We loved this park as far as the park itself goes! The trails were great, and seeing the Gorman Falls was amazing! FYI: there are no showers at this park!! Only public rise stations. As far as the staff: this place was terrible. I reserved 2 nights online, and was charged $30, $15/per night. My family (my husband & i , with our 4 children- 11,7,6,&4) arrived late Thursday night and set up our camp and went to sleep. The next day when we went to "check-in" we informed the staff at the desk that we would be leaving Friday afternoon instead of staying Friday night and leaving Saturday. I was then charged $43 more. Bc i was in a hurry i just paid it. Later i realized that seemed to be too much since i had already paid $30 for the reservation. We realized that she had charged us for 6 adults plus a convenience charge of $10 for cancelling our last night. We called to ask for our money back since our 4 children are all under 12, and are supposed to get in free. We were told that there was no way we could be helped, that the system can't be edited, and that if we were going to be rude they weren't going to speak with us, and then they hung up. We were not being rude, we were explaining to an i competent person that wouldn't listen long enough to understand that we were charged for 4 people that were supposed to be free. read more

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This park is absolutely beautiful! Gorman falls was incredible. It was a tough hike at times, but worth it! Will definitely recommend it to others! read more

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Wow, such a beautiful place! The only problem is that it is so big that I wasn't able to explo more. My husband and I visited and went to see Gorman Falls. It's quite a hike to get there, and just be nimble to get down to the falls at the end, but it is well worth it. The green is unreal and the falls are calming. Make sure you bring your bug repellent though, as we were eaten alive by mosquitos! read more

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Loved this park, and appreciated the ability to practice social distancing while still getting outside. The water was cool, and the views were incredible! read more

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This park is absolutely breath-taking. I highly recommend to anyone who loves camping in a more primitive manor! Heads up: it states primitive for a reason! There are no showers or any bathrooms with stalls, only compost toilets. Which are really not that bad, to be honest! The river behind the campsite was beautiful and definitely recommend a site closest to it. The campsites are HUGE and so much space between each site it's a plus. Loved it here and plan on going back soon for sure. read more

I had some mixed feelings about this place. First off: their gift shop is quite lacking. For such a big park they have a really small shop and really uncomfortable material on their not-so-impressive t-shirts. Staff inside was pretty nice, warned us about the snakes. We did a 10 mile hike and ran out of water, luckily I had a filter and there was plenty of water on most of the second half of the trail. There isn't too much to see out there, so not too many photo ops. It was a challenge though, and I do wanna take on that challenge again. read more

Saw ostriches on journey. Made it a great time. Also saw cows- double the great time. The falls were very pretty and made for great photos. Plus, the rock in which we sat upon to eat lunch was comfortable. read more

I will never forget this place in my memories. I went in the evening when it was cooler and the sun was beginning to set. Was a very different kind of magical and was not expecting it to be as beautiful as I thought. From moving state to state, this place is exactly what Texas is. read more

Definitely off a beaten path! I wanted to check out Colorado Bend State Park because I saw an article on Gorman Falls - who would've known you get this type of scenery in central TX? And who would've known there was a waterfall even midway through this hike?! There is not a ranger station and you have to drive through some private property to get the the state park, which was a little weird. But once in, there is a post and some maps you can take. This is definitely on an honor system cause you pay in the box and write a ticket for yourself to place on your car. The map and roads were clearly marked to the trailhead, so you know this place is very well maintained. I wish I had time to explore some of the other trails but this was a day trip and we had a long drive back to Houston afterwards. The Gorman Falls hike was marked as 1.5 miles round trip, it definitely felt longer than that, especially when the sun is high and beats down on you. Literally you are in a field with a ton of rocks and cactus so it gets hot! There are lots of rocks you navigate through but the trail is easy to hike. The end is definitely a little tough because you have to go down these slippery rocks BUT there is a cable.. and if your shoes are tacky and have grip, you should be ok. The climb up these rocks was definitely easier. Gorman Falls was a small area with the waterfall and the moss covered rocks and was beautiful. Green and luscious and full of color! It was very serene but there could be lots of people on a given day. You can also view the river from this location and we tried doing a little climb on the rocks back up to the path. Good little hike - you definitely work up a sweat in the heat - but doable and enjoyable. There are also mountain bike trails in the park you can utilize! Beautiful! Haven't seen anything in TX yet like it.. might have to go out to North Bend now and see what it has to offer. Apparently some other trails in Colorado Bend have caves you can explore as well! read more

