The best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten was bubbled to golden crispy perfection by my 85-year-old grandma in a cast-iron skillet resting atop a two-burner camp stove at Inks Lake State Park. Mauri Elbel photo Inks Lake State ParkĮntrance fees are $6 for adults free for 12 and under. RELATED: 8 Great State Parks for camping with kidsĬousins watch a summer sunset at Inks Lake State Park. But the nights here are best spent roasting s’mores around the campfire and stargazing. Folks like to fill their Garner days hiking and biking, bird watching, paddling (paddle boats and kayaks are available for rent), playing putt-putt golf, and floating, swimming and fishing in the nearly 3-mile stretch of the brisk, beautiful Frio River. By late fall, the towering cypress trees fringing the cold, clear Frio River are splashed in crimson and gold, and autumn’s cooler weather beckons you to explore the 16 miles of trails leading to dramatic views of soaring mesas and carved limestone cliffs.īuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Garner opened as a state park in 1941 and has since become the most visited in Texas. Garner State Park, perched on the southwestern edge of the Edwards Plateau, is a 1,774-acre oasis of tranquility sitting in the unique sub-region known as the Balcones Canyonlands. Mauri Elbel photo Garner State ParkĮntry fee $8 free 12 and under. Little ones will love fishing in the Rio River after a night of camping at Garner State Park. Kayak rentals and fishing rods are available at park headquarters. The camping area is set back from the river in a picturesque grove of trees. Kids love the wading pool built next to the spillway at Falls Dam, but more experienced swimmers prefer the east side of the park for long deep stretches of cool green water. ![]() Intense flooding in 2016 uprooted trees and scoured the banks, but numerous towering cypresses still provide ambiance. The park hugs a mile-long stretch of the Blanco River. If you love open-water swimming, though, plan a trip pronto. Camping $20-$25.Īt 105 acres, Blanco State Park is small but mighty. – Pam LeBlanc Blanco State ParkĮntry $5 adults free 12 and under. ![]() The Civilian Conservation Corps built cabins and a dining hall here in the 1930s, but they closed for renovations in July and won’t reopen until spring 2022. Afterward, cool off with a dip in the big, seasonally-operated swimming pool. ![]() Bring your bike and pedal the hilly 12-mile road between Bastrop and Buescher state parks for a workout. The sandy soils also provide critical habitat for the endangered Houston toad. Seven miles of hiking trails weave through ghostly stretches of burned forest in the westernmost stand of loblolly pine trees in the country. But if you head out here, you will see signs of a park that’s recovering. Yes, fires in 20 ravaged this 6,600-acre park east of Austin, then a dam burst, and the park’s small lake drained away. Photo courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Bastrop State ParkĮntry $5 adults free 12 and under. There is some fire and flood damaged terrain, but it is not unappealing. Visitors hike the Scenic Overlook Trail at Bastrop State Park.
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