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.

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 went during an educational event about Landfills, my 5 year old is still talking about our…read moreexperience and checks his homemade landfill to see what materials are still there. I recommend a beautiful day of outdoors and will be planning another trip.

This park was created for Ferdinand Lindheimer, a local botanist around the 1800s. This role was…read moresignificant since according to Wildflowers of Houston and Southeast Texas (Tveten,1997), he ' collected fifteen hundred species in the south Texas area, over a period of thirteen years'. Keepin' pretty busy there, eh? Driving up to this little piece of land during a geocaching adventure, I just thought it was an angular roundabout. If memory serves, it's almost triangular in shape with the roads passing right around it (Lindheimer, Comal, & Gauda Coma). The cache was around the area of the monument which explained who Mr. Lindheimer was and his contributions to Texas. I think this is one of the things I love most about geocaching - you have the opportunity to learn so much about places you never knew either existed or knew anything about. In that same adventure, I found Lindheimer's house straight down the street on Comal (that will be in another review). P.S. If you happen to be a fellow geocacher, then be prepared to possibly get an applause after finding the cache. My partner in crime and I found out the owner of the cache and her husband have a sightline to the hide and came out to congratulate us afterwards (apparently quite a few cachers have received this welcome)! Very friendly folks too - retired vet and really sweet.

This is such a beautiful and large park. It is on a hill so you get a lovely breeze. There are…read morewalking and biking paths, two playgrounds- one which is ADA accessible and restrooms. I can't believe it took me so long to visit this park. It really is beautiful. It does have some sewage smell in one part which is pretty off putting but luckily you can't smell it all over.

Loved it! We had so much fun and if we could we would spend the whole day here !! Super kid…read morefriendly and Safety

Someone stole my pump and carrying case for an inflatable paddleboard. Had to hike a mile back…read morewithout a good way to carry my deflated paddleboard and will not be able to use it until I get a replacement. If anything shows up I would rate this park 4 stars.

Nice river space to swim - kids love playing in the rocks while the water runs over them. The park…read morehas nice grass that you can picnic in.

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.

Walnut Springs Park is such a charming, peaceful spot to walk around. It runs right along a small…read morecreek, and the stone walls, low bridges, and shaded paths give it a really unique, old-school feel. Because it's set a bit lower than the surrounding streets, it feels surprisingly cool and quiet even though you're right near the center of town. It's not a huge park with big athletic fields, but it's ideal for a quick, relaxing stroll or taking a break in the shade.

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.

Paved walk ways. Play place for kids. Basketball court. Seems very well maintained. Restroom was in…read moregood condition. Definitely recommend for a walk or for your daily runs!

This park has a lot going for it starting with lots of parking and includes a very nice splash pad…read moreand well-designed play escape with swings. Other amenities include lots of covered picnic tables with grills, soccer fields, paved sidewalks and trails, but no pool. Built in 2015, they also included a concessions area and public bathrooms. The well designed play scape is as good as they get and the splash pad is very popular with the small kids in the neighborhood. Not far away from the splash pad you'll also find a skate park and basketball court. Definitely a great place for a picnic, to go for a bike ride, or hang out under one of many of the park's shade trees. Plenty of photos below to get you into the parking lot.