We have fished you, biked you, hiked you, swum you, camped you, and deeply loved you since we first discovered you and the Texas State Parks system.
Our affection for your tall trees, sandy beaches, meandering trails, and picturesque shoreline fishing spots has only grown deeper as the kids have grown taller. You provided the perfect backdrop to some of our favorite memories like the first camp out The Manling planned all by himself with his little Scout friends…
Circa 2014, which was a lifetime ago because that is how time passes when you’re in the Wonder Years. The boys had a camp site all to themselves while Kinder Frau and I camped separately one spot over. Good times.
…and the many hours of playing fetch with Elanor (R.I.P., most faithful canine companion) and Rosie…
Awww, I just noticed wee Kinder Frau in the background swimming.
…and the group bike rides on your wide paths that left us feeling a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment…
…and the times spent swimming in your depths because it was a thousand degrees that summer…
…and the time of togetherness in the tent when Kinder Frau and I read aloud from Pride & Prejudice during that summer rain shower…
…and the pages upon pages of lakeside reading I have enjoyed while the minions fished and frolicked in your nearby waters…
…and the time the minions and I ran your trails and I inadvertently just missed stepping on that skinny green snake because we were living our best life instead of fretting over slithery adversaries…
…and the list goes on and on and on.
In late June 2018, we added another priceless memory into our shared history together, Lake Tawakoni State Park: scenic backdrop for a photo shoot. After all, Kinder Frau has a public to please nowadays.
While The Man and The Manling got their shoreline fishing on…
…I was Kinder Frau’s to command for a couple of hours during an on-location photo shoot within your breathtaking boundaries.
Exploring your paths and shores and even your roadways was so much fun as the two of us simultaneously walked down memory lane, one location at a time.
Lake Tawakoni State Park, you’re our soulmate. You complete our family like no other Texas State Park. You’re always up for a visit from us, and you have never failed to deliver an awesome adventure for our family. For that, we will always love you.
Thanks for the memories, LTSP. –The Smiths
Why We Love Lake Tawakoni State Park
Fishing. I’m pretty sure we’ve caught every single time we’ve dropped a line from the shores of LTSP. The water levels fluctuate, but the fishing is always pretty great on the lake. Or try your luck at the picturesque Pair-O-Trees Pond on the right, just past the HQ.
Sandy Beaches. In North Texas, there’s no pretending that we’ve got this beach thing down. It’s an exasperatingly long car ride to the Gulf from our humble abodes. Which is why when we find inviting sandy beaches, we are all in. LTSP has the prettiest light sand beaches. Grab your camping chair, a good book, and go find yourself a private piece of beach-y paradise, my friend. LTSP’s got you covered.
Meandering Trails. The trails are wide, well-kept, mostly shaded and the Spring Point Trails (on the east side of the park) are delightful to enjoy at a casual pace. Life is fast-paced. Take your time and meander down one of LTSP’s almost 5 miles of trail.
Camping. LTSP has really great camp sites. They are mostly private with excellent shade. We have enjoyed an excellent array of flighty friends visiting us while we camped and their birdsong is the absolute best way to wake up any day of the week.
Tall Trees. I hail from Alabama, whose motto is “Alabama the Beautiful.” Mama loves her tall trees and LTSP has some really tall beauties which are a feast for the eyes and minister to the body as they shade you from the Texas summer heat. They will be your constant companion no matter where you explore in the park. Love them. Appreciate them. They are the best.
Biking. The three loops off of the Farkleberry Trail are excellent for biking. They are shaded by the aforementioned tall trees, wide, twisty-turny, and well-kept so that your adventure will end up a positive one. The Manling and Kinder Frau have ridden those trails since they learned to ride bikes, so in our opinion, they make for great family rides.
Photo Ops. Sure, we’ve always taken pics on our visits to LTSP. But they’ve always been to preserve our family memories. After our last visit, we’ve seen the park in a whole new light! Seize the Golden Hour at LTSP and capture some breathtaking family photos in this beautiful landscape that LTSP has to offer.
Must Do’s
Fish. Pair-O-Trees Pond or shoreline fishing? You can’t miss. You’re welcome.
Camp. Like I said, the camping spots all seem primo at LTSP, but personally, we love the White Deer Reach Camping Loop, specifically sites #17-21. The sites on the outside seem the most private and the sites on the inside of the loop are big.
