All the tips and reasons you should visit Palmetto State Park located between Austin and San Antonio, Texas.
Palmetto State Park is a small park that offers a lot of fun located in central Texas between Austin and San Antonio. We felt like we had gone back in time to the dinosaur era. The state park has both land and water fun options available. Be sure to find the park’s namesake – dwarf palmettos during your visit. Visiting is definitely a bucket list item and you can see more items on my Texas bucket list here.
If you are driving from Austin to Palmetto State Park, I highly recommend stopping in Lockhart on the way home. Lockhart is the official Barbecue Capital of Texas.
What to do at Palmetto State Park
Hiking Trails
With miles of hiking and biking trails available in Palmetto State Park, there is something for everyone. There are trails around the lake and along the river. The best place to see the dwarf palmettos is on the Palmetto Interpretive Trail, which is a short trail – only 0.3 miles. We combined the Ottine Swamp Trail (1 mile) with the Mesquite Flats Trail (1.1 miles) which also crossed at the Palmetto Interpretive Trail.
Swimming
You can swim, tube, and canoe at Palmetto State Park at Oxbow Lake, the artesian well, or the San Marcos River.
The state park does rent through Paddle EZ one and two-person kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.
Fishing
You can go fishing on the San Marcos River or in Oxbow Lake, which has a fishing pier. The state park has fishing equipment that can be loaned out. And you do not need a license to fish from shore in a Texas state park. This makes a Texas state park the perfect place to try out your fishing skills.
Camping
There are 17 RV sites and 19 tent sites at Palmetto State Park. The park also has one cabin that can be rented.
Tips for Visiting
- Be cautious of the chance of flash flood on the river.
- Bring plenty of water, hats/sunglasses, and sunscreen.
- If you plan to swim or cool off in the river, bring water shoes.
- Central Texas is extremely hot during the summer, I highly recommend you hike early in the day or save your hiking for fall/winter/spring.
- Texas State Parks and Natural Areas are utilizing a park pass reservation system currently. Due to the popularity of Palmetto, day passes and camping reservations for the weekends/holidays fill up well in advance so be sure to book your park pass/reservation early.
Have you visited Palmetto State Park?