Colorado Bend State Park - Gorman Falls - Parks Near Me - Bend, Texas

Went back again a few days ago to try some of the other trails. We really wanted to try the Tinaja trail and since it was listed as very challenging we started that one first. Unfortunately we started at about 11 am and the heat index was probably well over 100! It is not really that technical or challenging for someone who is used to hiking, but it does have some crazy steep inclines, and fatigue definitely got me.. Park at the Cedar Chopper parking lot as the fastest route to get to the Tinaja bowl. You will feel like you've walked miles and miles and just when you feel like you cannot take another .4 of a mile...all of a sudden you look up and there it is! Lol.. it pops up on you! There is absolutely NO shade in this area in this place except for some areas that are very overgrown or too dangerous to access. If you're lucky, There's one tree which can provide shade, but if you are sharing the trail, be prepared for someone else to have claimed it! We feel the reward was not worth the effort, but maybe because it was just so hot and we couldn't stop to sit and enjoy? You can continue waking along the trail or turn back (we made our way back to car). Our next stop was the Springs! We didn't get a chance to do any of the water stuff last time so after making our way back, we took a little break and then drove all the way down to the Spicewood canyon trail which will intersect with the Spicewood springs! If you're going to the springs, go ahead and just take your bathing suit, it's a mostly flat walk to the Springs and you'll walk right up to it. The main swimming source is about 8 ft? If that's too deep, head on carefully over the rocks (very slippery.. need shoes with traction) and behind you'll find some much smaller watering holes, that are about waist deep to 4ft deep. Or.. continue up along the left side to do the rest of the Spicewood canyon trail to see breathtaking views above the Springs! We stopped to swim for awhile and then did a small portion of the canyon trail. Once again we ran out of time. Love the park! I'm sure I'll be back again read more

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We spent a Sunday and Monday at the park at site 35. Site 35 is situated between two group sites, and since no groups were there, we had a lot of privacy! The ground was reasonably flat, if a little tilted. Our site backed up to a tall gray cliff and was under a huge shade tree. The shade was super welcome in the afternoon, the sun can really beat down. This park is a bit "desert-y" + the meandering Colorado river (the lesser haha). We did the River Trail hike that connects to the Gorman Falls hike. It was about 9 miles round trip and took us about 4.5 hours. We left at 10am from our campsite and the weather was super pleasant up till the last hour or so. The home stretch of the hike goes across some prairie land lined with tall, tall grasses and hundreds of prickly pear cacti. You're totally exposed to the sun. Put sunshine on, even if you don't need it at the start of the hike. Gorman Falls was absolutely stunning; it looked like something from the Lord of the Rings- it's magically with the soft moss "rock" formations and the crystal clear mist drifting up through the tree shadows. There's plenty of places along the River Trail to duck off the path and get down to the river. Our Labrador had a blast splashing all around and we enjoyed getting to sit on the cool rocks and have a snack. Bring as much water as you can! We brought a big camelback to share that held 128 oz and we almost finished it in 4.5 hours. We're glad we remembered to bring water for the dog. There aren't many amenities here, if any. There's compost toilets set up at the very far end of the site (luckily close to our spot) but they didn't have sinks or a water tap. In the two days we were there the hand sanitizer station was never refilled, though we did see ranger trucks come to clean the bathrooms every night/morning we wee there. There's also ZERO cell service, so be prepared to be disconnected from the world. Also, we're lucky we checked ahead- there was a burn ban, so no use of the ground fire grill. We brought a portable gas stove, and that was allowed. Keep that in mind when coordinating food, there really aren't stores or restaurants around for at least half an hour. We saw tons of wildlife; primarily deer & armadillos. They're all pretty tame, or at least used to people. They wander up pretty close to the campsites, so make sure to lock trash in your car or hike to the campsite dumpster every night. Colorado Bend is beautiful at the right time of year, and if you play ahead to deal with the primitiveness (like no showers!) it's a blast. read more

Colorado Bend State Park - Back of our campsite, #35 - Parks Near Me - Bend, Texas

