Happy Campers: Palmetto State Park

Ahh, nothing like a cold fall weekend in the woods to celebrate Thanksgiving. We left Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving, for a 2 night trip to Palmetto State Park. The park is just south of I-10 in between Luling and Gonzales. Luling is well known for BBQ and watermelon. Gonzales is known for its cannon and confrontational battle slogan. With all the natural gas pumps and truck stops, I was not so sure natural beauty was really to be found here. But thankfully I was wrong. Palmetto State Park is really a pleasant surprise. The park is located on the San Marcos River and also has a 4 acre lake. As you drive in on CR 261 the layout of the park may throw you off a bit. The road that goes right through the middle of the park and very close to the tent loop is not a park road. It is a public road and the tent loop is very close to the day use area. We were a little unsure as we pulled into site 40, but as the day use visitors left, the area became very peaceful. Also along the back of the loop there is a lot more privacy. Oxbow lake is only 4 acres (translation: not big), but is plenty big enough for fishing and canoeing. The park rents paddle boats, hydro bikes, canoes and fishing boats for much cheaper than Inks Lake or some of the other "lake" parks. There is a small fishing pier and a trail that goes all the way around the lake. In the summer, the lake is shallow enough to swim in. The tent loop has restrooms, but no showers. To get to the showers located in the RV loop, you follow a trail that takes you across the San Marcos River on a low water crossing. There is a road off CR 261 that takes you to that end of the park if you are driving. The view of the river is beautiful and in the summer, you can go tubing through there. But there was no tubing or swimming this weekend. The nights were cold, but the campfire was warm and the marshmallows toasty. We spent Saturday morning geocaching and hiking around the Ottine Swamp and palmetto interpretive loop. The trail passes by the water tower, built by the CCC in the 30's, that keeps the swamps alive and wet via a natural spring. The trees and plants here are so unlike anything else in the area. After lunch, Shawn and the kids went fishing while I hiked around the lake. I finally saw some of the birds I had been hearing when I spotted about a dozen cardinals hopping around the grasses and palmettos. I met up with them and we rented a paddle boat. Normally we prefer canoes, but the kids have been asking for a paddle boat experience. We saw a few deer, lots of birds, and at least 100 vultures. Natalie and I spied a woodpecker, but couldn't see close enough to identify it. Pretty sure it was a downy woodpecker based on size and coloring. Shawn caught a few sun fish, but nothing worth eating.
This was a beautiful park with lots of interesting hiking. The playground is great for small kids and the loops small enough for kids to ride bikes. We would definitely come back to this one again.