Day tripping to Blanco State Park

Day tripping to Blanco State Park

Take a natural “shower” beneath the dam at Blanco State Park. Chris LeBlanc photo


I snuck off to Blanco State Park this morning, to dangle a toe in one of my favorite swimming rivers in the area.
The park, like all Texas State Parks, is currently operating under a reservation-only system. To get in, you’ve got to go online, reserve a slot in advance, and print out your registration forms (or save them on your smart phone).
I booked my spot two weeks ago. Other parks, such as Pedernales Falls State Park and Guadalupe River State Park, fill up even farther in advance. Face coverings are required inside all park buildings, and visitors must maintain a 6-foot distance from anyone not in their group.

Chris LeBlanc and Marcy Stellfox paddle standup paddle boards on the Blanco River. Pam LeBlanc photo

But officials are only filling parks to half capacity, which means once you get in, you’ll have plenty of space to spread out.
At Blanco, you can sign up for either a morning slot or an afternoon slot. We took a morning spot – which means you can arrive as early as 8 a.m., and stay until the park closes at 10 p.m. if you want – and encountered only a handful of folks on the east side of the park. (The west side is more popular with families and picnickers, but the west side has a better stretch for swimming, I think.)
We brought along paddleboards and swim goggles, and spent a few hours gliding up and down the river. It’s fun to play on the dam, too, where you can lean under a natural shower of water or jump off the top into the pooling green water below.
When you’re done, curl up on a towel beneath towering cypress trees and listen to the breeze ruffle through cottonwoods. Ducks waddle along shore, and a series of covered picnic tables makes a great spot for a meal. The 105-acre park hugs a mile-long stretch of river.
Admission to Blanco State Park, 101 Park Road 23, is $5 per person (free ages 12 and under), or free with a state parks pass. For more information, go to https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/blanco.
There’s plenty of room to spread out beneath the cypress and cottonwoods at Blanco State Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

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Big Bend National Park closed again

Big Bend National Park closed again

Visitors look out over Big Bend National Park while hiking the South Rim in fall 2018. Pam LeBlanc photo


Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River closed to the public this morning, after someone in the park’s residential community tested positive for COVID-19
Only park employees, residents and other authorized personnel will be allowed into the park. Through traffic is prohibited; Terlingua Ranch Road within the park’s boundaries is also closed.
The park is acting according to a COVID-19 operations plan developed alongside public health professionals, according to a press release.
“We are working closely with our state and local partners during this closure,” Big Bend National Park Superintendent Bob Krumenaker said in the press release. “Healthy NPS employees will continue to work behind the scenes, improving the condition of the park, with strict adherence to social distancing and safety protocols to assure their safety. We look forward to reopening the park, when the timing is right, as safely as possible.”
For the latest park status go to the Big Bend COVID-19 Updates Page.

Chris LeBlanc takes in the view from Mesa de Anguilla at Big Bend National Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

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Looking for a sweet creek to explore? Wade up Bull Creek

Looking for a sweet creek to explore? Wade up Bull Creek

Chris LeBlanc relaxes in Bull Creek. Pam LeBlanc photo

Most parks around Austin have reopened, but actually getting in one lately can feel like trying to get a reservation at the most popular restaurant in town.
Day-use slots fill up quickly at state parks. Barton Springs requires a reservation (unless you go between 6-8 a.m.) and the Barton Creek Greenbelt is too crowded for comfort.
So where have I been getting my dose of Mother Nature? Lately, the far reaches of Bull Creek.
I used to slosh through Bull Creek when I was 8 or 9 years old, once cut a massive gash in my foot there during a day camp and had to be carried out, and got engaged on its banks when I was 33. The key these days is walking far enough up the creek that your only company is the tiny frogs, nesting sunfish and giant spiders.
If you park along Winding Ridge Boulevard, just on the west side of Capital of Texas Highway (the park has multiple entrances), you can walk down to the creek and wade upstream a quarter of a mile. Even on a busy Saturday, you probably won’t find many others beyond the area closes to the road. Look closely – up on the right bank, you can see the rusting hulk of an old, old car. Keep going and you’ll find plenty of big boulders to climb. The rock skipping’s great. So’s the fish watching.
If you want to kayak or canoe, you can access West Bull Creek from Lakewood Drive just north of FM 2222. Be careful where you walk – most of the land along the road is private property, and it’s marked No Trespassing. But if you turn left along the guardrail and follow the narrow trail toward the FM 2222 bridge, you can get to the deeper part of the creek. Put in boats under the bridge and paddle downstream, toward the fire station and County Line restaurant. Or wade through shallow water for a cool hangout spot upstream. (Again, stay in the creek; don’t wander onto privately owned land.)

