TLDR: Watch out for poison ivy in this beautiful tropical oasis (stick to long pants). The Palmetto Interpretive Trail is short enough for young kids and within walking distance from the picnic area. Stop to pay at park headquarters ($3 p/p; kids 12 and under are free). I loved the whole tropical vibe of this park. Dwarf palmettos everywhere. We stopped here as a waypoint en route to Rockport Beach. It made a great stopping point. The Palmetto Interpretive Trail is only 0.3 miles and very easy. A short walk, really. Both my toddlers (almost 4 and almost 2) were able to walk it. It's unpaved but mostly smooth so you should be able to bring a stroller too (I'd confirm with park staff, just in case). POISON IVY: At the end of the Palmetto Interpretive Trail, there is a water tower. It's locked but my kids love approaching doors. This is where I noticed potential poison ivy growing right by the door. It did have the triple leaf look and AI confirmed that it looks like poison ivy. Leaf shape can vary quite a bit on this plant so it can get a little tricky to identify. Just be wary of any triple leafers. Keep a close eye on where you and/or your kids are stepping and skip the shorts/sandals. Park staff was friendly. You stop to pay at the park headquarters once you enter the park (and display the tag on your windshield). $3 per person; children 12 and under are free. The picnic area was nice with ample seating (both covered and uncovered). I couldn't find a restroom (doors were locked) but there were restrooms by the playground (a short drive away). The restrooms were clean. Make sure you close the door like the sign asks to keep bugs away. Ultimately, I'd love to return to this park and experience more of its lovely trails. read more

Palmetto State Park - Potential poison ivy (Palmetto Interpretive Trail) - Parks Near Me - Gonzales, Texas

See all

Great, secluded state park next to a neighborhood. I'd consider Palmetto a hidden gem in Texas. I drove 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. read more

See all

Signs were covered so we missed our turn, river was nice, lake is small and camping sites are too close to each other. We did a little swimming and drove around. I heard from a friend that hiking here you can get away from all urban noise at points - which is a highlight. read more

We went during an educational event about Landfills, my 5 year old is still talking about our experience 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. read more

See all

We really enjoyed our time at Palmetto State Park, despite the inclement weather we experienced. The park is beautiful and well maintained. Lots of families get day passes for the playground, swimming, and fishing. We stayed at a water only campsite right next to Oxbow Lake, that was also within walking distance to the park headquarters. There were TONS of gorgeous trail options and we were able to hike about 4 miles around the park. Although the park no longer offers boat rentals (you can bring your own), they do have a fishing loaner system, which we took advantage of. All the park rangers and volunteers were lovely. April was our Park Host and she was on top of it! She patrols diligently and even helped clear a water moccasin from the roadway. The only reason for this four star review is because of the parks bathrooms. The campgrounds aren't huge, but there are only two family style bathrooms in each campground. Each bathroom is a toilet/shower combination, so during peak season, I could see campers waiting a long time for the facilities. The bathrooms were also poorly maintained (dirt, bugs, critter poop, etc) plus day visitors have access to the campground bathrooms, which also poses a problem for accessibility. read more

See all

Beautiful hiking trails with clear paths and easy accessibility. It's very inexpensive to enter the park. You can stay overnight and camp and swim and fish. read more

See all

So glad we finally made it out here! It's only a little over an hour from Austin, and you can make fun little stops in Lockhart or Luling along the way there or back. It was easy to find parking on a weekend in early January. We did a 3.5 mile loop walk around the park, walking along the river first, then the mesquite flats, ottine swamp, and interpretive trails. Took in total about 1.5 hours or so, with two dogs that like to stop every so often. Interesting and unique scenery in each part of the walk. I would absolutely recommend visiting and am looking forward to coming back when there's more foliage on the trees for a different experience. read more

See all

Great state park that is well run! Good little camp sites , hiking , and kayaking ! Really clean and quiet which is always essential ! read more

Palmetto State Park - In to the Texas glades we go ... - Parks Near Me - Gonzales, Texas

