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    Old Baldy

    4.6 (31 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 6:30 pm

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    Start point
    Cristina B.

    I had expectations knowing darn well I shouldn't. TX is flat! So I felt bamboozled doing this "hike" . 200+ steps sounds like a lot (if you don't hike or exercise) but it's actually not much at all. Even carrying my 25lb daughter I didn't feel like I got a workout. However, it was a fun experience that I had on my TX "to do list". Glad I checked it off! I'd definitely return and probably run up and down a couple of times. I went on a weekday and It wasn't too crowded but I imagine it's probably more crowded during the weekend. There's limited street parking also, fyi.

    Start of the hike
    Robert L.

    Old Baldy Stairs Park is one of those places that humbles you in the best way. No fancy entrance, no loud signage--just a quiet challenge waiting for you to show up. They do have limited parking, and on weekends it can get a little dicey, but somehow that feels fitting. This isn't a place that hands anything to you easily. You earn it before you ever hit the first step. Each stair feels like a conversation with yourself. Your lungs burn, your legs start negotiating, and your mind slowly lets go of whatever weight you carried in. Halfway up, you realize this place isn't about speed or ego--it's about persistence. One step. Then another. Same as life. At the top, the reward isn't just the view, it's the perspective. You look back at how far you climbed and remember that progress isn't always pretty, but it's always earned. The breeze hits different up there, like the park itself reminding you why you showed up. Whether you're training, clearing your head, or just needing a reset, Old Baldy delivers. It's raw, honest, and quietly powerful. No frills--just steps, sweat, and a reminder that strength is built one decision at a time.

    Krystal C.

    Very cute place to get your steps in. I saw someone post about this place so my husband and I stopped by. It's located in a small area surround by a small housing community. Parking is also super limited. The incline was a little rough but nothing bad. I felt I was on the stair stepper at the gym. We did it in five minutes. It might have been less but the path is narrow and people were coming up and down so we had to move aside for foot traffic. The view at the top is very nice. The path is also pretty shaded in areas. I saw people running up and down getting their workout in. Overall, the place itself is nice parking was the only real challenge. What people post is a little misleading. It's not as long as a trail as I thought. I would come back in a wanted to be outside and get my incline steps in.

    View on Old Baldy Park
    Renée M.

    Went for a hike on Mother's Day weekend as I've been wanting to check out this place and Wimberley. We took a nice, scenic drive thru the hill country vs. I-35 and it was such a relaxing drive and good to see all the green trees, pastures, wildflowers and hoping all the rain has made a dent on the drought in the area. We got to Old Baldy and luckily it was an overcast day and there was a slight breeze. It rained the day before so it wasn't bad nor muddy, just cooler which was nice! The hike wasn't too bad and I'd say you may have to stop halfway if you're not used to climbing stairs but it is definitely doable. There was a group of older folks who were resting as we were coming down so there are landings for you to stop and rest or to take photos behind you. When we got to the top there's a 360º view that was scenic from all points--mesas at a distance, homes below, hill country rolling hills and lots of green trees & just a beautiful vantage point & to take in some fresh, cooling breezes! It was nice to actually explore this place after seeing it in The Daytripper TV show.

    Shaili B.

    As a tourist in this area I wanted to check this place out! It was in a weird spot and we were able to find it using a map but might be easy to miss. It has the views of the whole city from the top but there are many stairs to climb. It is also a really good workout. Also they had some area that were larger if you needed a break on the stairs which I definitely needed. So much greenery! Recommend to anyone who wants to exercise!

    Erica G.

    When driving up to take a hike up old baldy, you initially think that this will be an awesome experience and not sure what to expect. When parking and finding the entrance, you start to notice old Baldy actually is made up of stairs.. And shortly understand this "trail" to prayer mountain is ALL stairs. When arriving, I do a small breathing exercise and a couple of stretches.. My friend and I looked at one another and nodded to verify we were ready. A slight look of fear led us to quickly begin before we turned around and went to eat our sandwiches in the car... but there we went... I heard the eye of the tiger playing in my mind.. I began to sweat and breath pretty hard.. my friend started to get dizzy and I began to hear a dull wheezing. It was me.. we had to stop. As I look down at my friend I noticed we only were done with about 30 out if 215 stairs. We stopped and had to take a breather. After we caught our breathe, we kept pushing... Yes, we may have been inspired to push forward by thinking about getting to the top and then quickly getting down so we can eat those sandwiches, but ALAS...we made it to the top! We said a spiritual prayer in the middle of the flat rock on the very top, took some pictures and decided we defeated Old Baldy! Only until we met an older man on the way down that passed us as we were taking pictures on our way up. We had a quick convo with him where he told us that he goes up and down old baldy 6x a day. He then said he goes up and down 60x a WEEK. Like.... its his daily fkn exercise. At this point, my friend and I knew we didn't defeat old baldy. This 60 year old man did.. just shameful. Oh well.. Those were damn good sandwiches. Until next time old baldy!

    One set of stairs up & down
    Mel H.

    218 steps of breathtaking beauty (even in the hottest, drought stricken time). I was hesitant at first. I thought it would be boring and drab. We got to Old Baldy as the sun rose. It was spectacular. I have seen it also called Prayer Mountain, I said several small prayers, as I climbed. Things would come to mind, gratitudes & needs. I laid them all before the Lord. (Heart) It didn't take long to get up there. Saw several people of 60+ taking the steps at least once. Well worth the hike. I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty this little place has.

    Katlyn P.

