7 Parks in 5 Days
A little Texas State Park tour through Hill Country in December 2021
High: Being outside for a week, hiking every day at places that have been on my list for years!
Low: Literal low temps (it’s winter) that made for a few rough nights in the tent.
1️⃣Colorado Bend State Park
The Gorman Falls Waterfall is the main attraction. However, we were more impressed with the Gorman Spring and the trail leading up to it. The creek had some of the clearest water and a fantastic combination of orange foliage, green moss, and grey/blue rocks. It’s an ~11 mile loop to see all of the sites.
2️⃣Enchanted Rock
The hike up to the summit is a short (.8 miles) but steep climb, and definitely the most populated route. Amazing 360 views at the top! Then it’s a ~5 mile perimeter hike to see all of the sites. The rock formations scattered across the park were awesome!
3️⃣Inks Lake State Park
Scrambled up and across rocks to see the Devils Waterhole and Valley Spring Creek Waterfall. Only thing I wish I had done, and had planned to do, was kayak. Just another reason to come back during summer and to arrive in the morning!
4️⃣Longhorn Cavern State Park
A 1.5 hour guided tour through the caves. Hard to compare when Carlsbad NP sets the bar so high, but these were on the high end of maintenance. Cool formations, awesome giant crystals, and tiny bats sleeping throughout!
5️⃣Hamilton Pool Preserve
This has turned into a bit of an IG trap, as it’s only a few minute walk down to the pool. The trail underneath the cliff was closed off due to falling rocks, just our luck, but it was still so cool to see! Sat on the beach for a while to take in the incredible view. Explored Reimers Ranch down the road while waiting for our time slot to enter Hamilton Pool.
6️⃣McKinney Falls State Park
There are 2 falls, Upper and Lower, which are connected by walking under a cliff overhang that housed Native Americans for thousands of years. So neat! Both falls are equally breathtaking, flowing into natural pools for good swimming.