It took me 2 hours to complete all the trails at the park, I came for a day hike, and the trails were short and manageable. Most campsites are as close together as I did a quick drive-thru. The trails weren't marked and led directly into the main road which is dangerous. A lot of families were sitting and playing in the river. There's a lot of history in the park that you can't access because it is locked up. Most of the buildings are preserved and originally completed by the CCC. The CCC buildings were for display. I wish there was more to see and admire, but the park left me feeling disappointed. read more

Palmetto State Park - San Marcos River - Parks Near Me - Gonzales, Texas

See all

just wanna say thank you to Celina and Lacey for being so kind and approachable. They made our camping trip enjoyable with their smiles and willingness to take a picture with us. I loved this park so much due to the ample campsite spaces, the river & lake, and overall cleanliness. read more

See all

First off - no swamp. At least as far as I could see on the "swamp trail". This needs to be known. Saw some deer, the hawk and some wild ass kids. When you see that San Marcos River you can feel the land has cast wonder through Los siglos y Los siglos and I plan to visit again soon, hopefully them wild ass kids won't be there. Glad they had fun though. read more

Palmetto State Park - That's a tree with some Spanish moss looking stuff taken from laying down on the park bench. - Parks Near Me - Gonzales, Texas

See all

We loved it.We will definitely be back. It was clean peaceful and a lot of activities we hiked and there is area that you can sit in the shallow part of the water. read more

See all

We found this park while looking for places to hike. It's clean, well maintained and the paths are easy to navigate and walk. I enjoyed my time here and will return for the one path we didn't get to hike before the rain. There are some historical buildings here as well. We had a nice time walking and taking photos. Parking was easy too. read more

See all

Super friendly park ranger, CLEAN!! Haven't seen one piece of trash and I've walked every trail. Amazing park. This is a great place to go when you're looking for a night or two get away. I feel like 2 days is plenty of time to take in everything this park offers. Worth a check out! read more

See all

If you're in the San Antonio area, you like to hike, and you want something different from the hilly, rocky trails of the Hill Country area... this is worth the drive for a change of pace. It's about and hour east towards Houston. There's a Buccee's at the turn-off for a bonus stop either on your way there or on the way back. So that's pretty cool too. The park itself doesn't feel like anything you would see in Texas. It feels almost tropical. And everything is different than what we're used to. The tress are different. The grasses are different. And there are even a few different ecosystems you pass through if you cover a good portion of the trails. Plus when we got to the end of our hike, we found a spot where there's a crossing built over there river. We went there and just dangled our feet in the water for a very refreshing end to our time there. All in all, a great time. Highly recommend. read more

See all

My partner and I came here to enjoy a hike. We stopped by the check-in area to pay our $3/person (quite a reasonable price for day-use) where they also have a few drinks/snacks and mementos, then followed the ranger's instructions down the road to the second left to get to the parking lot. The place was reasonably busy with folks and scout troops enjoying the park. We used the nearby restroom (since it had been an hour's drive to get there), which was clean and stocked. Then we set out to walk around. I appreciated the large information brochure/map acquired at the ranger station, which conveniently list the trails at the park, their difficulty level and distance. We went for the San Marcos River Trail and Mesquite Flats Trail (probably would've continued on the Ottine Swamp Trail, but it was closed due to flooding-- we did notice they are using this time to create a raised bridge so it can be utilized better in the future... no doubt it's subject to frequent flooding, but it's good to see them investing in improvements). Both trails are listed as "Moderate" but we found them to be very flat and relaxed, and they did not take us much time to complete. If you're looking for a light/shorter experience or have small youngsters/elderly accompanying you for a hike, this park is probably perfect. We'd been hoping for a bit more variation in the landscape/elevation, though a couple of the landmarks were pretty cool to see. Overall it was a decent experience. We stayed for between 2-3 hours. My husband expressed an interest in perhaps returning to camp over a weekend sometime. I'm open to it; though I wasn't all that impressed, I think it would be a decent getaway. read more

Gorgeous state park. Wood sites, walking trails, internet connection was great which is a huge plus since we are all remote. read more

See all

Nice place to hike now that it is cooling down a bit. Reservations- DEFINITELY recommended due to restrictions on # of people allowed in. Maps available, camping spots. read more

