Captured the only blue skies that day. A summer thunderstorm was chasing us as we continued north along the Rio Grande.
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park was our third birding center on our Father’s Day weekend trip in mid-June 2018. It was over a hundred degrees that day as we skirted the Rio Grande trekking ever northward, keeping just ahead of a summer thunderstorm that doggedly pursued us from the Gulf of Mexico. We were hot and tired and a teeny bit concerned about the storm catching up to us and kind of just over birding centers and state parks and nature and driving and sweating and all the things. Our enthusiasm had evaporated with the sweat earned at the first two birding centers and now at our third and final stop on our tour of the World Birding Centers operated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, we just weren’t feelin’ it.
And then we began a conversation with a Park Staffer in the HQ that changed our lives for the good. She offered this option –
I confess, I wanted to cry happy tears when we discovered the availability of this. It was June 16. Yes, the very day they began offering shuttle rides every hour! Praise be!
It was 4:25pm. The tram stop was only a couple hundred feet away. No walking. No backpacks of water. No fear of rattlesnakes preying on our calves. No heat exhaustion. Just sitting and enjoying. Yes, please!
We sat and enjoyed almost a half hour tram ride through BRGVSP while our own personal Park Staffer (OJ) gave us a V.I.P. tour! The day of our visit happened to be OJ’s two year anniversary working at the park. We asked lots of questions, which he answered in the friendliest way possible at this point in our day – from the driver’s seat of our terrific tram. Since our interests lie more with ground animals than with flying ones, he happily shared about all of the animals that call BRGVSP their home – which we loved! He stopped when we saw a threesome of armadillo and allowed us to get out and take closer photos. We saw a wild turkey, butterflies, lizards (including an endangered one!), a Texas tortoise, and a few different types of birds (of course).
Look at OJ being all cool with us. Look at our smiles. This was the best blessing, you guys. It totally won the day.
OJ also shared a little about the history of the park, including how the boundary line between Mexico and the U.S.A. was determined in the past (see photo below) and how the area used to have cacti until a flood changed all that. The park has exactly one cactus left, and OJ pointed it out (see photo below) so that we could photograph it.
We were enamored with the little armadillo family on the side of the tram road. We’ve never seen one…alive.Pretty old school how they used to determine where the border was located, right?The sole remaining cactus in the park? It’s at the top of that tree!Wild Turkey, anyone?
I have no harrowing stories of close calls with nature (real, or imagined) from BRGVSP to share. There were none. It was just a thoroughly delightful time on a tram tour with our new friend OJ learning about the park he has enjoyed up-close and personal for the past couple of years.
Why We Love Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
Tram. This was so much fun! When someone offers you a tram tour, take them up on it. It’s relaxing. Educational. Conversational. Breezy. You hit the highlights, basically, without exhausting yourself by hiking. Win-win.
Trails. The place looked fun to explore. The tram road was wide and paved. The trails we saw from our perch in the tram looked well maintained and easily marked. If this had been our first stop, we definitely would have taken advantage of the trails.
Wildlife. Armadillos. Butterflies. Birds. Lizards. There are more, but these came out to say hello to us while we rode through the park with OJ.
History. It’s fascinating to hear about the past and the Park Staff are great story tellers! Make sure to ask about the flood and the border markers.
Staff. We were so weary. The Park Staff completely changed our perspective on the park by their friendliness and willingness to go the extra mile in making our visit the best.
Newness. This park seemed like a combo of the first two birding centers we visited – newness in the HQ area with a more historical wildness in the back part of the park.
Must Do’s
Tram Tour. Cannot recommend this enough! I would take it any time of year they offered it because the one-on-one interaction with the Park Staff is such an educational encounter. Take the tour first. Then figure out what you’d like to go back and explore further, perhaps by bike.
Bicycle Tour. The park rents bikes very affordably, which would be another excellent way to explore the park.
Hike. The trails are short according the park map. We would definitely want to explore them if we were ever in the area again.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Southwest Texas treasure 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.