This place is beautiful! It is really far away and there is no cell phone reception but it is completely worth the drive! The park itself is west of lampasas and along the colorado river. There are riverfront campsites and drive up campsites. When we got there I was jealous that I had not reserved a riverfront because spot number 1 and 4 both looked pretty good under the trees as well as 23 and some of the other spots to the south. There is a pretty good hike from the campgrounds to a beautiful, beautiful waterfall. It is worth the hike (except midday during the Texas summer). They rent kayaks for a reasonable price $35 for the day (8:30am- 4pm). You want to get them fast because there are a limited number and they go fast. The only downfall for me was no shower, they have a rinse of shower but I just went with it and decided that swimming in the river would have to replace bathing. Things to bring: watersocks (some of the rocks in the river are sharp and hurt), tubes for floating in, fishing poles read more

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I went here with my boyfriend for Valentine's Day, and it was a great choice! We went camping for one night and spent the next day hiking and on a cave tour. The park office has some snacks like protein bars and a few supplies. You can buy a cup of coffee there whenever you want to, but if you buy one of their mugs (which looks really nice), you can get unlimited free refills during that visit plus future visits. That was a big plus for us coffee drinkers. Hiking: The main hike I'd recommend is Gorman Falls. It's about 2 miles one way if I remember correctly. The majority of the hike goes through different scenery and pretty flat terrain. Then at the very end you'll have to go down a steep area to get to the falls. There are handrails if you have trouble going down/up. The falls itself is so beautiful and a fresh sight at the end of the hike. Swimming: The only swimming spot is Spicewood Springs. It seems like a pretty serene area, but unfortunately we were unable to swim at the time. It being February and evening time, the water was ice cold. However, it would be still be a great spot to have a little picnic or sit and relax. Cave exploration: The park offers a couple of group tours of the caves. We did one that was about 1-2 hours long and very fun! You will have to squeeze through some tight crevices, but it felt a bit adventurous for a first-timer. There was one area of the cave where you can climb down into a pit. It's completely optional but can look quite scary. I have very little upper body strength so it was a bit challenging climbing back up to the top, but it felt like a nice challenge. They also offer a longer 4 hour cave tour where you can actually go rappelling. My bf and I will be trying that next time. For any tour, they recommend you bring a small flashlight and a headlamp. The park store actually sells headlamps for pretty cheap and they provide helmets for free. They suggested knee/elbow pads, but we went without and were fine. It hurts a bit but nothing that's too bad read more

We wanted an escape for NYE 2012 and choose Colorado Bend SP as our adventure. I reserved our camp site online and by the looks of the ample amounts of camp sites available, I thought we were going to be the only ones in the park... I was wrong. We arrived to find only a handful of water in camp sites available. I didn't mind the company, I just had to readjust my expectations. We were far enough away from our neighbors that I didn't mind the crowd. We wanted to stay for two nights, but it dropped into the 20's on our first night and we decided to cut our trip short. Positives: -Winter camping= no burn bans. We were able to have a nice fire roaring while star gazing. -Water In Campsites are along the river and only 20 yards away from our car! (Easy to haul your stuff in and get it outta there) -Dog friendly trails= we have little chipmunk dogs and they were able to tackle the trails. We took the scenic route to Gorman Falls along the river trail and did some small scenic trails along Gorman Springs= 8.9 miles round trip. My 12 year old basset hound didn't miss a step. I will warn you we had to carry her up from Gorman Falls because of the steepness of the trail. -Gorman Falls is beautiful and worth the hike. Negatives: -We did not get to go on the Guided Cave Tours because they don't offer them over Holiday weekends. -Hikes and trails were not as impressive as other State Parks around the Hill Country My recommendations: -Arrive early to get the best camping sites on the water in campsites -Call ahead to reserve your cave tour on Saturdays. -Bring your own fire wood (required). All the stuff around the campsites are not try enough to maintain your fire through out the night. read more

We tent camped here for 2 nights in the Spring with 3 other families and stayed in their smaller group camping area. Our camp site was great! It was off away from the main area and we had large oak trees for shade and a wide open field perfect for throwing the Frisbee around. We arrived a few days after rain and found some perfect raccoon and deer tracks dried in the mud. Of course we had to pull out the plaster of paris and cast a few molds. The bathrooms weren't exactly close but didn't cause too much of a problem. This site did not have water but we solved that by filling a large 10 gallon cooler with a spout at the water spigot down the road. We set that on a table and used it for washing hands. It got hot during the day so we hiked down the near by trail to the springs and cooled off. That made the trip! We didn't get to go on the guided hike to the Falls since we had one dog and a couple really little kidlets in our group. Totally worth it to at least go once and check it out. Beautiful scenery on the drive out! read more