Explore. Almost 5 miles of trail are doable in one visit! Explore them all, or choose a shorter adventure. Run the trails. Or bike. Or meander. Just get out there and explore the beauty LTSP’s trails has to offer.
Play. Do something fun. Mountain bike. Hike. Fish. Meander down the shoreline. Have a photo shoot. Play fetch in the water with your dog. Swim. Do something fun! Its good for you.
Relax. Look, you are busy. Life is busy. You cannot avoid the stressures of daily life. But you can escape them for a day…or extended weekend. LTSP is the perfect place to de-stress, relax, and recenter. Do yourself a solid and let LTSP help you ease your angst.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Lake Tawakoni State Park! Please share your thoughts on the Smith Family’s State Park Soulmate 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.
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.
Waking in the wee hours of a Saturday morning in mid-June 2018, the final four of our fam set out on a day trip to Fort Parker State Park in Mexia, Texas, with our family mascot, Rosie. The park promised a little something for everyone: hiking for The Man, fishing for The Manling, photo ops for Kinder Frau, frolicking for the Awesome Aussie, and history for The Mom.
Introducing our Awesome Aussie, Rosie. She loves swimming, running, barking, wallowing in dirt, peanut butter, and her family. She is up to an adventure anytime, anywhere.
We arrived about an hour after the HQ opened, one group out of a few checking in at that time. When our turn for some face time with the Park Staff came, we were made to feel surprisingly unhurried. No “treat ’em and street ’em” mindset at FPSP. Each guest is made to feel like a V.I.P. and that definitely deserves a shout out, in my opinion.
Once we were squared away with our registration, our Park Staffer helped us plan our day enjoying this new-to-us State Park. And that’s saying a lot because all four of us had different ideas of how that would be best accomplished. First off, he said, I would hike while it’s still cool. If you park by the Recreation Hallhere on the map, you can easily get to the pontoon bridge here (circling it on our map) and then you’ll be on the Springfield Trail which will take you past the cemetery (a San Jacinto survivor is actually buried there!), Group Camping, Springfield Lake, the Dam – oh, and if you listen for the spring about here (pointing to the map), you can follow the sound to see the spring! – and then past the historical marker where…” All that to say, Mr. Park Staffer hooked us up with an excellent adventure that checked all of our boxes!
An example of some of the great trails at FPSP.One of the more ferrel trails
Following the Park Staff advice, we followed the Springfield Trail to all of those wonderful spots, which happen to contain signage along the way to educate adventuresome hikers like us on the unique history of FPSP. With our morning hike behind us, The Manling settled in for some fishing at one of the three spots that Mr. Park Staff highlighted on our map while The Man played fetch in the water with our Awesome Aussie (She’s quite ferrel when it comes to getting her country on.), Kinder Frau updated her online presence, and I got some reading done.
Shoreline fishing at “The Point,” which is just past the Recreation Hall. Nada. (A nearby fisherman told us he hadn’t caught either and was going to try the river near the boat launch.)Rosie is a country dog at heart. She LOVES getting wet followed by a good wallow in the dirt and a nap.
Finding spot #1 a dud, we moved to spot #2, which looked to have a small Boy Scout troop getting ready for a canoe trip upriver. We cast in the full sun. We cast from a tree that had fallen into the water. We cast from the shade. We were using lures, corn and worms. Nothing. Because catching is more fun than fishing, I was about ready to throw in the towel and read while the guys continued their quest. I cast one last time in a shaded spot to the left of the boat launch and BAM! My bobber disappeared! I yanked and reeled her in only to find that my worm had disappeared, too! The Manling hooked me up with another worm and I dropped a line in the same spot. Within seconds, my bobber was underwater AGAIN. I yanked and reeled her in a second time to find my worm was MIA again. I asked The Manling what I was doing wrong. “Is my hook too large for this fish’s mouth, maybe?” No, it’s fine. You’ve just got to…(insert man-spanation here because – teenager). This song-and-dance continued for several more casts before I managed to hook something – the tree that was providing the shade over the water. While The Man helped me disengage my hook from the tree (via the snapped line method) and then repair my reel, The Manling thought he would drop his line in where I was getting the only action on the river. And BAM! The Manling quickly landed the thing that had been stealing my worms! Super happy for him, I offered him a heartfelt congratulations and asked him how he did it. Smaller hook, he replied sheepishly. Really, man? (In his defense, he truly felt guilty for catching “my” fish. I spent quite a while assuring him that I was just glad the little booger was caught and even more glad that he was the one that got to catch it. I think he was maybe feeling guilt about the mansplaining about how I was somehow fishing incorrectly when it ended up being the very thing I had asked him about, but I’m his Mama and I could exact my revenge when I wrote about it later. Patience is a virtue the old possess.)
