Great, secluded state park next to a neighborhood. I'd consider Palmetto a hidden gem in Texas. I…read moredrove here from Austin and it took me about 1.5 hours. The way I took lead me down a neighborhood street, which led me straight to the park's headquarters. They had a small and very limited selection of gifts for purchase, but the park ranger there was friendly and recommended a couple of trails and points of interest. I hiked a series of trails along the outside perimeter of the park, which combined was about 3.5 miles. Each new segment had a different ecosystem and it was interesting to see different sights and hear new sounds. The trails are mostly shaded, though I went on an overcast day. There's also a low river crossing where I saw some people fishing on. At all Texas state parks, no fishing license is needed to fish. The sound of the river was soothing and refreshing. I genuinely enjoyed my time here and would love to return here to visit again someday.

We really enjoyed our time at Palmetto State Park, despite the inclement weather we experienced…read more The park is beautiful and well maintained. Lots of families get day passes for the playground, swimming, and fishing. We stayed at a water only campsite right next to Oxbow Lake, that was also within walking distance to the park headquarters. There were TONS of gorgeous trail options and we were able to hike about 4 miles around the park. Although the park no longer offers boat rentals (you can bring your own), they do have a fishing loaner system, which we took advantage of. All the park rangers and volunteers were lovely. April was our Park Host and she was on top of it! She patrols diligently and even helped clear a water moccasin from the roadway. The only reason for this four star review is because of the parks bathrooms. The campgrounds aren't huge, but there are only two family style bathrooms in each campground. Each bathroom is a toilet/shower combination, so during peak season, I could see campers waiting a long time for the facilities. The bathrooms were also poorly maintained (dirt, bugs, critter poop, etc) plus day visitors have access to the campground bathrooms, which also poses a problem for accessibility.

We were nearby supporting a Taiwanese restaurant so I randomly pulled up kids activities in San…read moreMarcos on Yelp. The Children's Park appeared and looked like a lot of fun. Since the kids were still wide awake and the little one hates car rides, getting their wiggles out before heading back to Austin seemed like the right strategy. We came and this park did not disappoint! It was a Saturday afternoon at 3:15pm and all the kids were out having fun. We couldn't park in the parking lot so had to do roadside parking with a short walk. I especially loved the smaller kids area for the 1.5 and 5 year old. We spent a good hour here just goofing around. We spent the next 30 minutes in the bigger area and my 5 year old had a blast, 1.5 year old, not too much. Overall, I really like the layout and will be back when we visit San Marcos again!

Awesome and fun place to take the kids. This place is definitely worth the drive if you are coming…read morefrom San Antonio.

Short walkway in the walnut springs park if you plan to walk back and forth but crossing towards…read morethe library is like a hidden gem. Beautiful painted squirrels definitely recommend walking this area leading to max stark park.

Small but beautiful park. Water was low. Got to see a water moccasin in The little creek. Nice…read moresidewalks to walk on. Also have baggies and trash cans for puppy poo

Nice, smallish park, with a play scape, some covered tables, some benches, walks along a creek, and…read moreaccess to hiking trails.

I can't say I recommend Lockhart State Park from my last visit here. Even though it's the only…read moreTexas state park with a 9-hole golf course, the hiking trails weren't very interesting and I was concerned about getting hit by golf balls as one of the trails cuts right through the fairway. The trail system here seemed almost like an afterthought, as there weren't any scenic viewpoints to look forward to. There were large shrubs everywhere and nothing interesting around. They say to my have a fishing pond, but it was small and it looked like it was devoid of any life. I thought the CCC group area and the day-use areas were cool. I can see locals taking advantage of the amenities. But for me, hiking trails are the biggest draw and unfortunately I left disappointed.

I enjoyed hiking the trails to take a break from the highway while on a roadtrip. It was well…read moreworth the $3 entrance fee. While I've seen prettier landscapes, the ones at Lockhart are decent. No waterfalls, apparently, the creek onky flows when it rains... But there are a few nice views from the higher elevations of the hiking trails. They have some flatter trails and a few that are more challenging. I hiked several as they were short. I managed to finish 5 in 30 minutes, and it was an enjoyable hike. Lockhart also has a golf course, camping spots, and a swimming pool (in season). It would make a nice place to camp out for a weekend get-away. The gentleman at the office was kind and helpful.

Big open range park with one single trail that leads to the lake with reflective water. Mini…read morewindmills surrounding the body of water. The terrain is flat and the views are the houses on the hill to the north and west. At the end of the trail, it leads to the catch and release fishing dock. There's a huge round yellow picnic table. This park is great for sunrise views, meditation and yoga in the park. The trail is less than a mile long. I would have liked it more if there were nature trails and longer paths to walk on. I think they use this park for community events. The air is crisp and fresh. It smells like sweet grass cornbread. No pollution.

Cool little nature walk even though the grass is always really dry and dead. The playground was…read morenice for the kids. Really ehhh

Came out to this little park to get some disc golf practice. 9 holes. Park had plenty of parking,…read morewalking trail, picnic tables, very spacious. If you want to get in some good old disc golf come out here and get you some fresh air and enjoy the scenery

Went with an out of town friend. She wanted to walk outside and tour around since she's never been…read moreto this area. We went to this park since it was close. Parking was plenty. Looks like they have sports games here. We had to use the bathroom but unfortunately it was closed. Had to use the portapotty. After that, we got walking and it was a beautiful area. The water was dried up in some spots but other parts had a beautiful water area. Just wish it were a longer walking path along the water. The trail was fairly short. But otherwise clean and safe. Good place to bring my dog except I wouldn't let him near the water since it was pretty dirty.

A nice place to walk at, although, I would do five stars, but due to recent droughts, five mile dam…read moredoesn't have much water, sadly.

Kevin was nice and helpful and made in very fun for me and me and would come back againread more

Jayden gave the best tour you could possibly give very knowledgeable very very patient and made…read morethe tour a wonderful experience for me and my family. This establishment is very underrated.

Great park. Lots of walking space and disc golf course fun. Have birthday parties, basketball…read morefootball. Baseball fields needs some work but still good

Horrible park. I was lookin for a place where I could get steps in and this one was closest to me…read moreso I chose it only for that reason. Upon arriving, I sat at a picnic table to eat my sub but a stray dog came up towards me and kept staring at me so it was uncomfortable. Eventually his owner some disc golf playing hippie called him over just as I was finishing! Ugh. Then I hit rest room to wash hands but door wouldn't shut right! I had to pull hard! Then as I was in baño I noticed profanity written on door. Of course no soap. Trashy and ghetto. During walk I noticed grass was overgrown and overall park was just uncared for. There were pictures of penises and the word penis on the disc golf signs! I couldn't wait to leave that park feel sorry for the kids who were walk-in among tall grass they better check first ticks before they headed home!