We have lived in the area for a while now and we just love everything about McKinney Roughs!…read more First and foremost their hiking trails: they have a variety of trails for different levels and the views are spectacular. It's never super crowded, sometimes you may run into for horses if you're on horse-friendly trails and you can hike down to the Colorado River as well. The trails are pretty well maintained and marked. Summer camps: my son (7) has been attending their day summer camps for three years now and absolutely loves them! They are from 9-4 so very friendly for those parents working. There is also a bus that brings kids in from Austin as well. The price can't be beat as well. Each day he comes home telling me about what he learned and got to experience (most times I am jealous- like you got to go kayaking? Make and drink yaupon tea? What- how cool!) The camp counselors are extremely friendly and knowledgeable and treat the kids with kindness and respect. They also have a beautiful facility, overall. The grounds are clean and well-kept. McKinney Roughs is simply the best!

Love this place. I've been here for some events but also just to hike. I love that their trails can…read morehelp you practice some different skills. For instance, I was told by one of their staff that there is significant grading to help with elevation hikes. They are very helpful with any questions you have. Inside the main building where the small gift store is, there's a small nature area with some fish, snakes, fossils, and more. My kiddo loves looking at this section. Their Halloween event, Tricks, Treats, and Trails is also always a big hit with my family. They have a rock wall, paintball, archery, and other things to do. This was our second year and it was great!

We stopped by Bastrop State Park on a whim while driving to Austin, and it ended up being a great…read moredecision. It's less than a 2-hour drive from Houston and under an hour from Austin, which makes it an easy add to a road trip. I especially appreciated that the entrance is right off Highway 71, so you're not wasting a bunch of time driving deep into back roads just to get to the park. We visited on a beautiful Saturday in January -- sunny and in the 50s, basically perfect hiking weather. While there are plenty of trees throughout the park, many of the trails are fairly exposed, so you get a lot of sun. Definitely bring sunscreen, even in cooler weather. The trails are wide and well-maintained, with sand and rocks laid down in many areas, making them easy to walk. The terrain is nicely hilly but nothing too difficult (we did about 4 miles total). One thing to note: trail signage is a bit limited, and it would be easy to get turned around and know where to turn. Thankfully, I had decent cell reception (T-Mobile) and was able to use Google Maps to track where we were. Parking was easy, the staff were friendly, and the landscape was beautiful. We used our Texas State Parks annual pass, which saved us the $15 entrance fee, and the entry process was quick and simple. The line of cars trying to get in was only 2. I'd love to come back in the spring when everything is blooming. Overall, a great stop if you want scenic views, manageable trails, and a convenient location. Highly recommend if you're on your way to Houston or Austin. There's also a Buccees just a few miles away!

We camped here spontaneously one weekend in February. The good: the trails are lovely! There are…read moremany miles and different terrains to explore. I love the pine trees and views from some of the trails. The campground is lovely as well. Very clean. Spaces are large. People are respectful. But... A big con is the traffic noise at night! We stayed in the Copperas Creek Camping Area, which is quite close to the road, so we expected some noise. But it was intense both noise. A loud, long crash woke me up in the middle of the night, with a second crash crashing into the debris from the first one. That whole incident kept me up for 2 hours. I don't know if the other campgrounds in the park are any better. The park is nestled in a populated area so I doubt it. But the trails and area are beautiful!! So I would definitely recommend for hiking!! Not so much tent camping... (maybe it's better in an RV?).

Today was the second time my husband and I have come out to Lockhart State Park for their Chisholm…read moreTrail Turkey Trot. Both times have been an absolute blast. Nice low-key, family-friendly fun run, organized by the park staff, with prizes for the raffle and 1st through 3rd place finishers donated by local businesses, including frozen turkeys!! Doesn't get better than that! GOBBLE-GOBBLE. The price for entry was the standard day use fee, $3/person. You won't find a cheaper Turkey Trot. They had ample water, snacks, and a DJ blasting tunes. The staff are always friendly and helpful. The bathrooms are clean. The information available inside HQ for other Texas State Parks and history is cool. There's some fun trinkets and souvenirs you can purchase too to help support the park's operations, plus drinks and snacks if you need. The trails have some decent terrain, certainly nothing too steep or strenuous thought (typical TX hill country landscape). The park also has a golf course and a swimming pool, though I've not experienced them myself. Parking lots are in good repair. They always have the month's extracurricular events posted up too, so you can decide if you want to take an informational nature hike or learn archery, etc.