Finally made it back to Colorado Bend! (Had to check out a bunch of other state parks first.) This time, we hiked 3.1 miles' worth of Lemons Ridge Pass, a portion of the River Trail, and the Spicewood Springs Trail. Quick note: Google Maps says that Colorado Bend opens at 6:00 AM; the ranger I checked in with this morning let me know the office doesn't open until 8:30 AM. No big deal, as we were only a few minutes early. Lemons Ridge Pass and the River Trail were as gorgeous as always. Spicewood Springs was better than I expected (and I wish we'd had time to go swimming!), though the actual trail is slightly challenging to follow as you make your way through the springs area. To be fair, I prefer lots of direction--this wouldn't bug someone more laissez-faire about hiking. I expect we'll be back again. :) read more

Came to camp for the weekend, as soon as we got there there were big fire ants everywhere, as well as lots of Spurs. We set up our tents and noticed there was a burn ban.. really wish we had known this when we came. All our food had to be cooked with a charcoal grill and they didn't allow charcoal grills. Didn't feel like we were camping at all without the camp fire... We drove 30 minutes to town to get some kind of food that didn't involve cooking on the grill... Make sure you have plenty of gas on the way, we got lost a few times due to no cell phone service and it was getting dark and I was getting really low on gas. Make sure to put all food and trash away during the night, I woke up in the middle of the night to a raccoon stealing a bag of chips. Ants had somehow got in one of our tents too. There's absolutely no service here, we tried making calls on the landline they had there but it wasn't working one bit, had to drive a mile out to get at least one bar. We wanted to swim in the morning but the river wasn't looking too good so we decided to hike up to spice wood springs. We hiked 6.5 miles up to spicewood canyon trail (super rocky and up hill), got to an intersection that would take us back around through the spicewood springs trail, there were markers to keep us on the trail but once we hiked about a mile and a half, we got to what we thought looked like the springs but it was really low, somewhat clear, but lots of moss. We looked for the marker that would continue on the springs trail but couldn't find it anywhere.. We turned around already hiking 7.5 miles and as soon as we got back to the intersection we took the other path way, which was a continuing canyon trail... Holy cow we hiked 9.5 miles and ended up at a street, not even where our car was. We were walking down the street until my boyfriend decided he would run to the car and pick us up in it, mind that the car was a good 2 miles away... I don't recommend taking the spicewood trails at all. It was a complete bum. We spent 3 hours hiking just to not get to any destination. If you do go hiking, bring lots of water. We each brought a bottle of water and finished it within the first hour. Definitely won't be coming back to Colorado Bend State Park. The only plus side was the view on the canyon trail. read more

Colorado Bend State Park - Spicewood springs - Parks Near Me - Bend, Texas

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I took my kids to Colorado Bend yesterday. It was awesome. When we first got to the park, we thought we would hike to Gorman Falls. However, when we pulled into the trailhead parking lot, there were a TON of cars, including a schoolbus. This was far too much for us. We really like something a little more secluded. We then headed to the camping area of the park, and to the Spicewood Canyon Trail. It was a stunning trail. It starts as a car road meandering next to the Colorado River for about a half mile. Then, there is the turnoff for the canyon. It immediately starts going uphill through a beautiful forest. The hike goes up along the top of the canyon, and offers two excellent scenic overlooks (at least for as far as we got). It was not an intense hike, but it was all in forest. It was so wonderful, and we took almost 100 pictures. My youngest child is 2 years old, and he did not have much trouble navigating the trail, even with its rocky ascents and descents. I did have to carry him most of the way home, though. We turned around at the second scenic overlook. There were a lot of campers in the park. When we got to our trailhead, there were only a couple other cars. We passed one guy high up on the trail, and then when we were coming back the last half mile or so before we got back to the car, we passed a small group of teenagers. I am assuming they were campers because it was almost dark by the time we got back. Overall, it was a great hike with really beautiful views out over the canyon at the scenic overlooks. At other times, it was just forest. You could see how the terrain went downhill on the canyon side of the trail, and occassionally you could see the canyon. Lots of cacti. Fun day, indeed! read more