This is another spot near the boat launch on the river that we fished.I spy The Man, who found the shade of the trees to the right of the boat launch the best place to drop a line. (That tree in the foreground? That is all I caught that day.)THE catch of the day was this little guy caught by The Manling in the shaded water under the tree I caught.
Why We Love Fort Parker State Park
Park Staff. Truly some of the finest people on the planet! Ours hooked us up! Our hike even did double-duty, checking off the physical with the historical!
Beautiful. One of the Boy Scout leaders that The Manling had early on in his scouting career said you should always take into consideration what you’re going to be looking at when you camp. Beauty is important. FPSP has beauty in spades and around every corner. It’s just gorgeous greenery against the backdrop of the water and the bluest skies. Every location is picture perfect.
Fishing. The Park Staff can direct you to where the fish have been biting lately, but we found the river to be our luckiest spot on our visit. FPSP also loans fishing gear for use during your visit. AND…they have worms you can buy at the HQ. They go out of their way to help turn your fishing into catching.
Rentals. You can rent canoes and kayaks at FPSP and really enjoy the water on hot summer days.
Hikes. Their trails are (mostly) wide with the shade of the tree canopy overhead. Plus hiking the Springfield Trail gives you a historical tour of the place at the same time. Win-win.
Trees. There are tall trees everywhere at FPSP and because of that, most of the picnic tables and camping spots are gloriously shaded.
Must Do’s
Springfield Trail. Did I mention how much The Man loves hiking and I love exploring the history of the area? This trail combines the two and throws in beauty, shade and water features. It might just be the perfect hike, so don’t rush. Linger. Explore. Enjoy.
Fish. Start at the river. Drop a line in the shade on the right side of the boat launch using worms that you just bought at the HQ. Trust me.
Camp. They have some EXCELLENT spots! We recommend #43 and #49 in the primitive area because they are really big; spots #13-16 at the end of the camping loop are equally spacious sites and provide privacy and shade in spades.
FPSP has some of the most beautiful views. They were literally everywhere, like this view of the lake from the Springfield Trail.Pier fishing mid-afternoon proved hot and fruitless this trip. But a group of three buzzards came hopping around the fish cleaning station and then went under the pier for some shade. They reminded us of the buzzards in The Jungle Book – remember them?
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Fort Parker State Park! Please share your thoughts on this precious piece of paradise 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.
Vanity of vanities…Knowing my selfies are a sorry collection of proof that I am über unphotogenic, I actually put on make up and decided to take my hair out of it’s pony tail every time we took photos. Even though it was a thousand degrees that morning.
The Manling and I visited Mother Neff State Park in early June 2018. Our trusty map app had trouble locating the entrance, but the reason became clear once we did. MNSP is situated on the Leon River, which sometimes floods the plains around it. In 2015, the park relocated the HQ and campsites outside of this flood plain so that the park could remain open, even when the Leon River was disagreeable to the notion. Our map app apparently didn’t get the memo.
The Manling and I were impressed by the newness of this State Park. It was all so immaculate and driving up to the HQ felt akin to arriving at the model home of a new neighborhood! As we approached the building in the early morning, I asked the Park Staffer who was tending to the flower gardens around the HQ if he’d found anything interesting. He replied that he’d already relocated them. “Them,” I asked? The snakes, he replied with a mischievous grin. “For real,” I asked again, to which his smile only widened. The Manling passed him by and kept walking the paved garden path to the doors of the HQ to register our visit.
Per our usual, we chatted with the State Park Staff on-duty and learned that we had underestimated the extent of closures in this particular park due to the recent floods. While several short trails, the Cave, the Tower, and Wash Pond were still accessible, the big attraction for The Manling was and always will be water access for fishing. (Did I mention that fishing is his love language?) And that part of the park was completely & disappointingly inaccessible to park visitors.
Tourist Tip #1
Don’t choose a destination based on proximity and assume everything will be kosher when you show up. Actually visit the website and do your research because the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is fantastic at keeping you up-to-date on information that will be important to know for your visit – like the inaccessibility of the water feature due to flood damage. Lesson learned.
