Take the plunge into Devil’s Waterhole at Inks Lake State Park. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
April is Texas State Parks Month, but you can “get lost” in our state parks year-round. In fact, we recommend it. The Highland Lakes has some of the most-visited Texas State Parks, and for good reason. Plan a trip to one or more of the following parks any month of the year and celebrate their scenic beauty and adventurous nature.
Blanco State Park
Enjoy peace and quiet at Blanco State Park as you cool off in the Blanco River or just listen to its flow.
The small park offers camping, swimming, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and tubing. It also rents kayaks and canoes. A group picnic area serves up to 50 people, and a pavilion complete with a kitchen seats up to 75. Both have fees.
Blanco State Park is located at 101 Park Road 23 in Blanco. Day-use fee is $5 for ages 13 and older; free for ages 12 and younger. Call 830-833-4333 or click on the above link for more information.
Colorado Bend State Park
The remote Colorado Bend State Park is worth the drive. Within its 5,300 acres, south of Bend and just west of Lampasas, the park offers primitive camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, mountain biking, and spelunking.
Explore 15.8 miles of hiking trails, 14 miles of mountain-biking trails, and two primitive backpack-in areas.
You can also hike to picturesque Gorman Falls.
Colorado Bend State Park is located in Bend in Lampasas County. Go north on U.S. 281 to the U.S. 183 intersection in Lampasas then take FM 580 West 24 miles to Bend. Follow the signs. Day-use fee is $5 for ages 13 and older; free for ages 12 and younger. Call 325-628-3240 or click on the above link for more information.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Enchanted is an apt way to describe this park with its ancient, pink granite dome that rises 425 feet into the air, making it one of the country’s largest batholiths. Native Americans believed it was inhabited by spirits due to its creaks and groans. Scientists say the sounds are caused by the rocks expanding and contracting because of temperature changes.
Along with its legends, you can enjoy primitive backpacking, camping, hiking, rock-climbing, picnicking, birdwatching, and stargazing. Restrooms, showers, tent pads, playscapes, picnic tables, fire rings, hike-in primitive sites, a pavilion, an interpretive center, and a park store are available to visitors.
Enchanted Rock is the epicenter of rock-climbing in the Highland Lakes, and a number of guides and resources can assist you.
The popular park can quickly reach capacity, even before noon. The best way to make sure you get into Enchanted Rock is to reserve a day-use pass through the Texas State Parks online reservation system.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is located on the Llano-Gillespie county line at 16710 RR 965. Day-use fee is $8 for ages 13 and older; free for ages 12 and younger. Call 830-685-3636 or click on the first link for more information.
Inks Lake State Park
Outdoor adventures await at Inks Lake State Park. You can fish without a license from its shores as well as hike, bike, watch birds, or simply savor the dazzling Texas Hill Country.
Hiking trails weave through granite outcroppings along the banks of beautiful Inks Lake with live oaks, cacti, and mesquite trees creating habitats for diverse wildlife.
Among the features on the park’s 1,200 acres are setups for rustic campsites to the largest RVs.
Of course, the park is one of the most popular places to cool off in the Highland Lakes, especially in Devil’s Waterhole.
Inks Lake State Park is located at 3480 Park Road 4 between Burnet and Marble Falls and a few miles south of Texas 29. Day-use fee is $7 for ages 13 and older; free for ages 12 and younger. Call 512-793-2223 or click on the above link for more information.
LBJ State Park and Historical Site
The way a U.S. president governs often can be traced to their childhood, and no two places celebrate the life and contributions of Hill Country native Lyndon Baines Johnson better than LBJ State Park and Historic Site and LBJ National Historical Park, both located between Johnson City and Stonewall off of U.S. 290.
LBJ Ranch, part of the national park, is home to the Texas White House, where President Johnson conducted some of the nation’s business. At times, under the spreading oak trees, LBJ hosted dignitaries and the White House Press Corps.
“All the world is welcome here,” he said.
The state park is on 717 acres directly across the Pedernales River from the ranch and features the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm with costumed interpreters demonstrating rural life in the 1900s. You can also hike 1.2 miles of trails past bison, longhorns, and wildflowers.
The national park has sites in Stonewall and Johnson City, including the original Johnson settlement, LBJ’s boyhood home, and the Johnson Family Cemetery.
You can see how Johnson’s ancestors lived in the two-room dogtrot Behrens Cabin that’s attached to the visitors center. Inside the cabin are furnishings resembling those found in the 1870s, when the president’s forebears arrived.
LBJ State Park and Historic Site’s Sauer-Beckmann Farm is located at 501 Park Road 52 in Stonewall. Admission is free. Call 830-644-2252 or click on the top link for more information.
Longhorn Cavern State Park
Venture beneath the Highland Lakes at Longhorn Cavern State Park. The 645-acre park offers daily tours of the caverns, which stay a cool 68 degrees year-round.
You can take the (less strenuous) 90-minute Walking Tour or the three-hour Wild Cave Tour through tighter, darker spots.
Above ground, hiking trails and picnic tables are open to visitors for free. Explore several buildings constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s or climb the spiraling staircase of the observation tower for a 360-degree view of the surrounding Hill Country, including Falkenstein Castle in the distance.
Longhorn Cavern State Park is located at 6211 Park Road 4 South in Burnet County. While it is a state park, it is managed privately. Cave tours are available at a fee; park entrance and hiking are free. Call 512-715-9000 or click on the above link for more information.
Pedernales Falls State Park
For an outdoors adventure that’s still close to civilization, check out Pedernales Falls State Park.
The park’s main features are the Pedernales River, which runs through it, and the falls at its northern edge, but you’ll discover much more during your explorations.
Birdwatching, mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking—visitors can do it all in one day or camp out to continue the fun. Explorers should reserve a day to enjoy the backcountry on the 7-mile Wolf Mountain Trail. If you’re a mountain biker, give the 8.9-mile Juniper Ridge Trail a go.
Take note: Swimming, wading, and tubing are prohibited at the falls and for a distance downstream. If you’re planning water activities, be cautious because the river can quickly rise when it rains.
Pedernales Falls State Park is located at 2585 Park Road 6026, several miles east of Johnson City. Day-use fee is $6 for ages 13 and older; free for ages 12 and younger. Call 830-868-7304 or click on the above link for more information.
