State & National Parks
Check it out. The Hill Country is full of surprises. There are eight plus State and National Parks in our area alone. All within an hour drive of the Blanco Luxury Inn & Suites here in beautiful Blanco Texas. So if it is outdoor hiking, swimming, boating, bird watching, rock climbing, horse back riding and / or good ole country picnics & BBQ's, yes you have come to the right place. For further information on each State or National Park click on the picture icon left of the description of each park.
Want an outdoor experience with a local flavor? Blanco State Park is perfect for you! Situated within the town of Blanco, the state park offers a quiet getaway with all the comforts of home nearby. Let us bring the gear, you bring the family!
Activities: Activities include camping; swimming; picnicking; hiking; nature study; boating (electric motors only); and fishing. Tube, canoe and kayak rentals are available at the park. Annual Events: Blanco Classic Car Show - 3rd Saturday in May.
Canyon Lake spreads out among the steep-shouldered evergreen hills of the Hill Country. With 8,240 sparkling surface acres of water and a maximum depth of 120 feet, in addition to the 84 miles of shoreline, the lake offers a wide variety of activities for water enthusiasts. Dotted along the shoreline are campgrounds, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cabins and lodges. The predominant fish species include, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Guadalupe bass, catfish, white bass, and striped bass. You will also find black bass, carppie and an occasional walleye.
The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres. It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States.
Tonkawa Indians believed ghost fires flickered at the top, and they heard weird creaking and groaning, which geologists now say resulted from the rock's heating by day and contracting in the cool night. A conquistador captured by the Tonkawa described how he escaped by losing himself in the rock area, giving rise to an Indian legend of a "pale man swallowed by a rock and reborn as one of their own."
Guadalupe River State Park is located along the boundary of Comal and Kendall Counties. It was acquired by deed from private owners in 1974 and was opened to the public in 1983. The park is bisected by the clear-flowing waters of the Guadalupe River. The park is comprised of a 1938.7-acre segment of the Texas Hill Country noted for its ruggedness and scenic beauty. The park has 4 miles of river frontage and is located in the middle of a 9-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River. Park visitors may enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including canoeing, fishing, swimming, tubing, picnicking, hiking, and camping.
Our earliest records indicate that the Comanche Indians were the first to use the cavern. They came in about 400 years or so before anyone else did.
In more recent history, the cavern was used as a Confederate stronghold where gunpowder was manufactured in secret during the Civil War. The cavern is also rumored to have been the hideout of Sam Bass, a legendary Texas outlaw. Longhorn Cavern is one of the few river-formed caverns in Texas.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th President beginning with his ancestors until his final resting place on his beloved LBJ Ranch. This entire "circle of life" gives the visitor a unique perspective into one of America's most noteworthy citizens by providing the most complete picture of an American president.
On August 27, 2008 the Texas White House was officially opened to the public. Find out what you need to know if you are planning a trip to the LBJ Ranch.
The park's location is historically significant since it is in the heart of the former President's home country. The area has been influenced by three major cultures: Native Americans, Spanish and German.
Activities: Visitors to this day-use park can enjoy historical study, picnicking, nature study, fishing, swimming and view Texas longhorn cattle. The abundant wildlife of the Hill Country is highlighted by enclosures containing buffalo, longhorn, and white-tailed deer. These animals have played a part in the park's history and the local wildlife continues to be an important attraction for visitors. The park is famous for its spring wildflower display.
Pedernales Falls is the park's main attraction and may be viewed from a scenic overlook at the north end of the park. In this area, the elevation of the river drops about 50 feet over a distance of 3000 feet, and the cascading falls are formed by the flow of water over the tilted, stair-step effect of layered limestone. These river limestones belong to the 300-million-year-old Marble Falls formation and are part of the southwestern flank of the Llano uplift. These layers of limestone were tilted by the uplift, then eroded long before early Cretaceous seas of the 100-to-120 million years ago covered this part of Texas and deposited sands, gravels, younger limestones, and marine fossils.