Park Map in hand, we went back to the car to drive to the trail head of the Cave, our first stop. After circling half of the roundabout, we saw a somewhat towering gate extremely reminiscent of Jurassic Park, toward which we pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside). I would be remiss to not point out here that we both began humming Welcome to Jurassic Park (and continued to do so until we parked at the Cave’s trail head!).
Tourist Tip #2
Download Welcome to Jurassic Park to your phone, buy the soundtrack for your car, or download it on Spotify in case you don’t have service (We didn’t.) because this is the perfect score for that gate and the tree-canopied drive through the park. It will elevate the ride to epic instantly.
To abbreviate our short, uneventful trip for you, dear reader, we visited The Cave (which was kind of neat), The Tower (which was our longest hike at the park, but super short compared to our hikes at other parks), and Wash Pond (which was super low on the day we visited). To be honest, The Manling wasn’t feeling MNSP because of the closure of the river end of park and our brief hikes consisted of a lot of quiet punctuated by me either stomp-walking or making noise with my water bottle (you know, to scare the snakes) with the occasional “Are you okay? You seem upset with me” thrown in because, well, The Manling seemed upset with me and all brooding teenager, which is unlike him. So, after our third mini-hike (to the Tower), I asked if he just wanted to head home and plan to come back when more of the park was open (ie the river for fishing). In his funk, he managed to deliver a heart-warming reply in a half-hearted tone – “I’ll do whatever you want to do, Mom. This is your trip, too.” Bless him. We hit the restrooms and then pointed the Tiny Toyota Tardis for home, vowing to revisit Mother Neff when she was recovered from the flood.
The Cave. The Manling offered to explore, but since it didn’t seem trail-like enough at either end of the Cave, I politely declined his offer.
Note the rocks (good camo for rattlesnakes) and the tall grass ahead (good hiding spots for rattlesnakes), both of which may have made me annoying to The Manling because I walked behind him in a “heard” manner, like the Park Staff suggested.Taken atop the Rock Tower, which was pretty cool and the only time I wasn’t attempting to “make us heard” by any snakes in the vicinity, which The Manling appreciated because my noise may have fanned the flames of his disappointment with the park’s river closure.
Why We Love Mother Neff State Park
It’s new. I confess that I was digging the new digs at MNSP. The HQ was awesome, cold (important in 100 degree temps!) and homey with ginormous windows overlooking the brand new porch with an assortment of chairs welcoming you to sit a spell.
It’s historical. I love experiencing the places of yesteryear. I enjoy reading about it and imagining what it would have been like so many years ago. MNSP is steeped in history!
It’s road. We are a sucker for a beautiful drive and the main road through the park offers a delightful canopy of trees over the small road, punctuated on one end by the fabulous Jurassic Park-esque gate and by the Leon River on the other (though at the time of this publication, that part of the park was closed due to flooding).
It’s possibilities. The Manling loves state parking for the fishing. The Man loves state parking for the hiking. I love state parking for the history. This little park offers a little of each of these.
Must Do’s
The Cave. This was a short little hike from the main road and it was pretty cool to contemplate people actually living there. Read the information posted at the entrance to the cave.
The Tower. It literally is a tower in the middle of trees that you can climb to get a 360 degree view of the park. Neat trail that includes a bird blind if you use the trail head across from the restrooms in the new camping loop.
The Pond. You’ve got to see the pics on-site and read the info about Wash Pond in order to appreciate it when the water levels are low (like they were when we visited).
Fishing. Once the river portion of the park reopens, we plan to return and take our own advice on the Leon River.
Camping. The new campsites look fantastic and there were quite a few campers enjoying them during our visit, even though it was in the 100’s. There are two playgrounds nearby, as well as the Live Oak Trail, which leads to a shaded bird blind and The Tower.
Sitting. Spend some time just sitting and enjoying the flower gardens and the view from the HQ’s porch on those lovely new chairs.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Mother Neff State Park! Please share your thoughts on one of Texas’ oldest State Parks 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.
Several summers ago, the fam did what we called a “Tour of Texas Waterholes” that included Pedernales Falls State Park. At that time, Texas was in a drought (which appears to be a yearly state of affairs, at least since I’ve become a citizen of the great state of Texas). At that time, PFSP was more exposed rock than falling water, which was fine by us because we enjoyed bouldering what would normally be unseen because it would be under the water of the river (queue precious yesteryear photos of The Man, The Manling and Kinder Frau – awwww).
