Overlook Park and Dam at Canyon Lake (about 50-60ish miles from both Austin and San Antonio) is the…read morepublic park I visit most often since joining the CL community in June 2020. At least a couple of times per month, we make our weekend run over the dam from North Park and bask in the seasonal beauty of the big blue lake, the variety of plants on the slopes and forest, and the joy of other visitors taking it all in. Who knows how long it will last in these troubled times for public works, but today, the park remains free to enter from dawn to dusk. The enforcement of parking and capacity limits is by Comal County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), while the authority for the water and 1964-built dam falls on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Game Wardens, and the Guadalupe - Blanco River Authority (GBRA). Finally, the Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) helps with safety signage and waste management around the park by providing free litter bags to make it as easy as possible for visitors to pack out their trash. The park technically doesn't promote swim access, and there is no lifeguard or buoy barrier system for protected swim zones, but you will see many swimmers and floaters in the cold water around the rocky shore during warm weather. The closer to the dam you are, the more likely you'll see fish swimming in the clear water, so bring your snorkel and enjoy. Keep in mind, depth drops off steeply down to 120 feet, so if you're not a strong swimmer, a life vest or other safety provisions may be in order. Certainly, keep an eye on your kids at all times. If you want a coveted spot for the day at the shoreline, you're going to need to plan ahead. Pack up your provisions, chairs, shade tent, what-have-you and get to the park as soon as possible after dawn to secure a parking spot. You'll need your goat feet and maybe an all-terrain wagon to get down the rocky trails to your place at the water. The shore is entirely limestone, so you typically won't be able to use stakes for a pop-up; plan to weigh down with something else, as Canyon Lake gets VERY windy. Restrooms are at the far southeast end of the park, near the Gorge overlook. You'll also find porto-johns near the dam gate and disabled parking spots. If you're still there by sunset, you'll hear the sheriff's deputy over a PA system asking you to leave. There is no camping or overnight parking allowed. Note that this park is also home to USACE headquarters for Canyon Lake. Their visitor center is open Mon-Fri, 8a-4:30p except for federal holidays. A few times per year, special events may open up an opportunity to drive across the dam's paved path (a.k.a. the Verada Real). These spots are secured through a charitable donation to the DAM Community Alliance (damcommunityalliance.com) and tend to sell out fast. Otherwise, only pedestrians, strollers, and bicycles are allowed on the paved path. Dogs should be on leash and poop should be picked up, please, for the love of all that is holy. More to come....

We have lived next to Overlook Park and Canyon Dam for 10 years and it has gone to hell in a…read morehandbasket in the last two or three years. It's like the county government, in coordination with the Army Corp. of Engineers has decided that they just don't want people here. First it was erecting "no parking signs" on the road and handing out tickets by the sheriffs department. Then they installed tire flattener spikes at the exit and gate barriers so that access was restricted. They had the sheriffs department come in every night to throw people out at sunset. We used to call that person the "Dam Nazi" (Canyon Dam). Now they close the place early even before hours are over and sometimes they don't open it at all. And worst of all they've started lining tow trucks up to tow people's cars at sunset without warning. It's ridiculous. It's like they are practicing for totalitarianism. It's like the government has decided that they hate people. My daughter and son-in-law walked the over-the-dam walkway with our 3-year-old granddaughter; when they came back to leave, his pick-up truck was in the air - the tow truck driver said he would take $150 to lower it again so they could drive home. People are literally starting to move out of Comal County. It has become downright evil and the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority seems to be getting rich by selling all of Canyon Lake's water downstream. This is the rural version of Los Angeles, Seattle or Denver. It's getting nasty.