Estero Llano Grande State Park was the second birding center we visited on our South Texas trip in mid-June 2018. We thought we knew what to expect. We had, after all, already done this birding center thing once. But…
Estero Llano Grande State Park was vastly different from Resaca de la Palma State Park both in it’s Jurassic Park vibe, and in the overall look of the place. Where Resaca was unspoiled (wild, if you will), Estero Llano was manicured. While Resaca had the feel of the country, Estero Llano had the feel of a masterfully planned city park. You felt the history of Resaca de la Palma while Estero Llano Grande felt more like a modernized zoo – the kind where habitats are designed to be more natural and the patrons observe said animals in habitats that mimic the animals’ natural environment even though they are not the animals’ natural environment. So, two birding centers that couldn’t have more contrasting vibes if they had tried.
Once we parked, we followed the cute bird tracks on the ground to the HQ, which is nowhere near the parking lot. Brilliant move, those tracks. After explaining our gap year goal (99 Texas State Parks. 12 Month State Park Pass. 1 Awesome Adventure.), our enthusiastic Park Staffer called a co-worker to help us all plan just the right adventure for us. And while they talked of this bird, or that nest, even pointing to photographs taken presumably at the park decorating the wall behind their desk, they completely had us at alligators. Yes, friend. They have alligators at Estero Llano Grande State Park!!! We basically left the stack of Park Maps scattered in the wind of our hasty departure as we set out for some alligator sightings at birding center number two.
Where’s Waldo time. Find Jesse. Go!
As we walked the clearly marked eight foot wide trails, enjoying the nicely manicured park that presumably houses wonderful flighty creatures, we were singularly focused on seeing us some alligators at aptly named Alligator Lake. Seldom a thought of snakes hidden in the tall grass (or reeds) entered my mind. Just alligators. There may have been some birds. They might have even provided a cheery soundtrack to our time at ELGSP. Honestly, I don’t remember. I was excited (and a teeny bit scared!) that we might soon see some ginormous reptiles that could end us in a habitat that didn’t appear to have the safety precautions you’d appreciate at the aforementioned modernized zoo.
At this point, I’m just going to go ahead and spoil the end for you. We didn’t see any alligators. Nada. Zilch. Not even a trace of an alligator, unless you count this sign –
This was a quickie photo op because I was a little hesitant to have them with their backs to the water at this early point in the game.
– which I did not. Kinder Frau? She is in the throws of big fears in the pics, which – like my snake-infested imaginings – were for naught. We walked all the way to the other end of Alligator Lake, as seen here –
This raised platform felt marginally safer than the previous photo for turning your backs to the water. Just marginally, though.
Still nothing. These alligators have that “Leave No Trace” thing down. We took some side trails as we headed back to the HQ, Kinder Frau thankful for a true Jurassic Park experience (meaning the animals were a “no show”).
Why We Love Estero Llano Grande State Park
Jurassic Park. Admittedly, we hummed Welcome to Jurassic Park while we were exploring, but that is only because it really did have that vibe. It was cool.
Alligators. Um, yes, please! Ironically, Alligator Lake is the only natural part of the park, we were told in the HQ. It is shaped like an alligator, but we were assured it was naturally so and that it was the rest of the park that was planned.
Park Staff. We loved their enthusiasm and appreciated all that they {tried to} teach us about the birds there, even though they lost us at alligators.
New Feel. Hey, we’re city people. After spending time at the wilder Resaca de la Palma State Park, it was nice to relax my muscles and enjoy the familiar city feel of Estero Llano Grande State Park.
Must Do’s
Alligators. Try to see them. And then post about it in the comments! We’d love to read about your experience with them!
Birding. There is a scope-type binocular available on the porch of the HQ overlooking Ibis Pond. Spend some time getting “up close” with our feathered friends from the comfort (and safety) of the shaded porch either before or after you wander the grounds.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Estero Llano Grande State Park! Please share your thoughts on this masterfully planned 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.