We returned to Pedernales Falls State Park in early June 2018, excited to see what it looked like under normal conditions. After mapping a good route for a mid-morning hike on the w i d e s t trails with the gracious staff at the HQ, I turned the Trails Map over to see how far we would actually be hiking that morning. My breath caught as I stared down at my arch-nemesis – the dreaded rattlesnake – in clip art form. I took a deep, cleansing breath and then looked back at the staff member. I swallowed probably louder than I intended before I asked, “Do you have a lot of rattlesnakes in the park?”*
Yes, she answered.
And then continued with the spiel that obviously must be learned verbatim in order to pass State Park Staff School – But they won’t bother you unless you step on them, or scare them, or get too close to them. Just stay out of the tall grass and don’t climb any fallen branches and you should be fine. They are more scared of you than you are of them.
Here’s the thing…They don’t know how scared I am of THEM, so how do we actually KNOW who is the scaredest of whom?
I took another cleansing breath, verified that the trails we were going to hike were w i d e (“A car can drive down them, ma’am.”), and that they would definitely lead us on a scenic route to the falls so that The Manling could do some fishing. We returned to the Tiny Toyota Tardis (because the Yaris is bigger on the inside) and drove to the far end of PFSP to park, where we then found the dirt road that lead us to the Hackenburg Loop Trail, which ends on the beach of the falls just below the Pedernales Falls Overlook. Except it didn’t. Not on the day we were there. I don’t think.
Here’s what happened. The Manling (whom I’d like to point out is an Eagle Scout and, as such, is somewhat knowledgable of the outdoors, including hiking and orienteering) took the lead on the trail because 1) I am the only other person, and 2) I would be useless as our trail guide since my motto is Don’t touch anything green! and I may be overly paranoid about snakes. The dirt road from the parking lot was wide – YAY! – so I felt somewhat confident at this point that this would be a positive experience, meaning I wouldn’t inadvertently step on my biggest fear because we were on a wide path and we could walk down the middle of it without some rattler being scared by us, or us by it. The dirt road led to what was clearly the Hackenburg Loop Trail, exactly as described by the helpful park staff. Score! It consisted of two dirt tire tracks with grass growing between and on either side, which was a little more unnerving, but still doable. (I was going to be so proud of myself for finishing this trail like a boss!) The Manling and I talked off and on, mostly of his love of the outdoors as this trail reminded him of Philmont, or that field to the right reminded him of such-and-such campout where Mr. So-and-So said this and…just good, naturally flowing Mama-Manling convo. Eventually the tire track path became a single dirt trail with unmown grass growing on each side. My breathing quickened, but The Manling kept walking and talking, unfazed by the change, so I followed, loosely keeping my cool. As The Manling shared memories, his Mama desperately tried to concentrate more on his words than the fact that her breathing was becoming more labored.
The “tire track” part of our trail, when I was still confident enough to take photos and laugh like life was good.This is when The Manling left me to see if he could see a trail at the river’s edge. He did not. Nor did we see signs marking the trail we were supposedly still on.
I won’t make you finish that trail with us, as I’m not sure we were on the actual trail a few minutes later. Instead of ending at the beach and strolling beside the river to the falls like the park staff said, we found ourselves in the thick of the woods, uncertain which way to go, retracing our steps, squeezing through tall, tight boulders with our backpacks on, stepping on fallen branches, and basically disregarding the verbatim instructions I mentioned earlier that I assume they memorize regarding snakes in State Park Staff School in our attempt to make it back to some semblance of a genuine trail – ANY genuine trail! – because I think we were on a game trail or a rogue trail some rule breakers made that was about as wide as my size 9 foot and I kind of started to mildly hyperventilate which concerned The Manling because there was no way he could pack me outta there. I kept it together only because I was absolutely certain that if I passed out all the snakes would slither from their hidey-holes en masse to crawl all over my fallen body which would definitely put a damper on my enthusiasm for hiking, Pedernales Falls, state parking, and nature in general.
Honestly, I don’t remember much toward the end of that, ahem, “adventure” other than I genuinely felt like the most thankful woman on the planet when the trail widened and we eventually found ourselves at the TOP of the Pedernales Falls Overlook – which is the absolute opposite of where the Hackenburg Loop Trail leads. And just because I want to share the degree to which I was fouling the air with my presence after the aforementioned midday “trail” hike, here is the haggard, sweaty pic I snapped to send to The Man:
Yeah. And that was after I had regained some composure.
