Great find! We were in the area for business and decided to camp and make a fun time of it. We…read morehadn't done any research but jjst adored this park. Clean restrooms. Hot water. Very well taken care of. The electricity in the bathroom didnt work, but there was electricity at the site to dry our hair. Beautiful sunrise and sunset over the lake. We felt like we had an excellent bang for our buck and would love to give a huge shout out to this state park. Only complaint is there were ants everywhere but that's not something a state park can really control. They only bothered our dog once.

Secluded cabins in beautiful settings. Fish cleaning station available with several shelters down…read moreby the water. We stayed in a full hook up RV site that was unfortunately a steep walk down to the lake. Several RV sites were very uneven. Bring blocks to level out.

What a great way to spend a day! Just an hour and a half outside of Dallas, you can immerse…read moreyourself in the time when dinosaurs ruled the earth! There's actual dinosaur tracks preserved in the rock at Dinosaur Valley State Park, and that just adds even more fun to the experience! We went for the day and the entrance fee was $8 per adult. They accept cards and cash at the Ranger Station. Prior to arriving I tried to buy tickets online, but I kept only seeing tickets for overnight camping. Nonetheless, we were still able to pay at the entrance and we were even able to get out and use the restroom facilities at the entrance. Once you pay your entrance fee, a ranger will give you a trail map. There is ample parking inside the park, so there are lots of possibilities on where to start your adventure. We started on the Pawluxy River trail and crossed over to the main track site where the dinosaur prints are very clear. The river crossing has slightly protruding rocks that you have to navigate on foot to get across the river. I wore hiking boots and I think this was ideal for the environment. From there we switched to the overlook trail where the elevation is 850 ft, so you get a great view of the whole Pawluxy River Valley. From there we descended to the Black-capped Vireo Trail, then crossed the Pawluxy River to make our way back to our car. While there's endless combinations of hikes you can take, ours took about 3 hours. Along the way there were lots of people. Mostly gathered at the river and at the tracks. The rest of the trails were actually very quiet and peaceful. In addition to hiking, there are other points of interest. There are dinosaur models, a swimming hole and of course multiple dinosaur track sites. Overall, Dinosaur Valley is a great state park with something for everyone!

What a great park! We crossed the river and played where dinosaurs once walked!…read more The water was a fair depth and cool but not too cold and not too high. The footprints are easy to spot and so cool along with the gently cascading falls of the river as it rolls along the path. We enjoyed the big "mascots Dino near the gift shop and the gift store,

Love the river! This…read moreis a section of the Pecan Bayou that passes the 377 highway coming from the Brownwood Lake headed on to the gulf of Texas. (Not only highway 377, but also highways 67 and 84 as well. At this point all of these highways are combined.) This is a fun little area to fish, very tough to fly fish, due to the vegetation, but still due-able. If you're going fishing and you pass over this point, it is always a good idea to check out the water flow and the color of the water. The water flow can be unbelievable after a great rain. You always want to double check this after wet weather, there could be a lot of water released from the dam. If you check out the vegetation around the water it will also give you an insight to the bug life, which the fish feed upon. Another fun note about this place that it reminds me of all of the Texans that have come here before me. The ones that either fished here, swam, had romantic dates, gathered drinking water, it is just kind of a fun nostalgic little creek. The fish here in this area range from small mouth bass, large mouth bass, catfish, perch, sunfish and the list goes on for warm fresh water fish. Now what I recommend, if you're going to fish here is fishing from the bank. You want to test the waters temperature, fish are very sensitive to the temperature. They also like coverage, as in a submerged log or something that helps give them protection from predators. There are several ways to go after them, like a surface bug / rig and work it lick it was live animal. Or go just the opposite way and go deep where the big fish maybe located at. What ever you do work your rig like it was live! **On a safety issue, always let someone know where you are going fishing ahead of time and what time roughly you should be back. Another key note, is to watch for snakes. The snakes could come from the water, or land, but know that they most likely are there to feed. Looks before you step! You do also need to wash out for those 'pocket panthers', we did get a photo of one listed in the photos of the review. This is a fun little fishing spot with such easy access! Have fun, be carful and remember only catch the ones you are going to keep, unless you practice the 'catch and release' method which I think you should do! Have fun!

