Whether you live near Lake LBJ area or are just a traveling lake enthusiast, you're going to have to face it: you can't stay in the water forever. Sooner or later, you'll need to stretch your legs and soak up some of the Texas Hill Country's beautiful and rugged landscapes. These five state and national parks are located within an hour's drive of Horseshoe Bay and provide excellent opportunities to view wildlife, camp out under the stars, and hike your cares away:
1. Longhorn Cavern State Park
Longhorn Cavern State Park is located just 25 minutes from Horseshoe Bay. As a former secret hideout for outlaws and one of the only river-formed caves in Texas, Longhorn Cavern is guaranteed to interest everyone from geological and history buffs to regular folks who are just curious to explore. In addition to its standard daily cave tours, which run every hour between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the park offers a variety of specialized tours, including: the Wild Cave Tour, the Geology Tour, the Backbone Ridge Nature Trail Tour, the Photography Tour, and the Paranormal Tour.
6211 Park Road 4S Marble Falls, TX 78654. 830-598-2283. Adults $11, Teens & Seniors $10, Kids $6. Open daily dawn to dusk; office 9 a.m. Map. Website.
2. Inks Lake State Park
Situated 30 minutes north of Horseshoe Bay, Inks Lake State Park is a favorite natural getaway among lake-loving Texans like yourself. Besides having standard state park amenities, such as campgrounds and water activities, Inks Lake also houses an impressive 7.5 miles of hiking trails through forests and across the Hill Country's characteristic limestone bluffs. There are even several seasonal waterfalls!
3630 Park Road 4 W, Burnet, TX 78611. 512-793-2223. Adults $6 (Overnight $5), Kids free. Open daily dawn to dusk; office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Map. Website.
3. Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
Balcones Canyonlands is a national wildlife refuge due east of Marble Falls, about 35 minutes from Horseshoe Bay. Besides protecting vital prairie and canyonland habitat, the spacious park shelters nearly 400 native bird, mammal, amphibian, and reptile species. There are even some endangered species living in the park, such as the black-capped vireo and the golden-cheeked warbler, so keep your eyes open for wildlife as you hike!
24518 FM 1431 Marble Falls, TX 78654. 512-339-9432. Free. Open daily dawn to dusk; office Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Map. Website.
4. Pedernales Falls State Park
Pedernales Falls is a beautiful hill country state park that is located 40 minutes southeast of Horseshoe Bay. With its 14 miles of hiking trails, its shaded campgrounds, and its cypress and limestone-lined natural swimming holes, you really can't go wrong spending a weekend at Pedernales. While you're in the area, you might also consider visiting Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve, which features a mile-long hiking trail down to one of the best natural swimming holes in Texas.
2585 Park Road 6026, Johnson City, TX 78636. 830-868-7304. Adults $6, Kids free. Open daily dawn to dusk. Map. Website.
5. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Enchanted Rock should be on every Texan's must-see list. There's really nothing like hiking up onto a gigantic pink granite dome in time to watch the sun sink below the horizon. The park is located 50 minutes west of Horseshoe Bay, but it's well worth the drive. Besides camping, hiking, backpacking, and birdwatching, Enchanted Rock has some of the best rock climbing around and it even houses its own little Mexican free-tailed bat colony.
16710 Ranch Rd. 965, Fredericksburg, TX 78624. 830-685-3636. Adults $7, Kids free. Open daily dawn to dusk; office Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Map. Website.
Whether you live near Lake LBJ or are just visiting for a brief time, all five of these state and national parks are guaranteed to boost your level of love and admiration for the Texas Hill Country and give you the nature fix that you'll need to make it through your next long work week in the office.
Happy trails!
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Photo credits in order of use: Longhorn Caverns State Park, Flickr user Geoff Sloan. Inks Lake State Park, Flickr user Anne Worner. Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Flickr user USFWS / Matthew High. Pedernales Falls State Park, Flickr user Nick M. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Flickr user Timothy J. Used under Creative Commons license.