We did the walk in primitive camping. Compost toilets, each site has a fire pit picnic table and lantern post. Not all sites are shady. Posted pics of some sites and toilets. No indoor shower. Please go to their website to learn about the park before you go. I loved this park. People were friendly good maintenance. Road Is paved. If you are going there to camp then drive down a few miles to park headquarters to pay. They also sell firewood and ice. If you just want to go see Gorman falls there is a self pay kiosk by rock sign and trail entrance is right next to it. If not then you will have to drive down a few miles 20mph then back again to see the falls. I would not recommend this trail for younger kids because at the end this trail gets very slick and you climb a little. read more

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With 32 miles of trails, Colorado Bend is a good-sized state park. We did Gorman Falls first. It's no Niagara, but it was surprisingly verdant for August. We petered out on the Spicewood Canyon Trail from dehydration and fatigue. It's like Pedernales in many ways, situated on a river and covering about the same amount of territory, but I probably prefer Pedernales in terms of visual interest. read more

Colorado Bend State Park - Parks Near Me - Bend, Texas

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We hiked to Gorman Falls. The trail is extremely rocky and difficult, with some steep areas where you could get hurt. The falls are spectacular-- unfortunately when we went there was some "family" of people crawling and climbing all over them. About 10 kids and 6 adults. There are signs all over that say you can damage the falls, $500 fine, no climbing, etc. It was annoying to see these people using it as their personal waterpark. FYI, when we got back to the lot a park ranger was checking cars to make sure you had put money in the honor box and filled out the parking slip. So make sure you don't cheat! read more

Awesome trails and waterfalls. Very popular so be sure to reserve camping way in advance. Kayaks available to rent. Trail map defines difficulty of bike trails for you. Only down side was that the river can be a bit shallow and stagnant downstream from camp area. read more

The drive to the park is quite nice. We simply took 183 North to 580 which T'd into the undeveloped road that leads to the park. Watch out for cows on the road, and otherwise enjoy the Hill Country scenery. We stayed at the primitive sites, just a mile in along the river, for two nights (Friday and Saturday). The park was at capacity, but we didn't run into very many people during our stay. The primitive sites are right on the trail, but, since there wasn't a large amount of traffic on the trail we never felt like we didn't have our own space. On Saturday we did a long day-hike out to the Gorman Falls area. Since this park is still developing the Gorman Falls area the maps and signage for getting there are not correct so you should double-check with the park ranger to find out where the trails lead and how to tell you are on the right track - unless you want an adventure! Before we left on Sunday the kids went and played in the river nearby the ranger station. The water is quite shallow and running. I'm looking forward to going back here again. read more

GO HERE! Be sure to camp. Even getting to Colorado Bend is a journey! We drove North from San Antonio and camped for the weekend. Yeah, the seven mile large gravel road sucks but bring good music for the radio and its fine. We had the campground to ourselves the first night and the river was GORGEOUS! Bad side: Watch out for the RACCOONS! They are FAT and HUNGRY. We were swarmed by raccoons after the sun went down. The tore into all our stuff and had a feast. Next day, we took the long trip into town and purchased heavy duty tubs. One large for the outside with a smaller one within, and ratchet straps to secure our food items. That night they tried to tear into things, and really mangled up the outer tub but our food was safe. The vinegar chips were safe! Anyway, its some of the best camping in Texas. Sooooo Pretty and Serene. read more

This place is remote and takes forever from the entrance to get to the Rangers station to check in. No water or electricity it is what I call sort of primitive. They have picnic tables and canopy like structures. Past sun down lots of deer!! Lots!! Like a science out of Africa I lost count at 30 plus just passing thru. Some are people friendly and allow you to feed them directly which is. It safe to both sides and illegal but I saw it being done.hikes this summer require one liter per hour of water and water hole .25miles from ranger station lead to watering hole. Nice! The Goreman falls is Aaron attraction with metal rope things to aid you down 45degrees. Shades and nice views . I would bring baby wipes and lots of water to enjoy the primitive sites down by the river #20-25. Also bring a tarp because this park has lots of stickers and I mean a lot so consider your shoes and please zip up because there is a lot of summer bugs dying to get to that light inside your tent . Raccoons in summer scavenge for food in trash bins and sites but small remote state park . I would rate a three because others are nicer. read more

