AndiMy goal is to see all the Texas State Parks, so I always check to see if I’ll be near one when traveling through Texas. It just so happens I ended up close to Palmetto State Park! When I saw that, I had to squeeze it into our itinerary. I’m so glad I did! This park is awesome! Even in the winter, it has a tropical look with all the dwarf palmettos.
Location:
Palmetto State Park is located near Gonzales, TX. It’s about an hour drive from Austin and San Antonio.
78 Park Road 11 South Gonzales, TX 78629
Best Time To Visit Palmetto State Park:
This park is open daily year round. Peak season is between March and November.
For hiking and camping: Spring, fall and the winter seasons are the best.
For playing in the river: Summer! Great way to cool off in the heat of Texas.
Make sure to secure reservations ahead of time, because they often reach capacity.
Cost:
$3 Daily entrance fee per person aged 13 and older.
$70 Texas Annual Park Pass (good for the entire family at every Texas state park)- Highly recommend! Great value depending on the age of members of your family and how many times you visit Texas state parks.
What To Bring to Palmetto State Park:
- Water -lots of it depending on the season.
- Snacks
- Sunscreen
- Bugspray
- Hiking Boots
- Hiking Backpack
- Camping Equipment- (if camping)
- Tubes- (seasonal)
- Swimsuit/ clothes to wear in the river
- Water Shoes
- Camera
- Texas State Parks Annual Pass
Things To Do In Palmetto State Park:
Hike
The park offers five miles of trails ranging in difficulty from easy to moderate. Most of the trails are short, so it’s easy to hike the whole park in one day.
Ottine Swamp Trail – 1.01 Miles – One way. This is a must do!!! The palmettos and boardwalks on this trail make it feel like you’ve been transported out of central Texas to the tropics.
Mesquite Flats Trail -1.08 Miles – One way
San Marcos River Trail – 1.25 Miles – One Way
These three trails all intersect and can be combined to make one big loop. It’s the best way to see most of the park.
Palmetto Interpretive Trail – .26 Miles – One way – check out the water tower!
Oxbow Lake Trail – .69 Miles -almost completes a loop
Kayak or Paddle Board
In the park, rentals are available through PaddleEZ at Oxbow Lake for $18 an hour.
Nearby, there is a guided three hour kayak river tour if you’d like to go a little bit longer. Check out this site for more details. It’s perfect for beginners. $45 for solo and $75 for tandem.
In addition, Paddle Boats are available for rent on the lake as well!
Bike
The terrain is easy to bike in this park, so this is great is you are a beginner mountain biker. Bikes are allowed on all the trails, unless otherwise stated.
The park headquarters offers daily bike rentals for adults and kids in case you didn’t bring yours!
Fish
You can fish in the river or on Oxbow Lake which offers a fishing pier. The park loans out fishing equipment if you don’t have the gear. A fishing permit is not needed if fishing from the pier or shore.
Swim
Swimming is allowed in the river, however it’s swim at your own risk. There is not a lifeguard on duty, so be careful!
In addition, there are tube rentals for river use. You can get them at Oxbow Lake.
Camp
The park offers 38 tent sites ranging from $12 – $18 per night. 8 is the maximum number of people allowed at each site.
There is only one full hook up site and it is $20 per night. 8 is the maximum number of people allowed at each site.
Book reservations well in advance! For more info, click HERE.
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