Pam LeBlanc paddles a canoe in a cove near Pennybacker Bridge, where Bull Creek opens into Lake Austin. Chris LeBlanc photo


Downstream, the creek widens and you’ll emerge into a large cove that opens onto Lake Austin near the Pennybacker Bridge.
We took our Alumacraft canoe there recently, and loved jumping in the water and practicing getting back in the boat in deep water. We also saw a snake, so keep an eye peeled.
You never know what you’ll find. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the area lately, and have spotted a turtle the size of a pecan, a heron hunting for food and lots of minnows. The best part? Stretching out in a Pam-sized rut carved into the limestone bed and reveling in the feeling of water rushing over my skin.
For more information about Bull Creek District Park, go to https://austinparks.org/bull-creek/.

Chris LeBlanc cools off in Bull Creek. Pam LeBlanc photo

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Someone is trashing the new one-way signs along the Butler Trail

Someone is trashing the new one-way signs along the Butler Trail

The Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail was converted to a one-way route last week. Photo courtesy The Trail Foundation

Not everyone agrees with the new temporary, one-way direction of the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.

The city of Austin Parks and Recreation Department converted the trail to a clockwise-only route last week, in an effort to minimize face-to-face contact among users.

Simple, right? Not that hard to follow, if you’re going to go against recommendations to steer clear of the trail during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Trail Foundation, the non-profit organization that maintains and enhances the 10-mile loop around Lady Bird Lake, spent $6,000 to make and install more than 300 signs noting the change. At the same time, the foundation has asked people to avoid the trail right now, because it’s difficult to maintain a 6-foot distance from other users at pinch points along the route.

Somebody has been removing and trashing the one-way direction signs installed on the trail. Photo courtesy The Trail Foundation

According to Trail Foundation counters, about 85 percent of trail users have heeded the one-way rule, which went into effect last week, but many of the directional signs have been reversed, ripped in half or left by the trash.

Come on, Austin, we’re better than this.

Now, foundation staff members are asking anyone who does use the trail to put back up any downed or misplaced signs. And remember, if you do use the trail, please wear a face covering.

“It’s been a struggle for us because it’s against our grain and mission to discourage people from coming. We love this place and it offers wonderful access to nature, but in this moment, it also presents some hazards,” said Heidi Anderson, CEO of The Trail Foundation.

Come on, Austin. We’re better than this.

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All Texas State Parks to close today

All Texas State Parks to close today

This from Texas State Parks this morning:

Marcy Stellfox relaxes during a hike at Devils River State Natural Area in 2017. Pam LeBlanc photo

Texas State Parks Temporarily Close to the Public

AUSTIN—At the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas State Parks will be closed to the public effective at the close of business Tuesday, April 7 in order to maintain the safest environment for visitors, volunteers and staff. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will continue to stay current with the latest public health recommendations and will announce when a definite reopening date has been determined.

“Given the myriad of challenges and heightened risks of operating the parks at this time, we believe this is the best course of action right now in order to meet the health and safety expectations the state has set out for the citizens of Texas,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of TPWD. “All state parks will remain temporarily closed until public health and safety conditions improve. During the closure, staff will continue to steward and care for the parks to ensure they can be immediately reopened to visitors at the appropriate time.”

Outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, biking, jogging, walking, hiking, wildlife viewing, and the like are essential activities for Texas citizens. TPWD will continue to do its part to actively encourage and promote these opportunities in ways that are safe and close to home, said Smith.

Through this trying time, TPWD has worked diligently to facilitate access to the outdoors across the state, including in the state park system, which hosted nearly 740,000 day and overnight visitors throughout the month of March.

Despite the implementation of increasingly restrictive visitor use measures to help minimize the transmission of COVID-19 at parks, TPWD has reached a point where public safety considerations of those in the parks, and in the surrounding communities, must take precedence over continued operations.  Difficulty in ensuring compliance with social distancing, problems in maintaining adequate supplies and keeping park facilities sufficiently sanitized are only a few of the challenges encountered by state park staff.

Marcy Stellfox naps in a hammock at Devils River State Natural Area. Pam LeBlanc photo

While parks are closed to the public, staff will be working to help maintain the standard upkeep, maintenance, stewardship, and continued regular cleaning of site facilities.

The Texas State Parks Customer Service Center is currently working toward contacting customers with upcoming overnight reservations to reimburse stays booked through the reservation system. Group and facility reservations have been cancelled until April 30. Cancelled reservations will not be charged normal administrative fees.

Day passes purchased through the reservation system, not associated to the Texas State Parks Pass, will also be refunded without penalties. The Texas State Parks Customer Service Center will automatically process cancellations of both overnight and day-use reservations. If your reservation is impacted by a facility or park closure, a Customer Service Center agent will contact you – you do not need to contact us. We are contacting customers in order of arrival date and appreciate your patience.

Questions regarding state park reservations can be emailed to customer.service@tpwd.texas.gov and general park information can be found at TexasStateParks.org

 

 

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