Thankful to have the hike in the past, I plopped down on the stairs that lead to the bench at the overlook (above pic) to wait out my wobbly legs, cool my jets and basically get my stuff together while The Manling plodded down the masterfully crafted stairs to Pedernales Falls below to go fishing. (Seriously, these are excellent natural stairs! I even went down them SOLO.)
Not many fish were caught by any of the anglers trying their luck in the full sun of Pedernales Falls that day, but from my shaded perch atop the overlook, I got my extrovert on and met some truly interesting people. One person in particular that I continue to think about is the older lady who wore a doggie backpack and her little white doggy companion. As I sat exhausted from my ordeal, she stood at the overlook, chatting with a young family. When the young family headed down the stairs to the falls, she turned her attention on me – sitting on the stairs, looking like I do in the above pic. I shared my harrowing experience with her, and what The Manling and I are doing this year (99 State Parks. 12 Month State Park Pass. 1 Awesome Adventure!) before I asked what brought her to PFSP that day. Through the course of our conversation, I learned that her husband used to work at PFSP. He had retired because of an illness, so PFSP was the last place he worked. The park was super special to her and she wanted to spend the day enjoying the park with her dog like she used to do with her husband. Before he became sick. With cancer. And sadly passed away. That particular day was their anniversary – some huge milestone anniversary, too, like 50 years or something – and being at PFSP was the closest she could come to spending time with her beloved husband on their special day.
Yeah, it hit me square in the feels, too. Still does just writing about it, so let’s take a moment to collect our feels with a rousing game of Where’s Waldo? because The Manling is in every single one of these pics taken from my perch at the Pedernales Falls Overlook.
See the sand down there? That is where we were suppose to end our hike.
I met quite a handful of interesting people while The Manling tried his hand at fishing spot after spot at the dehydrated falls, mostly by offering to take group photos of people wanting pics with the above views as their background. (You can meet a lot of people that way!)
Why We Love Pedernales Falls State Park
Pedernales River. The park sits on a few miles of the Pedernales River, which offers opportunities to fish, swim, kayak, tube or conoe – any of which would fit the bill on a hot, Texas summer day. There are restrictions on which activities can be enjoyed where, so check with the park staff before taking to the river with your wet activity of choice.
Pedernales Falls. We’ve yet to see the falls in all of their glory, but we don’t really mind. The rock that the diminished water supply exposes is fun to boulder! So either way, the falls rock. (Get it? R O C K? Because they’re made of r o c k?)
Exploring. PFSP offers a host of trails to choose from, including a whopping 10 miles for use on horseback. (NOTE: At the time of this publication, no outfitters were on-site from which to rent said horse, but if you have your own rideable pet, this would be awesome!) And let ours be a cautionary tale – take the trail map with you.
River bed. As previously stated, we’ve never been there when the river had “volume,” but that fact doesn’t diminish the PFSP experience. The exposed river bed is EXCELLENT for exploring. Seriously! Literally everyone that I met headed up the exposed river bed on an adventure. It’s all smooth rock, not mud. And remember to take water. This is a full sun activity.
Parking Lot. This may very well be the first SP that we have visited that offered some shaded parking spots in any parking lot. It is such a colossal blessing when it’s a thousand degrees to have your car parked in the shade of a tree. It makes a difference. Plus…and this is a biggie…PFSP has vending machines in the parking lot to the falls! The Manling and I LOVED that they offered cold drinks for the visitors that maybe underestimated their hydration needs! Kudos, PFSP, for anticipating and meeting the need! (That said, geez, don’t rely on that as your sole means of intake. It’s hot as Hades in Texas. Have a well-stocked cooler of water in your car and use this as a last resort.)
Must Do’s
Hike. Talk with Park Staff at the HQ and map out your hike with them. They love their park and want you to have an excellent time visiting it. And echoing what I said above regarding exploring, take the trail map with you. Trust me.
Fish. The Park Staff were able to point out some great areas to drop a line. Talk to them as you’re registering your vehicle to get the inside scoop on where the fish are biting. (The Manling said the falls were great for carp and I can verify because I saw two men catch some whoppers from my perch on the overlook. Plus the water seems pretty clear there.)
Swim. Look, they have signage for a reason. Don’t swim except in the designated areas. It might seem too hot to be a reasonable request, but if you need to cool off, go to the designated places. You can swim til your heart’s content in those areas. Bad things tend to happen when people go rogue. Don’t be a rogue. Be a rule follower.
We’d love to hear about your experiences at Pedernales Falls State Park! Please share your thoughts on this righteous river region 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.
The Manling has been looking forward to visiting 