It's time for a summer 2024 update on my review of Guadalupe South River Nature Trail (GSRNT,…read morelocated just below the Canyon Lake Dam off South Access Road in Canyon Lake, Texas). I still love this park and trail system, and everything wonderful in my original review holds true, but there is an important caveat to share (read to the end to find out). Please, if you visit this wonderful park, leave no trace. Pack out what you bring in, and if you are able bodied, get bonus karma points by bringing in a WORD mesh bag (you can pick one up at the trailhead) to carry out any trash you may see along the trail. If we all work together, we can keep this place as a clean and harmonious place for all to experience the wonder and awe of Mother Nature. GSRNT is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with contributions by the local nonprofit Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) of Comal County and the Lindheimer Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists https://txmn.org/lindheimer/, plus semi-annual Eagle Scout projects for trail rehabilitation and Keep Canyon Lake Beautiful (KCLB) for trash pickup. Most people doing work on this trail system are unpaid volunteers who care about this community. Parking for about 30 vehicles is available on the tree-shaded dirt/gravel lot on the river side of the South Access Road, and the trailhead is at the corner of the lot. Walk carefully as you follow the trail, as there are quite a few rustic steps and tree roots with a bit of elevation change if you continue to the end of the 1 mile, single-track path. The 30 markers along the trail highlight some of the native plants that thrive near our Hill Country waterways. See the guide online at https://txmn.org/lindheimer/guadalupe-river-south-trail/ . If you aren't a hiker, there's great fishing on the bank and cold water for floating or lounging in a short chair. Bird watching is an option, too. Access to GSRNT is unfortunately restricted on weekends from Friday evening to Sunday evening since May 2023. Why? During the pandemic, exponentially more people began spending time outdoors and many new visitors discovered the beauty of the parks in the Texas Hill Country. Unfortunately, too many of these folks left behind litter and destruction, with no regard for the impact to other visitors, park maintenance volunteers & staff, or the natural habitat. This negative behavior resulted in changed policies and reduced hours at numerous parks, including GSRNT. The restricted access is a bummer for locals and conscientious visitors alike. Most people work during the week and only have time for hiking on the weekends. It's a shame that a few bad apples ruin things for everyone. :-( On the other hand, I am grateful that the damage to GSRNT is being minimized and it's in good shape whenever I am able to visit on weekdays.

Who doesn't love a free nature park or trail! We came to…read morecanyon lake on new years weekend and had a list of their trails and parks we wanted to hit but a lot of it was closed except for this special trail. They had a decent parking lot and we began our trail. The trail is large and lengthy, there were a few benches and some decent pic spots, it's on the other side of the river and the housing area. The water in the river is also pretty clear. It was a nice free nature thing to do especially when the weathers nice!

I know this is not an official page for the Comal River tubing. But at least the Tube Chute is the…read moremajor attraction. According to Curt C, this page is based on the first chute at Prince Solms Park. I went through 3 chutes during the entire tubing experience. The first chute is still on the park ground. That was really fun, if you are a swimmer. I have seen people tumbling down into the river at the end. I watched few TikTok videos the day before going tubing. I know not to tie with other tubers. Because it will automatically tumble down and flip the tubes with whomever is on it. Since this was my first tubing experience, I didn't document the location of each chute. The first and second ones were approximately 5 minutes apart. The 3rd chute was so minor, there wasn't anything spectacular about it. After seeing a bridge, the final public exit was ahead. I paddled hard because my friend got motion sickness, we had to end the trip as quickly as possible. The whole excursion lasted less than 2 hours. My belly and knees were sunburnt like a lobster, even with layers of sunscreen. If you asked me, yeah, I would do it again.

This chute is fun, but be careful with the kids. My husband and i like this place. Now look…read moredifferent and more clean

If you like to kayak and are near the Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, or Bandera areas, you're going to…read morewant to know about Nichol's Landing (also called Specht's Crossing) on the beautiful upper Guadalupe River before it flows into Canyon Lake. From this spot, you can end your short paddle trip from Guadalupe State Park, or start a longer 3-6 hour trip down to FM 311 or Rebecca Creek Crossing. This small day-use park under an overpass off Old Spring Branch Road has just 20 parking spaces, so depending on when you go, you may need to arrange a drop-off or pickup via friend or river outfitter that doesn't leave a vehicle. There is a dumpster for trash and a couple of porto-johns if you really need to answer nature's call. The signage at the entrance is a bit confusing on when and how you need to pay a fee, the proceeds of which are used to maintain the park. The clear facts are that it's free when there is no attendant on duty. Otherwise (generally weekends & holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, basically summer months from end of May through early September), you pay a fee upon entry based as follows: If parking... $4 per person over age 12 $2 per person age 12 and under If not parking... $1 per person drop-off (any age) Open 9am to sunset, year-round (gates locked at 8:30pm) If you are putting in or taking out, there is a cul de sac where you can park briefly to deal with loading and unloading your 'yaks. The water is less than 50 yards down a couple of pebbly paths. On our recent sunny January Sunday visit, there were very few other vessels on the river and less than 10 people in the park. So peaceful. The Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) of Comal County manages the park and their website is a great source of information on current river conditions, river laws, and any special events that could impact your day on the river. The Texas Parks & Wildlife "Texas Paddling Trail" page also has great info about Nichol's Landing and what you'll see on the river. For the upper part of the Guadalupe and the lower outside of New Braunfels city limits, the rules (enforced with fines up to $500) are: Wear a life vest or other PFD Don't trespass on private property Pets on leash at all times No firearms No fireworks No campfires No camping No glass No styrofoam No plastic containers under 5oz No littering No jumping from bridges, dams, trees, or cliffs

