7 Beautiful Texas Hill Country State Parks You Can't Miss!

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park - Texas Hill Country State Parks

Get out and explore the incredible Texas Hill Country and enjoy the Texas state parks. Most of the state parks offer overnight camping in primitive as well as full hookup sites, and many offer cabin rentals.

There are plenty of great outdoor activities, and a few offer unique options like exploring underground caves, fishing, horseback riding, and dancing.

Visitors to the Texas state parks will be glad to know that you do not need a fishing license to fish within the state parks. As long as you stay within the state park boundaries, you won’t need a fishing license, but you might need to pay a state park entry fee.

The state parks mentioned here offer a junior ranger program for kids. Kids pick up a Junior Ranger Activity Journal from the information center, complete the tasks inside, and receive a Junior Ranger badge.

If spending time in nature, exploring outdoors with your family, and taking time to recharge your batteries sounds good to you, then read on. Discover these seven beautiful Texas Hill Country State Parks that you should definitely visit.

 

South Llano River State Park

You’ll find the South Llano River state park on the southwestern side of Texas Hill County. It is 67 miles northwest of Fredericksburg or 120 miles northwest of San Antonio. It’s a popular park for hiking, camping, and playing in the South Llano River. There are over 20 miles of trails for hiking.

This Texas Hill Country park is great for families with small children, as the river is spring-fed and slow-moving with fantastic spots for playing in the water with your water toys. Bring your own tubes to float the two miles of river, or rent one at the park.

Most of the campsites here have electricity and water hookups. A restroom with showers is close by. Primitive camping is also available, with six walk-in sites and five hike-in sites.

Campsite In South Llano River State Park

 

Garner State Park

Garner State Park is 1,774 acres in the scenic Texas Hill Country that surrounds 2.9 miles of the Frio River. Families have come here for decades to go swimming or to float the river. Garner is located in the Texas Hill Country, 98 miles northwest of Fredericksburg and 92 miles west of San Antonio.

There are over 343 campsites in six campgrounds. Still, they fill up fast in the summer, so reservations are highly recommended. Screened shelters and cabin rentals are also available at Garner State Park.

There are plenty of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, canoeing, fishing, miniature golf, and 16 miles of hiking trails.

Equipment rentals are available from the park’s concessionaire and include:

  • Paddle boats

  • Kayaks

  • Inner tubes

  • Tables

  • Barbecue pits

  • Heaters and fans

Unique to this Texas Hill Country state park is a summer dance. Since the 1940s, the park’s concession building has been used for a jukebox dance on summer evenings. Dances are held nightly from June through August, and occasionally in the off-season.

Garner State Park - Frio River

 

Hill Country State Park Natural Area

The Hill Country Natural Area is one of the best Texas Hill Country State Parks to escape the rat race and return to nature. The park is a former ranch that encompasses over 5,000 acres of rugged canyons, rolling plateaus, and babbling creeks.

Horseback riding is available for riders who bring their own horse with everything from flat open prairie to steep rock canyon trails. You’ll also find plenty of multi-use mountain biking and hiking trails.

Primitive camping areas are available, including an equestrian campsite. Camping areas are by walk-in or hike-in and include vault toilets, but no showers or running water.

You’ll find this scenic Hill Country state park 60 miles southwest of Fredericksburg or 64 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Horseback Riding In Hill Country State Park Natural Area

 

Colorado Bend State Park

Colorado Bend State Park is one of the larger Texas state parks. The park offers 35 miles of biking and hiking trails on 5,300 acres of wilderness along a bend in the Colorado River.

Camping is primitive and back to nature. There are drive-up and hike-in sites with water nearby but no hookups. You’ll find composting toilets at the main campsite area and one at the trailhead for hikers.

Outdoor activities include visits to Gorman Falls and Spicewood Springs, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, or taking a cave tour. Book a tour guide to explore the cave system under the park.

You’ll find this Texas Hill Country state park 75 miles northeast of Fredericksburg or 95 miles northwest of Austin.

Kayaking In Colorado Bend State Park

 

Blanco State Park

Blanco State Park is one of the smaller Texas Hill Country state parks. It’s just 105 acres along one mile of the spring-fed Blanco River.

There are campsites with full hookups or sites with just water and electricity.

Outdoor activities include swimming and boating. Kayak and tubes can be rented at the park store. Fishing is very popular here, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks the Blanco River with trout each winter.

You’ll find this beautiful Hill Country state park 35 miles southeast of Fredericksburg or 50 miles southwest of Austin.

Fly Fishing For Trout In Blanco State Park

 

Guadalupe River State Park

You can swim, fish, hike, bike, kayak, canoe or float the Guadalupe River in a tube at beautiful hill country state park.

Didn’t bring your fishing gear? No problem, this state park has fishing gear you can borrow to use in the park. Hiking is available on 13 miles of hiking or biking trails.

There are 85 campsites for overnight campers with water and electric hookups or nine tent sites. The Guadalupe River State Park is one hour southeast of Fredericksburg, just 30 miles from San Antonio.

Guadalupe River State Park

 

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park

Take a step back in time and experience what life was like for German immigrant farmers during the era of the first World War. At the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, you can explore the Sauer-Beckmann Farm historic site. Rangers here dress in period-style clothing, raise crops, care for farm animals and cook as they would have back when this was a working farm in the late 1800s. Tours are self-guided, and rangers are on hand to answer questions.

