I love visiting overall, but last trip was god awful. I haven't got a cabin in over 5 years. I…read morebooked cabin 7 and it reeked of cigarette smoke. It was deeply embedded into the chairs and mattresses. It absorbed into all our clothes and sleeping bags and stuff sitting in there two days. After coming home our stuff is been in the garage a day and the smell is so potent the garage smells like faint smoke from airing out. If smells bother you even slightly, avoid that cabin at all costs. Not sure if others smell like it now too, and a bunch of jerks have just chain smoked in all cabins or just this one.

The Austin Astronomical Society hosts events where volunteers allow guests to look through their…read morehigh powered telescopes and that was the reason for my visit. Howver, the park is gorgeous, I will return to camp out there, the environment was accommodating and very clean. The Rangers were very friendly and involved with the community, the care was felt and very much appreciated.

Pictures don't do this place justice!…read more On this beautiful Saturday, I was seeking adventure! This tour is such an amazing deal. My tour guide Eryn was amazing and so funny. Caves are so interesting and there is so much to learn about them . Longhorn Cavern offer 3 different tour options. The cavern walking tour is just like a casual walking tour. The black light tour is where you wear hard hats and walk with a light. The Wild Cave tour is for the extreme explorers who are okay with tight spaces . I chose the cavern walking tour. I highly recommend shoes that have a tight grip. The gift shop has really good options for keepsakes. Also, if you get thirst drinks are available to purchase. I saw a section for pizza, but it was sold out. I had amazing time during my visit. The cave is beautiful and there is so much to see.

This isn't the best caverns I've visited within a Texas State Park, but it is pretty darn cool. The…read morebest caverns tour is at Kickapoo Caverns. I did a wild cave tour without the extra charges that Longhorn collects. At Longhorn, our guide, Johnson did an amazing job with our small group of six people for the 10:45 AM tour. My brother and I initially registered for the 11:00 AM tour and am glad that we were suggested another time. We passed by the 11:00 AM tour and they had 40+ people in their group. Johnson showed us cool geological formations. We saw dolomite, calcium bicarbonate, chert, limestone, geodes, stalagmites, stalactites, and quartz crystals. Johnson is somewhat funny; he had a bit of quirky and dry humor. I enjoyed the history of the caverns, but some of it I thought was interesting. It was really delightful to learn that in the 1800's, before the CCC got involved, the locals would dance and play music turning the cave into an auditorium of entertainment. Johnson said that if certain geological formations glows, it is growing. Very catchy phase for memory. I got to see a few bats hanging out. They were tricolor bats which are smallest bats. The cave is cool, but thankfully not slippery. I was wearing no grip support shoes, but I didn't fall or have the urge to fall. There are mats on the floor of the cave to prevent falls. Johnson gave us more time to look around and admire the geology. My brother and I weren't required to bring our own flashlights. Johnson had a flashlight, but forgot to grab the blacklights. What I find is strange is that this is a state park that you cannot renew your state park pass at. This park headquarters is very different than the rest considering that there's a third party company handing the cave tours, they sell ice-cees, popcorn, and the gift shop is very big and vast. The others don't have this. It is questionable to me. I was told that I needed to go to Inks Lake to renew my pass. The cave tours are very pricey. Kickapoo Caverns tour was very affordable at $10. You can use the park pass. You can't get your state park passport stamped at Longhorn Caverns either. It seems like Longhorn Caverns is more for profit and the history about the cavern could be overly exaggerated to attract customers. My opinion. It was hard to believe half of the things what Johnson was telling us. There's one portion of geological formation in the cave that is "dead" because in year 1919, the locals went exploring by touching the formation it "killed" it. I preferred Kickapoo Caverns and the Caverns of Sonora a lot more. Even Inner Space Caverns and Natural Bridge were very exciting to see. Longhorn is cool, but didn't give me that WOW-factor, but I still had a ton of fun on a Sunday morning.