I can't say I recommend Lockhart State Park from my last visit here. Even though it's the only…read moreTexas state park with a 9-hole golf course, the hiking trails weren't very interesting and I was concerned about getting hit by golf balls as one of the trails cuts right through the fairway. The trail system here seemed almost like an afterthought, as there weren't any scenic viewpoints to look forward to. There were large shrubs everywhere and nothing interesting around. They say to my have a fishing pond, but it was small and it looked like it was devoid of any life. I thought the CCC group area and the day-use areas were cool. I can see locals taking advantage of the amenities. But for me, hiking trails are the biggest draw and unfortunately I left disappointed.

Such a cool event space! I actually felt like I was walking through a medieval time village. We…read morewere there for the Texas Wienerfest. Parking was ample and easy especially by HTx standards, lol. Prices were fair. There were no bugs which surprised me considering how "foresty" the space was. We went 10/32/2026. You do get there by what seemed like a back country road to me, so be aware that you're probably not lost. :)

My family and I visited Sherwood Forest Faire while one of our kids was visiting during Spring…read moreBreak. We bought our tickets online and headed out there. While driving in there were several people guiding everyone where to park. Pay attention to the section you park so you don't get lost finding your way back when you are ready to leave. After parking we walked up to the Faire entrance, someone scanned our tickets and we were in. Once we were in we walked around. We watched some live music by Amanda Kitchens Carnival Sound Band. We shopped and I bought two crowns from Medieval Metal. We watched jousting and sword fighting. We ate pizza from Dante's, fries, and a Pineapple Dole Soft Serve from Robin's Kitchen and Sweets. Overall it was a fun filled Faire Day.

I can't say enough about this place! The park itself is clean, lush, and absolutely beautiful, with…read moreplenty of cabins, camping spots, RV sites, and scenic hiking trails. But did you know they also have an event hall for rent? We booked it for a family gathering, and it was perfect. The space has a charming vintage look, with plenty of tables and chairs, clean restrooms, a spacious kitchen equipped with burners, a sink, a fridge, and enough trash bins. The concrete floors are a bit cracked, but that's hardly a dealbreaker when you're getting such a gem in the middle of a state park. Guests pay a discounted $3 entrance fee, but since we had an RSVP list, we purchased tickets ahead of time to make the process smoother for everyone. You receive the event hall key at 9 AM on the day of your event and can drop it in the designated box whenever your party ends. The space comfortably accommodates 70-80 guests, making it a great choice for gatherings. You're expected to leave the hall in the same condition as you received it, but the trash bins can be left as they are staff will come by later to collect the trash. It's that simple!

While on a meandering day trip, we came across the inviting entrance to Buescher State Park…read more We parked outside the small but organized ranger station, and I stepped inside to pay the fee. $3 per person if you choose to stay in your vehicle (driving through) or $5 per person is you get out to walk around. Affordable either way! There's also an area set up with mugs, stickers and such for sale. So glad we decided to drive through! A lot of different scenery, well-maintained and mostly empty roads, new undergrowth in burn areas, peaceful and quiet overall. We continued through what seemed a residential area with private houses, then onwards through Bastrop State Park, exiting there. Nice introduction to Buescher State Park. We'll return to hike in cooler weather.