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It's such a beautiful park but I recommend making reservations before hand due to so many people visiting the park they reach maximum capacity quickly and close down the park. Make reservations a day or two ahead because sometimes they close the park at 10:00 a.m. and then re open at 2:00-3:00 p.m. and the waterfalls do exist you just have to go on a hike I recommend taking the Gorman falls trail. They have such a beautiful waterfall. read more

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A friend and I hiked at Colorado Bend and were very pleasantly surprised at its beauty. The trails were natural, yet very well-kept. We hiked to the falls, which was fabulous, then along the river and to Spicewood Springs. Then the next day we walked to the Tie Slide Overlook and that was amazing. We stayed in San Saba, and it was not a bad drive - very scenic and enjoyable. Also, the headquarters was small but nice and had a very helpful, informative employee working there. The bathrooms are all outhouses or composting, but were well-kept, with plenty of sanitizer and didn't smell too bad at all. I will definitely be back! Also, they are taking the pandemic seriously, and even most hikers were wearing masks, on the trails. read more

Great park to camp/visit. Wish I had another day here. Hiked to the falls with my wife and kids, youngest was 4. My 4 year old made it upto the last 100yards on our way back. Make sure to bring food and drinks because there is nothing else out here. We loved it. read more

Colorado Bend State Park - The falls. Water levels are down but still beautiful - Parks Near Me - Bend, Texas

DON'T LET THE PICTURES FOOL YOU! My husband and I went camping here this past weekend. I love camping and the pictures for Colorado Bend looked amazing. Trees, hiking, wildlife, it had it all. What we saw when we got here, however, was very different. The "camping area" is just a huge field with a few trees and about 8 campsites plotted throughout. I repeat, a field. There was a river alongside the field, but it was about 50 feet away and it was blocked off by tall grass and trees. Not only could you not get to it, you could barely see it. We had driven too far to go back, so we picked a spot in the field and pitched our tent. It was hot, which I know they can't help; however, had we not been in an open field, it may have been more bearable. Basically, it just wasn't camping. If I wanted to sit in a grassy field, I would just go to a local park. When evening arrived, we decided to take a shower to cool off and then have some dinner. Well, guess what? There are no showers! NONE. Now, I'm not a high-maintenance camper. I've been camping since I was a kid and I like to "rough it". Heck, I would bathe in the river if we could reach the darn thing. But no showers? I almost couldn't believe it. It was just bizarre. We packed up and left. I know the pictures look great. They do, don't they? They look like a wilderness area, trees, forest, mountains - everything you could ask for. THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS PLACE LOOKS LIKE. Don't let the pictures fool you! read more

This is a beautiful park! I went the second weekend of October. Took about 1 1/2 to get to from Cedar Park. Longest part of the whole drive is an unpaved country road you have to take to get into the park. Make sure to drive slow, so you dont get a flat tire! Campsites are gorgeous and right along the river. Very family friendly, most of the people there had children and everyone was very friendly. The park rangers were awesome and so kind! I highly recommend this place! read more