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge makes for a great day trip if you don't mind about an…read morehour drive from central Austin, depending on traffic. I did a couple of stops while we were out there, Doeskin Ranch and Shin Oak Observation Deck. The main hike was Doeskin Ranch. There's a restroom right near the trailhead. It's not plumbed, just a chemical toilet, but it was clean, stocked with hand sanitizer, and being able to use the bathroom before starting the hike made the whole experience more relaxed. The hike itself was nice but very seasonal. I went in January, so the landscape was mostly golden-brown grass with limited greenery and not much tree cover. You're mostly enjoying bushes, rocks, and scattered trees rather than lush views. I'd really like to come back in late spring or late fall when things are greener and more alive. The trail is fairly rocky and there aren't many mile markers, although the trails seemed pretty easy to follow. After Doeskin Ranch, I stopped at the Shin Oak Observation Deck, which is very close by. There's a nice gazebo with a scenic outlook and a short, meditative gravel trail with three or four nature signs encouraging you to slow down and be present. It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk through depending on your pace. I recommend starting toward the left and going counterclockwise so you encounter the signs head-on instead of from behind. Overall, both stops were enjoyable. They're not hikes I'd feel the urge to repeat soon, but they made for a fun day hike and I felt worth the drive.

This refuge is a bit spread out, we went to both the Doeskin Ranch and Warbler Vista portions and…read morehiked a few miles. There wasn't any shocking moment of awe, but there's lots of birds around and a neat little creek, it's a good place to get some appreciation of the Hill County and get (mostly) away from development.

We had an incredible time wheeling here at hidden falls. From the start, the staff was super nice…read moreand had a great attitude any time we came in contact with them. Routes seem pretty well maintained and labeled well too. Only downfall is that our first day there the air up station didn't have very much PSI so we had to whip out the old reliables. Non the less, we will be back.

First timer review. We recently bought a TJ this year and wanted to take it out. Little last minute…read moreLabor Day trip and it did not disappoint. We pulled up to the park and the first person we encountered was so helpfully. We told them it was our first time and they walked us through everything no problem. Once we got in and on the trails we started easy. We slowly worked our way up and were able to do some trails we didn't expect to do. Can't say enough great things about the place. Definitely want to go back and continue to get better.

It's a beautiful park in the community where you can park your car and walk around as well as…read morehaving picnic under the trees or swimming or fishing Pretty nice landscape and just enjoy having a relaxing moment! Come and cheers

It is a cute little park. I have been to it several times. The best is during Christmas season…read more This is when I make it a real plan to go visit it at night. It is always lit up with thousands of lights! For all the years they have been doing it I never failed not going to check it out

Beautiful park. I accidentally stumbled upon the park. Really nice size. And gorgeous. Saw a guy…read moreon a bench. And a family throwing a ball with their dog. They have a beautiful memorial for the military. A flag for each branch of the service. The parking lot is crushed rocks and it's large.

This is a very well constructed, manicured and well tended to park that sits along the Backbone…read moreCreek in Marble Falls. Much of the park is covered in Saint Augustine grass as opposed to Bermuda grass and weeds. This park has something a lot of parks do not have, a boat launch. There are some nicely designed play scapes for the kids and public restrooms are available. There are quite a number of picnic tables, some with their own grills, scattered about on the property. There are even some covered picnic table areas and plenty of parking, including eight parking spaces for boat trailers. There are also quite a number of geese and ducks that like to hang out here. Next to the creek is also a small amphitheater where there are some concert dates. There is a gravel trail that runs from this park all the way to Westside park (see separate review) which runs along Backbone Creek. Definitely a nice park for the locals and visitors alike.

This was my first time downhill mountain biking so I opted for Intro to Spider Mountain (beginners…read morelessons). Absolutely loved it! Chris was super busy because of the storms that pushed through the day before, but took his time and showed me the ropes. He related the lesson to things I was familiar with and made me comfortable with my body mechanics on the bike. He brought me to the skills park for a ride to get me in the groove and then we hit the trails. It was like having a buddy teaching me new skills. I can't say enough about my experience here, started on the greens and ended up finishing on mid-level blues. All the staff were amazing and helpful. I'll definitely be back, and will be bringing my wife and kid!

Not a bad place to ride, but the lift will not only scratch your rims terribly as your bike hangs,…read morebut the people who unload your bikes at the top tend to damage frames as well, while unloading. Seems they could do a little work, to show they care a lot about your bikes, but they don't. New covers for the bike hooks doesn't cost a lot. Not sure why they wouldn't upkeep the gear at the park...