If you want beauty and to unspoiled nature than this is the paddle ride for you! Whether you are a…read morekayaker or a canoer it will be equally enjoyable! We had a group of 3 canoes and this does take some planning so be prepared if you plan to do it without a river tour guide. We launched in at Plum Park On the Colorado which is a Park/Camping area. Please be cautious because this is all privately owned land so you can only pull out about 15 miles down the river at the public boat ramp in a park in LaGrange! There are islands to pull off on every now and then to eat lunch or use the bathroom which is going in the wild! I can't express how beautiful this trip was but, I did post some pictures for everyone to see. The canoeing is definitely slow on some parts of the river. The water ranges from moving shallow parts to very deep completely still water so, be prepared to paddle at least half of the way. There is also some rapids that are quick but, when the water is lower (like it was on our trip) there are boulders sticking out so be ready to maneuver quickly! There were also some shallow spots on both sides of islands in the middle which required pushing on the rocks with your paddles or getting out to pull the canoe through. There is plenty of wildlife on this river so, be cautious. We encountered herds of deer that were spooked by us and ran across the river, cows in the water in the shallow parts, longhorns and bugs. There was also a huge spider in our canoe and smaller ones as well from us running through a tree on accident when the rapids took us. I would recommend steering clear of all the trees as I am not a fan of spiders and took to smashing them with my oar! Be sure to stop paddling when the water is clear and look down to see a wide variety of fish swimming and clams! I would recommend you also make sure your canoe isn't too heavy and that you have the weight distributed property. Also, remember to bring an otter box or place all your items in plastic baggies that you do not want to get wet! I would also recommend bringing a garbage bag for your cans (don't bring bottles) just in case of a tip over so you don't littler the river unintentionally. I advise river shoes because the ground on the islands is like muddy clay and you will sink and sandals will sink worse than river shoes! The thing I wish I brought was a stadium cushion with a back on it. I had a folded towel on my seat but, by the end my back was killing me from not having support and paddling for 10 hours! At the end the ramp was not under water anymore but, paddle just past it and you can use the back in boat ramp to get off the river. At the end you will be hot, dirty, buzzed and sore and say you would never do it again but, you definitely will want to after you have a few days to rest!

Being in the customer service business myself, I appreciate AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE more than the…read moreaverage person. Amazing customer service from a fly fishing guide on a fly fishing trip in the heat of the summer you ask? Absolutely. Let me explain. All the fly fishing I have done has been in Colorado for trout, but I live in Texas and wanted to know how to fly fish for bass, sunfish, and gar on the San Marcos River where I own property. The folks at the Orvis Fly Shop strongly recommended Kevin and he did not disappoint. His knowledge of the river, the fish, and the skill set you need to fish the river are mind blowing. It would have taken me years of trial and error to learn what I learned from Kevin on a single day trip. For lunch, we set up under an ancient Cypress tree where Kevin broke out the portable chairs and a table. That was quickly followed by the BBQ chicken, three-bean salad, sliced fruit, and some ridiculously good brownies, all made by Kevin himself. You just can't beat that. After that, we worked our way down the river where Kevin continued to put me on fish and teach me what I needed to know. I lost track of how many fish we caught during the day but it was a lot. I even managed to hook a good-sized gar though I didn't set the hook hard enough to keep him on the line. Once we wrapped up the day I thanked Kevin for everything he had taught me during the day. He was more than gracious and thanked me by giving me a gift basket full of Hill Country Fly Fishers schwag. Who does that? Kevin does. What kind of schwag you ask? A Coca-Cola, two Hill Country Fly Fishers whiskey glasses, two travel bottles of whiskey, sunglasses float cord, a lens cloth, two koozies, peanuts, and a sunglass case. Now THAT is customer service. The overall experience was phenomenal and the customer service was even better. I'll rebook again and again when it cools off. If you're looking for a guide in the Austin/San Antonio area, this man is as good as it gets! Happy fishing!

Met Kevin for a day and a half trip on the San Marcos river. I had never touched a fly rod and…read moreKevin had me up and casting in a very short period of time. He is extremely patient, even as I caught tree after tree. I think he was as excited as I was each time I hooked a fish. I caught more than my share of the prized Guadalupe Bass. Kevin took care of every little detail and would not let me help him with anything, I was totally pampered all day. We stopped mid-day on a sand bar and ate a gourmet meal complete with red and white table cloth. If you are wanting to learn the sport, I cannot imaging any better way to be exposed than spending a day on the river with Kevin. I enjoyed it so much, the next day I went to Orvis and bought my first fly rod. He is a true professional.

Daughter loved the ninja course. My husband even tried it out. It was a great little stop before…read morelunch!

Small park in La Grange between the high school and the Colorado River. Perfect for a quick, quiet…read morewalk or just to stretch your legs.