I visited Colorado Bend State Park for the first time this past weekend. It's a beautiful park and only about a two hour drive from Austin. There's no service out there so it was a nice place to disconnect and spend a weekend enjoying the great outdoors. The campsites were nice with each including a fire pit, lantern holder and picnic table. There's tons of trails within 6 miles from the campsite so there's plenty of places to adventure. We only made it to one - Gorman Falls. Relatively flat hike with some steep and slippery rocks towards the end, but they provided a rope along the side to hold on to as you head down to the falls. The falls are gorgeous and make you forget you're in Texas. There's also a little picnic area with benches down by the falls that we wish we had known about because we would have packed lunch and ate down there had we known! So why did I give it 3 stars? The staff. We arrived late Friday night (a little before 10pm) because we were unable to take Friday off of work. We knew it would be challenging to find a campsite in the dark but we didn't realize HOW challenging. There were signs directing to specific campsite numbers but we had not been assigned a campsite number that we knew of and only knew we had reserved a drive up site. After driving and walking around aimlessly we settled on a campsite that was empty and figured we would check-in in the morning and see if it was okay or figure out where we needed to be. In the morning when we checked in, we gave the park ranger the number campsite we had stayed in and he proceeded to tell us it was a more expensive campsite than we had reserved so we need to back pay them for the night before and also pay extra for the night we'd we staying again. He didn't offer the option to move to a different site or show any sympathy that we had made an honest mistake ending up at the wrong site. After dealing with that we went on a hike then returned to our campsite to eat lunch and hang out. It was just myself and two other girls so we sat down to play some scrabble and relax. We hadn't seen any signs about not drinking so we each opened a beer. About 30min later two park rangers pulled up and asked us to move our car as it was pulled up in the grass in a shaded area rather than in the dirt parking lot. The ranger noticed we had koozies and asked if we were drinking. We said yes and he explained that there was no consumption of alcohol allowed and proceeded to have us pour them out. He said he was trying to help us out because there was someone who comes around and tickets people for drinking. Then he wouldn't allow us to move the car the 10ft over it needed to be moved because we had been drinking even though we explained we had each only had a few sips of our beer before he made us pour them out. He threatened a sobriety test and said it was too risky to let us move the car. So we let them move it and I voiced some of my concern about how we were having a somewhat negative stay there after what had happened that morning with the pricing and with the current interaction we were having. She said she would look into and come back and let us know what the deal was. When she came back she explained to us the additional charges. The upcharge for the night before and the current night, a $10 transfer fee for changing our reservation type from a drive up to a walk up and $5 entrance fee for each person for every night we were there. $10 charge for changing our reservation type when it was unintentional seemed unfair. THEN the park ranger informed us we were still at the wrong campsite. We thought we were in campsite 26 because the parking space in front of the campsite said 26 but it was actually across the field from the parking spot labeled 26. She explained the site we were at was actually a group campsite and $25 per night. She offered us to stay at the campsite that night as no one had it reserved but said that we would have to pay the additional money to stay there. When I questioned why it was necessary for us to move if no one was coming she said "It's like a hotel suite. Just because a suite is available, doesn't mean you don't have to pay extra to use it." It just seemed harsh since we had made an honest mistake ending up there and obviously weren't maliciously trying to stay at a group campsite when it was just the three of us. To avoid any more confrontation or pay any extra money, we moved our entire campsite across the field to the correct one. I don't write reviews often but all of our interactions with the staff just seemed ridiculous to me. We were just out there trying to enjoy the park. We weren't disruptive - no music playing, not loud, all trash picked up, etc. And we were being treated like we weren't welcome there. It's really a shame because the park is so beautiful, but I would be hesitant to go back based on these interactions. read more

Gorman falls is a great hike. As the Park Ranger mentioned to us, the watering hole here was one of the best I've seen. They have an after-hours "Park Host" concept, which means there is always someone (until 10 pm) to reach out to for late arrivals or for firewood. The weekend we visited was packed, but we heard that there's usually pretty light crowd. read more

We decided to try this place out cuz of my mother. We are from San Antonio tx, so the drive for us was a bit long 2.5 hours but worth it!!! We didn't take a map for the trails, but the trails are easy to follow sometimes!! There are moments where you get lost and then you are like wait... I see the trail again. Lol. The Gorman falls view is very pretty not quite amazing but pretty. I am still not sure if I will be going again! But it was worth the drive. read more

Colorado Bend State Park - Gorman falls - Parks Near Me - Bend, Texas

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Mr J and I decided that we needed to do a quick weekend getaway and since Dallas doesn't have much nature around to hike and trapeze upon... we decided to go towards Hill Country to get around more nature-esque things. We had read reviews that coming the Colorado Bent State Park later in the afternoon most likely would mean that the parking lot was full. And once the parking lot is full, you legitimately can't get into the park. They do update their social media to update visitors about what their parking lot status is. We came right around 9 AM so we had plenty of parking to choose from. When we were getting our parking pass - everything was very.. self reliant. There's a little info center that you can get an envelope from, put money in and then stick your parking sticker on the window. It was a little confusing at first and took some deductive reasoning as to what to do. Bring cash if you don't want to hunt down a credit card machine - I think parking when we went was right around $10. Mr J and I made our way to Gorman falls and it was a steep incline down closer to the water. We had a blast on our hike and eventually found a rock to jump onto on the river. Everything was well kept and it was nice to get out and just hike. The falls are also very beautiful. This is a great place to go if you're itching for a hike and don't have easy access to it locally. It's not too bad of a drive from Dallas and we had a fantastic time. read more