Nice Park but there are squatters in the area so lock your car. also some dude lives here in an RV…read morewhich is suss but its a park so I guess its better than parking in neigborhoods.

This place is awesome, and I really hope we can make our way back someday because the trails are…read morebeautiful to hike and we spent about an hour trying to find as many of the old animal medallions as we could, but I think some of them have been lost due to time, weather, or bad people stealing them. It seems to be maintained by volunteers only, so some of the paths are a little overgrown (watch out for thorn bushes), but we still had so much fun and it's honestly just very cool to walk through this old zoo from the 1920s - 1930s! While you're on your way out here, make sure to read the history of why the zoo closed down (mystery!) and take a picture of the map at the entrance to help you on your mission to find the various animal medallions. I hope you have better luck than we did, but maybe we'll be able to come back and find more! There are bathrooms, a playground, and a decent amount of parking. You can also get a nice view of the dam and the lake while you're here, just make sure not to cross the boundary into private property, according to some tips I read online they're kind of sensitive about it but we didn't experience any issues on our visit!

This was not as cool as we had hoped - especially based on the hype we had heard. Don't get me…read morewrong - it's a fine stop if you're near Cisco - but truly, all there is here are a few rock walls, some bent iron bars, and a couple of cavelike enclosures. The trail itself is paved in some areas and rocky in others. We tried to take the loop, but took a wrong turn somewhere. The nearby park and dam were interesting.

My boyfriend and I made a weekend trip to come here. We spent one day at the park, you really need…read moretwo or more days! We went to three different trails, and both were beautiful. Gorman falls I feel like is the most popular. There were so many people there! We saw the water fall and got to walk along the river bend. Then we went to the spring trail, that place was magical! It looked like a hobbit home!!! E we made it to the spring, but sadly you are not allowed to get in it. Finally we made it to the spice trail, but we were barely able to make it out in time, it was not a good decision, we did have to hike-run about 2 miles in the dark, I was freaking out. So message to all it's make sure you are not hiking too late because it waspitch black. Luckily we had outdoor flashlights and made it, but it felt like it was never ending. The trail is awesome, we crossed over the river several times, it's like a maze to get through, and the top was beautiful, but yeah we didn't get to enjoy the last two miles. Overall this was an awesome park to visit! I'm excited to keep exploring Texas parks

I visited Colorado Bend SP earlier today, and I'll admit that I wasn't expecting it to be so far…read moreout of the way. That's not necessarily a negative, but just something to note. Getting there was very straightforward, but cell reception is very limited there. I was prepared with offline maps so that didn't bother me. The road takes you right to the entrance of the park. There's an unattended booth up front, but I self-registered myself at the check-in station over to the side. There was a pen provided that I used to fill out one of the forms, and dropped it in the locked box with my information. I came here to hike to Gorman Falls today. Part of the road that leads to the trailhead was flooded, but I was able to drive through it with a standard SUV. The road was rocky in some areas and gravel the rest. A high-clearance vehicle isn't needed. There was plenty of parking at the trailhead, along with a restroom with a composting toilet. The trail was well-marked and shaded the first 1/3 of the trail. The rest of the way is exposed to the sun until you get to the fork in the trail that leads to Gorman Falls. There is a bike rack here as the last section is hiking only. The rock face is quite steep towards the bottom, but there were ropes that guided me down. I had my dog with me and I had to carry it at one point just to get down. Because of the rains this past week, water was flowing at the falls. You can't hike to the falls, but there is an observation deck with some benches to relax in the shade here. Returning back up the rock wall was easier than the way down. I also stopped by the park headquarters, about 5 miles down from the entrance of the park. They had a nice selection of gifts and souvenirs for purchase, and plenty of brochures for nearby state parks. The only option for camping here is primitive; there is no plumbing available, other than a spigot for potable water. Overall, this park was well-maintained and I would return for a second visit. Being just 1.5 hours away from NW Austin, Colorado Bend SP makes for a good day trip option with little traffic to and back.