Palmetto State Park - Parks Near Me - Gonzales, Texas

Who knew this was here and so beautiful?! Maintained well...great place for a picnic! Rangers in the visitors center were friendly! Will be back. read more

See all

I've been going to PSP my whole life, ever since they held Palmetto Camp. We love going to Palmetto SP. There is so much to do and explore from canoeing/kayaking, hiking, and fishing to camping, learning its history, and swimming. Not to mention it is absolutely gorgeous there with so many trees and amazing wildlife. Also, their trails are the best SP trails I've been on, graveled all the way through with some pretty awesome boardwalks. Tons of super pretty trails ranging in difficulty. Very clean! Wish I had better pictures to show but the dogs love it! There's also an overlook just before you get to the headquarters! read more

See all

Located just south of Luling, this is one of the cheaper state parks to visit if you don't have a park pass. It's only $3 per person to get in. Pedal boats (yes, I said PEDAL), canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and fishing boats are available to rent. Lot's of fishing spots, camping spots, and RV hookups with water and electricity - yeah, I know, first world problems! The trails: 99% of the trails are shaded by TALL, TALL trees, but I am definitely calling the governor's office to see if something can be done about the humidity in this part of our fine state LOL! Depending on the route you take, there are between 3 to 4 miles of trails to be explored and there are a few nice views of the San Marcos River. None of the trails are steep or rocky, or require hiking shoes. Just an old pair of tennis shoes will do the job. The trails are not rocky, and most are crushed granite, dirt, or sand. Biking and dogs are allowed - but keep them on a leash folks. I had a run in with one today and it was not cool. read more

See all

First time to this state park. A bit small but still good park. Sort of split into two sections. One by the headquarter where the lake and play ground is located. Then there is another section that has more of the palms and some good hikes. Most of the hikes are easy and my 85 year old father had no issue doing them. It amazes me how much work the CCC did in all the state parks in Texas. Appears to have some great RV spots. The also have tent camping by the lake and one cabin. The camping it is a bit close for me. You do need to make reservations during this time. Even with the reservations it seems crowded for a January. I am sure it is packed in the summer with all the water options. It appears you can rent kayaks, etc. read more

See all

Pretty fantastic park to visit, if you get the chance. Not too far from San Antonio, Austin, or the western end of Houston. Worth a visit! Cheap admission, cute little headquarters and store, spots for hiking, fishing, and camping. There are different sections of the park you can explore, and you can even cross over the river at one point. Lots of dense foliage and beautiful palmettos blanket the width of the park. It can get fairly popular so expect to see a lot of other visitors on your visit. Next time you want an adventure and fresh air, hit up Palmetto SP! read more

Beautiful scenery, hopefully we can come back and rent the cabin this summer. Very pretty and relaxed

So much shaded parking! Pet friendly. There's lots of trails to explore. The Onyx trail has half shade half none at all when u walk along the river to the other half of the trail. The palmetto trail is 100% shaded with great pic opportunities. $3 day pass read more

See all

We stumbled across this state park because we were stopping at bucces so we decided to give it a try just to get out to walk and enjoy the outdoors. It was a nice experience kinda spread out to go to all the trails instead of them being close by. Everything was very clean. It was $3 per person to get in and you do that at headquarters in the front. It was decent overall. read more

Haven't been here in well-over thirty years. The local Cub Scout Group would camp here periodically. The place is exactly what I remember, only better. Had I known the weather would turn out as beautifully as it did, I would have camped. That's Texas weather for you. Anyway, I took to the trails and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The visit was capped by a cigar at one of the many picnic tables scattered nearby the refectory. Please come here to camp. Definitely a hidden gem waiting for exploration. read more

Palmetto State Park - Refectory the CCC built. - Parks Near Me - Gonzales, Texas

Easy trip from SA, to Luling, to the park! We loved the bend in the river and enjoyed the ample shade