What a nice, clean place to go swimming! This place is…read morelocated near the bottom of a bridge that crosses the Guadalupe River. This spot charges for access to the river, I paid $4 to get in. They seem to have various other charges that can apply if you're just launching a kayak or a tube. The river was clean here! There wasn't trash floating around, and the place was picked up. The water wasn't very deep here, the deepest spots being chest deep, but most of it was about knee deep. Someone has come through here and made lots of little wading pools out of rocks and set up stone dams so your tube doesn't go floating away very easily. There's also lots of shade through here, with many large cypress trees lining the far side of the river. On the near side, there aren't many trees, so many people brought their own canopies. Since there's a charge to get in, this place wasn't so crowded, so it was easy to get a patch of river to myself. There are trash cans provided, and they also give away mesh onion bags for your garbage. There are no restrooms, or changing rooms. Parking was easy, along a paved road and spaces painted in white. The end of the parking lot doubles as a helicopter landing pad for added safety.

I was lucky enough to attend a hike led by a "Certified Master Naturalist" in this natural state…read morearea. Make note, this trail is not open to the public, you need to sign up for one of the pre-scheduled tours. Info can be found on their website. https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/honey-creek The tour is free, but you have to pay to get into the Guadalupe State Park or get in free with an annual state parks pass - highly recommended! The tour starts at the historic Rust House. You can explore the entire house, then they share some history about the Rust family and the other German families that settled in the area. The hike was a couple of miles, and it lasted about two hours. The guide was VERY knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and I really learned a lot and gained a lot of appreciation for this area. Not a strenuous hike at all, but they recommend wearing long pants because some of the trails we took were in high grass - not terribly high, just a foot or two. You don't need hiking shoes, just an old pair of tennis shoes will do. Most of the hike is shaded and you get some awesome river views about halfway into the hike - get your phones/cameras ready! It's ok for kids too, but parts of it might be boring for them - I would recommend age 8 and up. Not because it's strenuous, but because there are a lot of stops that a kid might be bored with, and I get that. P.S. I saw my first Golden Cheeked Warbler on this hike, thanks to someone on the tour who pointed it out. EVERY Golden Cheeked Warbler is a native Texan y'all - look it up if you don't believe me!

Honey Creek State Natural Area is not for everyone, me included. Not only do you need a reservation…read morebut tours are only offered on Saturdays and fill up quickly. The natural area is within Guadalupe River State Park so make sure you get a pass here as well. I would have preferred to take this hike myself instead of with 10 others who stopped to ask questions every hundred yards. It is pretty but not part of the park I'd need to visit again.

Took a short hike on my lunch break after eating in my car. I hiked about a mile down an elevated…read moretrail, which ended at another park. Also took a short walk down to the river on a trail that was fairly steep. The main trail is paved and easily handicapped accessible. There are placards on the trail, displaying wildlife, early inhabitants, etc. it was pretty interesting . The park also has an old farmhouse and area around the house with display set up and placards describing each item, nice trip through history.

Nice little green space tucked away across from a subdivision near I35. There are two parks side by…read moreside with a playground, splash pad, pavilions, and clean bathrooms. The trail map shows two very short trails (.04 and .05 miles), but we managed to get in 4 miles by veering off the dirt trail onto unmarked trails. The main paved trail is shaded about 50% of the way and the dirt/rock trail is not shaded at all (unless you veer off into the woods like we did). There's a small creek that runs along the dirt trail so we saw lots of people fishing. (The water is gross so it's not suitable for swimming.) Lots of parking and some historical buildings to see. Overall a great find--we'll be back.

super easy to park and get in and find the beachside, water was super beautiful. overall definitely…read morerecommend

We went to Canyon Lake for the day and while setting up saw that there was a rental stand…read more We went over and rented two paddle boards for our teen girls. The price was great and the guy working was so great and helpful! Would definitely recommend checking this place out!!!

Absolutely great park! They have plenty of space for all kinds of occasions. They have real…read morebathrooms not portable bathrooms. They have space for picnic or barbecue, as well as a great playground for kids. The trail was amazing to walk especially because it had lots of shade and benches to get through that Texas heat! Amazing park and will definitely be coming here more!

Amazing playground, clean bathrooms, and nice walking trail. What more could you ask for in a park?read more