This review is for hiking- there are two short hiking trails. I'd you are coming to hike, don't…read more You will get through them in 20 minutes. Luckily for us we did have kids who were complaining of being tired by the midway point of it, so it is perfect for families. But if you are an avid hiker who hikes for miles and miles, this is not the spot. We did go to the beach to look around, but didn't get in as it is winter right now and was at 30-50 degree weather. It is a beautiful place, very clean and well kept. If you are coming in with family, this is perfect, but if you want to hike, this is not your spot.

Wanted to get out of Fort Worth for a mental health day. This particular state park was a little…read moreover an hour away. As soon as I drove into the front entrance, I stopped in the office in order to print the day pass I purchased online yesterday. All three ladies were extremely friendly and helpful. They showed me the key highlights of the park on the map. Then I shopped their merchandise in the park store. The trails were very well maintained and laid out. Each path was clearly visible so as not to get lost or off the marked walkway. I even spent some time in one of the day use areas to read this month's issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. What a way to finish enjoying such a wonderful park. Please check out!

What a great hidden gem! I don't understand why this was a completely deserted park both times we…read morevisited. This park has numerous trails for walking or biking. The trails are very nice, wide, and beautifully scenic. One of the trails takes you down to the Colorado River where you can swim or play in the water. It seems pretty clean and not a strong current. I want to jump in the next time we are there. There is a ton of spots for camping, and they all have water and electricity. There are bathrooms and playgrounds for the kiddos. So many trees making shade almost covered the entire park. Extremely clean, nice cut grass, and obviously well taken care of. I'm just so confused why no one was in this park? This is an amazing place to camp, bike, and spend the day! The only weird thing was the second time we went the gate to get into the park was closed. We were able to bike into the park from another park next door. Not sure if there is information on the San Saba website or not. Also, not sure if camping is free or not. We didn't see any signs. If you plan to camp you might want to do a little research first, but I couldn't recommend Risien Park any more.

This was the final park we went to explore but compared to the other two parks this one was a bit…read moreunderwhelming. There was a play area, picnic tables, and a shaded area. There wasn't much reason to get out and explore anymore. It's great for kids and picnics but not enough for us to stay longer.

Eagle Mountain Park has a decent size parking lot and I noticed they had a Kona ice truck out…read morefront. They have restrooms available, however they are porta potties that need maintenance. My friend and I enjoyed walking the overlook trail, including seeing the views of the lake. The weather was sunny and breezy and we got a good workout. I like that they don't allow dogs here to preserve their wildlife. We saw a couple of deer on our walk which was lovely. We look forward to our next visit to Eagle Mountain Park.

Eagle Mountain Park has great hiking trails along with some scenic views. One of the best features…read moreof this park is that it's pedestrian only and there are no bikes or dogs allowed. This makes for a great hiking experience. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge lover of dogs, but I love that this park is working to preserve the nature, plus some of the trails are steep and it would be heinous to make your dog venture up and down some of these more aggressive slopes. Nonetheless, I still saw two people bring their dogs out... some people simply have no regard for guidelines to protect the nature and not create an undue burden on your dog. Sigh. This is truly one of the best places in DFW if you are serious about hiking. There is a 500 feet elevation gain on the trail by the lake and this makes for great views and an easy way to get your heart rate up. There is ample parking and admission to the park is free. The only downside I would mention is the only restroom facilities are two port-o-potties and they were disgusting. One was out of toilet paper and there are no sinks to wash up. I don't know why people feel the need to make a bad situation worse by urinating all over the seat and trashing the facilities. Other than that, Eagle Mountain Park is a great choice for a semi-challenging hike site in DFW. The views are also a great reward for your efforts!

Recent constructs added a cement walk from the ramp to the historic marker greatly improving…read moreaccess. Beyond the historic marker are many miles of trails that vary in difficulty. Plan your route car and always carry plenty of water. Don't forget to check for geocaches in the area

HIked here hundreds of times, totaling well over 1000 miles in all kinds of weather. This place is…read morefantastic, you can get lost if you are not careful as there are many miles of unmarked ,unmapped trails and lots of deer trails and creekbeds to hike. So either be careful or go crazy as long as you have enough time and water. Entrances on both ends of park. LOts of litter so don't make it worse please.