An amazing park. Every employee or volunteer interaction I've had has been great. The park is well maintained and clean. We didn't have time to see all we wanted and will be going back again. Pro tip: check to be sure the park is open. They have occasional total closures and will also hold people out of the park when it's full. read more

We enjoyed the park, got there when temps still reached 95 and pitched camp under a huge tree. We rented kayaks and saw post oak falls, and explored each of the trails. We put together a full write up on our site. http://adventure-us.guide/colorado-bend-state-park-hiking-and-camping-trip/ We definitely plan to go back read more

We took our trip in February, so we weren't able to enjoy the river... but we still had a blast. There weren't too many other campers at the park with us, and at times it felt like we were the only ones there. The park is full of wildlife. We were amazed at how many armadillos were roaming around the grounds, and deer would come within yards of us on their way to the river for a drink. We took the 2 mile hike to Gorman Falls at sunrise (I definitely recommend this!), the trail is a little rough at the end. I don't think my mother could have made it to the end, but you should be okay if you are in relatively good condition. We didn't see anyone else on the trail, so we really felt isolated. Also, like previous reviewers have commented on, this park is excellent for stargazing. My husband and I set some chairs out by the river and pointed out constellations for most of the night. The Milky Way is extremely visible. Don't miss out on the view! read more

I read these reviews before I went and what was so true is that if you go during the week, YOU WILL HAVE THE WHOLE PARK TO YOURSELF. What a treat. I took my two boys and just me primitive camping. Easy mile hike in to the campsites. Deer were everywhere. We had a full moon to keep us lit up all night. Too hot to do this in the heat of August. Due to the drought, the water was way down but you could see the fish swimming in the water. Take your fishing polls. Make sure to go down the trail "Spicewood Springs". As you go down the trail, keep going straight. Its confusing as it is not clear when it gives you an option to go straight or to the right. Keep going straight. You will then see the arrow (on your second choice to go straight or to the right) - to go right. As you come around the rocks, your jaw will drop. An amazing spring fed lagoon awaits you. You will feel as if you found heaven. The water is cold and green. All fresh spring fed water. The pool is about 9 feet deep with fish. SLIPPERY ON THE WATER FALLS so watch the young ones, and yourself for that matter. Be smart and watch the underbush for snakes. I finally got in the water and as I moved around to where the boys were, I saw this HUGE COILED UP SNAKE under the area where I just entered the water. It was a viper - mocissan watching the boys swim for an hour. Please just leave them alone and go on your way. Most of all, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR TRASH. I found dirty diapers, water bottles, food wrappers, etc. Respect the environment and others that will soon share this place with you. Take your trash with you!!!!!!! I collected a lot of trash sitting around and left it for the park ranger. They should have trash can out there though. Now, we saved Gorman Falls for last. After hiking 8 miles in the heat (over 100), I was saying to myself, "This better be worth it.". After a mile, I'm thinking, "No way are there waterfalls anywhere nearby. This must be a joke.". No joke!!!!!! Check out the picture I saved with the rainbow. AMAZING and the water taste so good. PLEASE DO NOT SNEAK in to the off limits area. It will destroy everything. Go around and down toward the river and you will find the water that pours in to it. There, fill up your water bottles with the best coldest spring water ever. What a wonderful place to visit and spend with my boys making memories that will last a lifetime. Please share your pictures if you happen to go. You won't regret it!!!!!! read more

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Great state park. Very clean, almost all dogs were on a leash, and the people were very friendly!

Park = 4 Stars Camping = 3 Stars Beautiful trails and the falls are amazing. The trail to the falls was longer than expected and "rugged." Which was a pleasant surprise. Camping spots are nice but do not offer privacy or seclusion. Trees are scarce in the summer time and the river reeks of dead catfish and feces. We decided to pass on the kayaking but hope to come back and try it during spring. The shower is in the parking lot and out in the open which was a source of constant entertainment. A guy in a jetta kept bumping spanish techno and hollaring at his gf while she used the public shower. This happened several times a day while we were there. Still in search of primitive camping sites in the middle of nowhere. If you know of any near austin please msg me read more