Perhaps the biggest draw of the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park is a self-guided tour of the LBJ Ranch. You can see LBJ’s birthplace, the one-room school he attended, and the cemetery where he is buried. Stop by the visitor’s center to see memorabilia from President Johnson’s time in office.

The only camping here is a small area for youth groups. There is an Olympic-sized swimming pool open in summer. Two tennis courses and a baseball field are available year-round.

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park is 16 miles east of Fredericksburg.

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park

 

Explore The Texas Hill Country With An Expert Local Guide

Let us show you the hill country through the eyes of a local. Our guides are friendly and knowledgeable about the area and love to share it with visitors. Let us take you on a guided tour of the LBJ Ranch and offer insightful commentary on the life and legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson, our nation’s 36th president. You’ll even get a glimpse of the glimpse into the presidential jet known as “Air Force 1/2.”

We also offer excursions in the Texas Hill Country vineyards and tours of the historic town of Fredericksburg TX.

We are excited to meet you. Go online or call us today, to book your next great tour!

A Beautiful State Park Near Fredericksburg TX

Duration
5:30 to 6 hours
Group Size
8 to 22

Fredericksburg Wine Trolley

Join us for an unforgettable journey sampling wine in the Texas Hill Country's Only Wine Trolley! We rendezvous in the parking lot of the Fredericksburg Visitors' Center located at 302 E Austin Street and whisk you off for TASTINGS, WINERY TOURS, and A LOT of WINE APPRECIATION. The Texas Wine Country is the 2nd largest AVA in the United States and the 2nd most visited wine region. Join us as we introduce you to Texas Wines and the wineries that produce them.

Duration
5 hours 30 minutes
Group Size
6 to 12

Boutique Winery Experience

Our popular day tour is designed to provide our guests with a great wine experience. Each stop is unique in its wine offerings, atmosphere, and personality. This tour bypasses the crowds of large tasting facilities and offers a more intimate and educational wine tasting tour. Excellent for the wine novice as well as the experts.

This is an open, ticketed tour. One ticket per person.

Duration
3 hours 30 minutes
Group Size
Up to 24

LBJ Ranch Presidential Tour

This insightful tour offers an opportunity for visitors to tour the ranch homeplace of our 36th President. Just over an hour away from Austin and San Antonio, the scenic LBJ Ranch is located in the picturesque Texas Hill Country. Starting in Fredericksburg, TX, and traveling to nearby Stonewall, the guided tour will provide a glimpse into the life and legacy of our nation's 36th President.

This is an open, ticketed tour - one ticket per person but also offered as a private tour.

***Pricing***
Adults (18-64 years old) - $44
Seniors, Veteran, Active Military, and First Responder - $36
Children (3-13 years old) - $22

Duration
3 hours 30 minutes
Group Size
8 to 24

Wildflowers and Wildlife

SEASONAL APRIL - JUNE

Ride with us down the best roads for viewing the wildflowers. We keep up with the trails to view the most bloomers anywhere! From Bluebonnets to Indian Paintbrushes to the myriads of beautiful wildflowers along our countryside.

***Pricing***
Adults - $38
Seniors and Military - $32
Children - $25
Group rates are available

Duration
3 hours 30 minutes
Group Size
8 to 24

Jolly Trolley

SEASONAL NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

Board the decorated, vintage-style Jolly Trolley for a fun-filled holiday experience! Ride with us to Johnson City, Tx to view the spectacular light displays. Enjoy the holiday music or watch vintage editions of Rudolph or Charlie Brown's Christmas (and more) along the way.

***Pricing***
Adults - $36
Children (3-13 years old) - $20
Seniors - $32
Ticket includes one beverage coupon.

Duration
2 hours 30 minutes
Group Size
6 to 24

Enchanted Rock Tour | Private

The Enchanted Rock holds an impressive place in history – beginning millions of years ago and continuing to the years of the earliest known Native Americans to the settlement of Texas and the American West. Guests will enjoy the opportunity to view one of the largest natural granite formations in the world in the comfort of our climate-controlled vehicles.

***Pricing***

Adults $45
Seniors $42
Military $42
Children $25

At this time, the Enchanted Rock tour is only offered as a private group tour.

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
At least 15

Wildseed Farms Behind The Scenes/Group Tour

Book your private group experience for a wonderful afternoon at Wildseed Farms! Wildseed Farms is the largest wildflower growing operation in the United States. Join us on one of our wonderful air-conditioned luxury Trolleys for a private tour of the behind the scenes growing areas at Wildseed's beautiful showcase farm on Hwy 290 between Johnson City and Fredericksburg, Texas. Every season is beautiful - with wildflowers, fall pumpkins and fall color, summer's variety and even a cheerful stop in winter. Then enjoy a wine flight, or glass of wine from their vineyard, or a cold beverage in the tasting room. Last, shop to your heart's content from their tremendous variety of wildflower seeds, memorabilia, and gift shops galore! Or take a walking tour of the butterfly gardens or scenic pathways to round out your visit. The perfect stop to add on your Texas Hill Country Tour.