River camping! This is a fantastic state park just outside of Gonzalez. A palmetto is a little palm tree that's more like a palm bush. There are tons of them around here! This park is kinda like two parks in one. The northern end of the park is situated around a kind of pond, with playground equipment and campsites where it seems that you could rent a canoe or kayak. Then on the southern end of the park, there's the RV camping and the river and the trails. Once I found the south end of the park, I stayed over there. It's nice! The Civilian Conservation Corps built a bunch of old stone buildings out along the banks of the San Marcos River, and there's a pathway that takes you down to easy swimming in the river. It's scenic! My favorite part was the nature trails that take you out among the palmettos, to an old water tower and some ponds. It's all shady and there are some private places to enter the river where you can have the whole place to yourself. It's a fantastic place to swim! You need to make a reservation now to get in, over the internet. There's a small fee to get in. It's worth it! There's a park headquarters at the entrance that you have to check in at. They seem concerned about coronavirus and were able to socially distance. read more

Nice park watch for snakes in summer load up on bug spray. Trails short nice picnic areas, clean.

Very Beautiful park, my best friend wanted to come and vent and chill. The park was very beautiful and the scenic view was very beautiful and I definitely will come here to camp I really appreciate how clean this park was and how amazing everyone was nice and waving at us. Thank you read more

Palmetto has been my favorite state park to visit so far! It feels like a tropical retreat that somehow made its way into Texas. I loved the little palms throughout the park and the green swamp was really cool. Hiking here right after it rained was the perfect time to go. I'd highly recommend visiting Palmetto State Park in Gonzales. read more

See all

Beautiful park, campsite are roomy. Trails are great, saw wild turkeys today, deer out our door. Armadillo came up to the site. Love the great outdoors. read more

My family and I stopped here during our summer vacation. We ended up with a camping spot right on the water, and they had nice sand boxes laid out for tents, so no one sleeps overtop rocks or tree branches. Waaaaay more comfortable when you're sleeping on the ground. After setting up our tent, we went on a hike, along several of their trails. We saw several deer and rabbits along the way, and visited the extinct mud pits (nothing to see lol). The trails were mainly shaded, but I still managed to get a little sunburn after failing to use sunscreen. Oops. After our hike, we hung out and played cards at our picnic table. We used our site's grill to cook up sausage wraps and later started a bonfire and roasted marshmallows for s'mores, before calling it a night. The next morning, we peeked out of our tent to see several ducks outside. My son took some old bread and fed one, before it got full and joined its friends for a swim. We left for another town, before enjoying all of the amenities, but my son managed to get in a nice swim. He had fun jumping off the dock into the lake, and swimming over to the platform. Next time, I'd like to check out their paddle boats, kayaks or fishing spots. read more

See all

Since we got our RV we have been to many state parks. They are all nice but this park is unique in three ways. The park is famous for its palmetto plants, a palm like plant sprawling in the ground. Second the trails are very nice with some wooden boardwalks and great for walking and biking. Most of all, we have met the most friendly park host Michael. He and his wife kept the park immaculately clean, stopping by talking to us, offering help and sharing the tremendous knowledge he has about nature, the park and weather. Wonderful experience and will be back again. read more

What a gem of a park. Trails are mostly flat and very easy to follow. The San Marcos River is a great way to cool off after exploring. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Wow what a fantastic state park. The pictures really don't so it justice. It has one of the most scenic drives in, really is anything of beauty. The campsites are great! Only down side is only one has full sewer hookup. But in the grand scheme that's not a big deal at all. The trails are awesome. We walked around for hours just enjoying the flowers, wildlife, and the trees. It's right on the San Marcos river, so bring your tube. Great for kids and adults alike! You won't be disappointed with this gem. read more

This is what I call a neighborhood State Park. Getting there is a bit tricky, the trail entrance is about a mile down from the headquarter, there is a entrance half block from the headquarter, but that is camping ground only. I hiked most of the trails (the outskirt in a loop), it is about 4.45 miles. There isn't too much of elevation, the trail is very well maintained. I even did a mile run with my jeans on without any issues. Overall great state park to hike or trail run. read more

See all

Beautifully shaded and almost primordial. Just a beautiful quiet place.

I think it's an over all great park. Not the best I've seen but still nice. We enjoyed the hiking tails and swimming in the lake. They offered free kayaking from 1pm to 4:30 pm during our stay. This park is fairly quiet, kid and pet friendly. read more