jenna

I ran into this site and found it extremely helpfull. I want to take my daughter (12) somewhere for spring break next week. We have been to Big Bend several times and love it. Problem------dont have the time to drive that far and no rooms available. Last spring break it was cold like a mother and don't want to camp there again this time of year. Anways, can someone suggest a park within 5 hrs of San Antonio, that has somewhere to swim, horsebackriding and trails and of course real pretty. Also, hopefully somewhere that has area attractions or historic district for her. I know I might not find one to meet all criteria but most would be great. I have heard a lot about Brazos State park.....obviously no swimming but what else it there to do than see the gators. Can you camp in that park? Any suggestions would be great......Jenna

Shannon

Yes, there are numerous campsites at Brazos Bend State Park as well as an observatory, hiking and nature trails, bird observation tower(s) and plenty of paved roads for bicycling.

To manage your expectations a bit -- any park you can secure campsite reservations at for Spring Break is going to be a solid contender. Everyone ends up wanting to camp during the same two to three week period of the year, it seems (and with such wonderful weather, it's hard to find fault there!)

We could recommend any number of parks only for you to discover the campsites are already booked. For example, the busiest state park in Texas, Garner State Park and the second busiest, Inks Lake State Park might both be right up your alley, but they also may be a challenge to get reservations for -- depending on how soon Spring Break begins for your daughter. I suggest calling the Texas State Parks central reservation line at 512/389-8900 (9 AM to 8 PM Monday through Friday, 9 AM to noon on Saturdays) for availability information.

As for horseback riding, here's a complete list of Texas State Parks with equestrian trails. Most state parks in Texas don't include horseback riding trails, but a couple that do are quite close to San Antonio -- Guadalupe River State Park and Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera. Hill Country SNA is a primitive park with no restrooms, potable water or other amenities, so it may not suit your needs -- it does have over 30 miles of hiking trails, however! I just camped at Guadalupe River SP last weekend and the river is doing great, the trails are greening up and there's a good variety of campsites available (though, again, these are/will fill up quickly!)

Hope this helps!

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com
http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal

jenna

Shannon thanks for the reply......our spring break is next week. If no camp sites we would stay at a motel since I need to study for my upcoming examines anyways. Does Brazo and Garner Park have towns close by with motels and places to eat? We don't want to rough it too much this time.....I just want to take her somewhere for a few days. What about Lake Livingston have you been there and any good reviews? Thanks

Shannon

I haven't been to Lake Livingston, yet, but several of the Wild Texas regulars have been and may be able to provide some general info.

There are rental cabins in Leakey, Texas, that you might check availability on if you find Garner is full next week. Leakey's about 26 minutes away from Concan (city where Garner's located), though that distance is from city center to city center, so actual travel time may be shorter. Justin and I stayed at one of the Leakey cabins in October -- 49 Romeo "Fly-Inn". I know of at least one other cabin in the area, also: Comanche Camp.

As for Brazos Bend, you could stay in Clear Lake (Houston), and there might be something closer. When not camping at Brazos Bend (we have done so twice), we stay in Clear Lake since it permits easy access to not only Brazos Bend, but also the Armand-Bayou Nature Center in Clear Lake (an awesome city nature preserve), as well as Galveston Island State Park and area attractions (Space Center Houston, Moody Gardens, San Jacinto Monument, etc.)

I should note that Brazos Bend SP, Garner SP and Inks Lake SP all have hundreds of campsites so don't assume they're all booked -- I just didn't want to raise false hopes in the event all sites are already spoken for. I know how frustrating it can be to have a trip all planned out mentally, only to discover logistically it's impossible, either due to unavailable campsites or other factors.

Let me know if I can provide any other guidance. I'm sure someone else will chime in with their thoughts and advice. Hope you have an awesome Spring Break with your daughter!

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com
http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal

kai

Jenna- I'm personally partial so Pedernales Falls S.P.- its up near Johnson city (the park is about 10 miles from the town). I find the area completely captivating. There is at least one rental cabin place closer to the park, on Texas 3232- but I forget the name of it. I've never stayed there, but I just passed it last weekend. The park offers horse back riding trails, hiking trails, camping, swimming (in the river, which is still kind of chilly this time of year- I waded in last weekend, but that was enough for me), and a wonderful rocky waterfall area to climb over and all around on. Its very scenic. I've been mountain biking up there before, which was great, and last weekend I saw people riding their bikes on the park roads as well. Its probably my favorite park close to San Antonio- it takes about an hour and a half or so to get to, but its worth the trip, especially if you are looking to stay over night. I don't get up there as much as I would like- I hate driving back all tired out.

Good luck finding a place to go- it seems like there are several good options to choose from.