    I wanted to stop here and do a quick little hike and it was quick! Just a little over 200 steps and had a nice bible verse along the way. It was a nice view of the hill country. I went around 12pm and no one was there. We had the whole view to ourselves. Make sure to bring lots of water and camera. This would be a great place to have a picnic at the top. I would definitely come back and show off this spot to my friends.

    Old Baldy steps start out easy but get steep!

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    3 days ago

    Nice trail, or shall I say stairway up! Not too hard at all! Would recommend it for the lovely view

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    1 year ago

    It was 4 minutes walk so we did it 5 times bc we drove 1.5 hours so we wanted to make it worst the drive.

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    2 years ago

    You feel like you are going to die coming up but it is worth it I love it! Mind you I took my one year old with me

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    Ask the Community - Old Baldy

    Review Highlights - Old Baldy

    Once you are finally at the top, you'll be rewarded with a nice view of Wimberly and the surrounding Hill Country.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Blue Hole Regional Park - Sunday stroll

    Blue Hole Regional Park

    4.1(163 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Wow what a magical place!…read more We live in Hill Country about 30min fm Austin and this little gem is about 27min away from us in the cute little hill country town of Wimberly. Its summer in TX. Its HOT. It's sticky. What's better than doom scrolling in your house when its 97 degrees out and 70%+ humidity in July.... This place! Plan ahead.. you can only get tickets online. Its VERY reasonable. They have timed entrance for am or afternoon. 9am or 2pm. We've been both times and both haven't been over crowded. Great for ALL ages. Toddlers with swim vests and an adult to folks like my mom who's almost 80. Cost for 1/2 swim: 12.00 adults (13yrs +) 8.00 over 60yrs 8.00 12yrs and under 8.00 military 20.00 to rent a picnic table 20.00 for 1 umbrella in the grassy area. Bring chairs Pack a sandwich Bring a blanket so you can put it down on the dirt/grass area. Being a cooler with softdrinks Bring a volleyball. Pool noodles are also great Just make sure to throw your trash away!! Mother nature thanks you. Enjoy the beautiful nature Snap a couple of IG photos (the water color early in the morning and later in the afternoon make you look like a professional photographer. You can bring small floaties so you can hang under the shade while you're swimming around. The entire swim area is covered in shade. The park area has shade on the perimeter of the park and sunny in the middle. It's a paved walk way from the parking lot to the water hole. The parking lot is compressed gravel so sedans can easily access the parking area from the road. There's no current. No need for water shoes.. the bottom in the shallow area has small pebble like bottom. The water temp was refreshing. Perfect temp for July. Water quality is so clear! Theres 4 different areas to go into the water.. Low entry where once you are in you can stand.. Mid entry where you're about waste deep when you walk in. 2 deeper areas with a ladder, and cool chain swings. This will definitely be on our rotation for the summer. The vibe was peaceful, chill and everyone there were very respectful of others

    Blue Hole Park is a great place to go for a walk with your dogs. Nice to get out and get some fresh…read moreair. The are is amazing. Nice trails and scenery. Close to downtown Wimberly. Near the Wimberly Players Theater. Worth check out for a nice walk.

    Photos
    Blue Hole Regional Park - Great paths

    Great paths

    Blue Hole Regional Park
    Blue Hole Regional Park - Beautiful trails

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    Beautiful trails

    Charro Ranch Park - Entrance sign. Small parking lot.

    Charro Ranch Park

    5.0(5 reviews)
    10.7 mi

    What a neat park so close to home that is manageable in size and interesting in, well, nature…read more Perfect for a quick hike alone to watch birds eat and bathe in a sanctuary built for them. Also great for getting the energy out of the kids with fairy doors to look for, a chimney structure created for a specific feathered friend in mine and other fun rocks and benches and more to crawl on. The path is a mix of mulch and dirt. Dog bags and can provided so it's great for the four legged friends as well. There is a small rustic pavilion and picnic benches scattered. No restrooms. The map at the trailhead definitely needs to be updated but I guess that makes part of the charm in the unknown discoveries. Wish I had more pics to share with you but you should probably see the rest of it for yourself.

    This trail is so peaceful and interesting! There was no one else there on a Sunday afternoon,…read moreexcept for a deer and several birds. There are landmarks scattered throughout the trail, spaced every 10 minutes or so to encourage you to keep going. The park feels like someone's backyard instead of a regular hiking trail, but in the best way. I'm not sure how long the trail is; maybe one mile? It took about 30 minutes to complete while stopping to look at the signs and structures along the way. It's definitely worth visiting! There are plentiful directional signs around the park so you never feel lost. A very unique experience.

    Photos
    Charro Ranch Park - Trail treasures

    Trail treasures

    Charro Ranch Park - 12-29-24

    12-29-24

    Charro Ranch Park - 12-27-24 was a lovely day for a hike here

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    12-27-24 was a lovely day for a hike here

    Guadalupe South River Nature Trail

    Guadalupe South River Nature Trail

    4.4(8 reviews)
    10.8 mi

    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!

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    Guadalupe South River Nature Trail
    Guadalupe South River Nature Trail
    Guadalupe South River Nature Trail

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    Overlook Park & Canyon Dam

    Overlook Park & Canyon Dam

    3.9(32 reviews)
    11.3 mi

    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.

    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....

    Photos
    Overlook Park & Canyon Dam - Canyon Lake

    Canyon Lake

    Overlook Park & Canyon Dam
    Overlook Park & Canyon Dam - Canyon dam

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    Canyon dam

    Old Baldy - hiking - Updated May 2026

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