is a pontoon-type pier across from the giant picnic table.
Cool off. There is a swim area proper and there is also a shallow area near the spillway as the water widens into the river that a family was enjoying while we were there. (No lifeguards on duty at either.)
Try your hand at birding. Ever seen or heard a Summer Tanager? You will at SLRSP because their little red bodies are everywhere adding color and beauty to your park experience. There are resources and staff in the quaint HQ that can help you identify all of the bird(s) that contributed to your South Llano River State Park soundtrack. Use them.
Talk to the Park Rangers. I know I have said this before, but these folks know and love their park. And they sincerely want you to have a positive experience!
We’d love to hear about your experiences at South Llano River State Park! Please share your thoughts on this precious park with the quaintest HQ in the world 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.
The Manling has been looking forward to visiting Colorado Bend State Park for years! We finally made this trip a reality when we visited in early June 2018. I must confess that I was taken aback when we arrived and were greeted by the friendly park ranger at the self-pay entrance. When I inquired of said ranger if snakes really were in the park, I was told in no uncertain terms that they were. (I credit him for his sobering honesty in the face of my fearful, well…face.)
With the park trail map in hand (complete with a huge rattlesnake as clip art), we set out on the sarcastically long, slow drive from the entrance to the HQ, which is located at the river end of the park. During that long drive, my blood pressure rose, my breathing became more labored and I had all but talked myself out of getting out of the car, much less hiking to see the famed Gorman Falls, a 2.5-3 hour hike that is suppose to be well worth it. I prayed for the courage not to disappoint The Manling as we entered the HQ (which could accurately be described as a tiny house, if it were larger). As we headed back to the car, I saw a Honda Pilot full of what looked to be adventuresome 20-somethings getting their water and applying sunscreen. “Excuse me,” I ventured. As they turned to look at me, I continued, “Are you by any chance going to hike to Gorman Falls right now?” When they replied that they were, I quickly asked, “Would you mind if my son and I tagged along with your group?” Relieved that they accepted us as add-ons to their adventure, we headed to the trailhead to Gorman Falls, unfortunately located back at the entrance to the park. As we set out on the unbelievably long, slow drive back to the entrance, I was relieved we had a bona-fide group with which to hike. Again, I prayed for courage – and I had time to because the drive was so long – and when we finally arrived at the trailhead, I found that I had the courage to get out of the car. And then to make small talk with our “new friends.” And then to make our way toward the other end of the parking lot, where we met a couple that was returning from their own adventure.
“How was it?” I asked. It was fantastic, they said. Cool. I think I may have even smiled.
“Did you see any wildlife?” I ventured. “Any snakes?”
Oh yeah! they answered enthusiastically. We saw a rattlesnake and a skunk on the trail.
My new friends, eager for the fun to begin, gave nods of approval and headed onto the trail with a wave. I saw my opportunity to face my biggest fear (and impress The Manling with my stout courage) literally walking away and before I knew it, I had caught up and was officially on one of the scariest hikes of my life.
I say one of the scariest hikes of my life because I just knew it was infested with rattlesnakes. That is the park’s chosen clip art for their trails map, after all! I was certain the rattlesnakes were scheming some kind of elaborate assault at some point during the 2.5 hours we were in that feral wilderness. And it would be one of my two calves (out of the 16 available in our hiking party) that would be targeted.
When we made it to Gorman Falls unmolested by the rattlers, I was very happily surprised. And diverted. It is breathtaking! It honestly looks like a tropical rainforest plopped into the rocky dirt that is the predominant geological feature of the Hill Country as far as I can tell. We explored a little, took photos, got our feet wet in the Colorado River (see photo) and cooled off in the shade for probably half an hour.
When we headed back up the steep ascent to the trail, we actually ran into that same ranger from the entrance. Remembering us, he asked if we’d seen any rattlesnakes. “No, thankfully,” I answered. Our group chatted a short while with him before finishing the last leg of a gloriously uneventful hiking experience (read that as we neither saw nor heard a single rattler).
Why We Love Colorado Bend State Park
Gorman Falls. I don’t know if it was the sense of accomplishment or relief in finally making it to the falls, but this was by far the very best part of our time at CBSP. It is beautiful. It is a blessed respite from the summer heat in Texas. It is a refreshing oasis in the desert. And while all my talk of rattlesnakes may give you pause to reconsider, I encourage you to allow yourself this amazing adventure. After all, my imagination was the only thing that actually scared me.*
Water. The park is located on the Colorado River, contains a beautiful lush waterfall, and boasts natural springs, all of which serve to help cool off in the heat of the day. Perfection.
Must Do’s
Spicewood Springs. Waterholes in Texas in the summer heat. Priceless. (Full disclosure, by the time we were ready for this part of our park adventure, we were suffering from the over 100* heat and decided we would save it for next time. BUT…I think every person we met highly recommended them, so hydrate and make the hike to Spicewood Springs. I’m told it’s way easier than other hikes in the park.)
Gorman Falls. I am so glad I didn’t let my fear make me miss experiencing Gorman Falls. Do what you’ve gotta do (buy snake boots, tag-along with a group, suck it up, whatever), but don’t leave CBSP without seeing Gorman Falls in person.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Colorado Bend State Park! Please share your thoughts on this untamed and untainted park 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.
Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway is an easy drive from DFW, situated northwest of Fort Worth in North Texas. We first visited Fort Richardson on a school field trip years ago during a living history weekend and have looked forward to returning ever since. It wasn’t until this second visit that we became aware of the Lost Creek Reservoir portion of the park and now we look forward to returning for overnight camping and to ride the trailway on our bikes.
Why We Love Fort Richardson:
History. There’s lots of it at this site! They offer guided tours during business hours or you can grab a brochure for a self-guided walking tour in the building closest to the parking lot at the historic site. We’ve done both! I highly recommend checking their Events page when planning your visit because the living history weekends are fantastic!
Fishing. The fishing is great at Quarry Lake (located just behind the park HQ), especially at the end farthest from the park road. In addition, the Lost Creek Reservoir offers opportunity for fishing off the pier (which was closed when we visited in May 2018) as well as that part of the park’s shoreline.
Camping. The Historic Site’s camping isn’t appealing to our family, as it doesn’t seem private enough for our liking, but the Lost Creek Reservoir side has excellent campsites – super spacious & very private. We recommend sites #7-10 for the most privacy, and sites #1, 3, 6 for great water access. NOTE: There is some road noise from nearby Bowie Street.
Biking. We cannot give first hand experience because we didn’t have the time on our day trip to explore, fish, AND bike, but we plan to take them when we camp so that we can take the trailway from the Reservoir side to Fort Richardson and back. The park’s website boasts wide trails with smooth terrain, beautiful views and even some shade along the way.
Must Do’s:
History Tour – whether self-guided or ranger-led, the historicity of the place is a huge draw. Don’t miss out on some Texas History!
Fish – we caught from the shoreline, which is a huge plus in our book (see photo).
Explore – The trails are multi-use for foot, bike and even equestrian use. Get up close to nature while exploring FRSPHSLCRT (Whew! That’s a long one!)
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway! Please share your thoughts on this sweet little park packed with big adventures 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.
Cedar Hill State Park is one of the largest (if not the largest) state parks in North Texas. Living within an easy drive of Cedar Hill, we have visited many times as the kids have grown. It has a ginormous lake, lots of trails to both hike and bike, a fishing pond, a good swimming area and beach with shaded picnic tables, and even an authentic 150 year old farm to tour.
CHSP is so large that for years it hosted a nationally known mud run that our family enjoyed participating in yearly.
Biking. This place has an incredible mountain bike trail complete with switchbacks, plenty of shade, gorgeous views and a great combo of easy to difficult terrain. Bikers flock here, especially on the weekends, but if you can catch it when it’s not overly crowded, even the kids can enjoy mountain biking the trails.
Hiking. We have been enjoying Duck Pond Trail since our first visit to CHSP. It’s an easy, shaded hike that even my smallest enjoyed as wee folk. The aforementioned DORBA Trail is also available to foot traffic. Same varied terrain. Same gorgeous views. Plenty of shade. Mind the trail directions at the trailhead.
Swimming. There’s a pretty great sandy swim beach surrounded by shaded picnic tables past the boat launch. In the summer, it’s enjoyed by many, so get there early to stake your claim on a picnic table.
Must Do’s:
All of the above! CHSP is an entire day’s worth of adventure so pack up the car and go have one at Cedar Hill State Park!
NOTE: Camping is available in spades at this huge park, but we have no first hand experience to share. Potential campers should know that you can hear road noise at the park due to the nearby roadways.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Cedar Hill State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Texas State Park nestled in the North Texas suburbs 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.
Purtis Creek State Park has been a favorite of ours since The Manling was a Cub Scout. It’s a smaller state park in the Prairies & Lakes region of Texas, an easy hour and fifteen minute drive from Dallas.
We love Purtis Creek because…
Trees. They are everywhere and in Texas shade is a savory thing. Plus, they’re pretty. Life is short, so enjoy the view.
Water. Water is always on our radar when traveling in Texas. Not only is it pretty (see #1), it is cooling on 100 degree days and it’s the best element in which to go fishing, which happens to be my manling’s love language. (Side note: We have literally never left Purtis Creek SP without catching* something. Ever. And catching is way more fun than just fishing.)
Uncrowded. Summer months can draw crowds (because of #1 & #2), but weekdays the rest of the year are blissfully uncrowded. You can almost trick yourself into thinking you’ve struck it rich and all this is yours. Love.
Must Do’s:
swim
fish – from the dam, the shoreline on the far side of the dam and the two piers in the camping area; we use canned corn and worms
hike one of the trails through the towering trees or the creative Solar Trail along the dam
interact with the park staff; their love for the park is contagious
camp (our personal picks are lakeside sites #21-24, but truthfully most of the campsites are private with plenty of shade and natural divisions)
enjoy the wildlife – moles, coyotes, birds, fish
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Purtis Creek State Park! Please share your thoughts on this East Texas gem 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.
Join my youngest son (aka The Manling) and me as we visit all 99 state parks in the 268,597 square miles that is the Great State of Texas, all within one year!
We’ll share our adventures, what we learn, some observations, travel tips, itineraries, stories, lists, pictures and a bunch of other stuff here to help you in planning your own adventures.
For a quick glance of Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going, click on the Adventuring tab. To learn more about who we are, click on the About tab.
The Manling has been looking forward to visiting 
