Palmetto State Park
Palmetto State Park is one of our favorites for stargazing, reconnecting with nature, and relaxing. The park has the San Marcos River cutting through it, a four-acre lake for fishing, and easy, accessible hiking trails. The swampy ecosystem in some parts of the park, along with the dwarf palmettos, makes it feel especially unique. It’s somewhat secluded, which helps you feel more connected with the surrounding nature, and it’s small enough that you can slow down, relax, and enjoy all the park has to offer. Palmetto is clearly a special gem of a state park, but you should honestly see it for yourself.
Dwarf Palmettos are the park’s namesake
Location
Gonzales, TX
Palmetto State Park is about an hour south of Austin and an hour east of San Antonio. While it’s fairly close and accessible from those two major cities, it’s far enough away that you feel like you’re getting away and can enjoy a sky with little light pollution.
From Austin- 56 mi (1 hour)
From DFW- 262 mi (4 hours)
From Houston- 142 mi (2.5 hours)
From San Antonio- 64 mi (1 hour)
Accommodations
Electric/Water Campsites
Water-only Campsites
Group Camping
Cabins
Palmetto is not a large state park and has 36 campsites available for reservation. The electric campsites are near the river and the majority of the park’s hiking trails. Some of the water-only campsites are right off Oxbow Lake (sites 20–24), which is great if you’re looking to fish or simply sit by the water and enjoy the view. There is also a cabin available to rent right off the lake. We have stayed in both the electric/water campground and the water-only campground, and both are nice. You may feel close to your neighbors at times, though.
Vibes
Swimming, Fishing, and More
One of the main attractions of Palmetto State Park is having access to the beautiful San Marcos River. You can spend a day out on the river swimming, kayaking, or paddleboarding. The park offers kayak and paddle-board rentals through Paddle EZ, which seems to be a fairly simple process, but we haven’t personally used them. While we haven’t taken the time to enjoy the river in these ways (yet), one of my favorite activities during our visits to the park was finding a quiet place to sit and enjoy the view of the river. That’s enough for me on most camping trips.
You can fish in the river of course, but the park also has a four-acre lake within the park boundaries, Oxbow Lake, that is stocked for fishing as well. According to the TPWD website, they even have some fishing equipment available for loan.
Trails
While there isn’t as much hiking in Palmetto compared to some state parks, the trails are unique and offer plenty in terms of scenery. I like that you can manageably complete just about every trail in the park in a weekend, so you really feel like you can get to know the park and take time to relax and enjoy the views. I would especially recommend the trails listed below.
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1.0 mi
Moderate
I really enjoyed the scenery on this hike. We’ve never been to the park after a good rainy season, so I’ve never seen it look truly swampy, but I feel like this trail best shows off the unique vibes of Palmetto.
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1.3 mi
Moderate
This trail is listed as moderate on the TSP website, but all the trails in the park were pretty easy (flat, level, and short), in my opinion. The trail loops along parts of the San Marcos River for some beautiful views, and you can use it to connect to other trails if you want to extend your hike.
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0.7 mi
Easy
This is an easy trail that loops around the small, four-acre lake in the park. It’s a pretty hike with a chance of seeing some wildlife, especially birds.
Ottine Swamp Trail in November 2020
Nature
I know all state parks typically offer nature—I mean, that’s kind of the whole point. But Palmetto really offers something special. As I said before, even with it being so convenient to the San Antonio and Austin areas, it’s far enough away that everything quiets down, and you truly feel like you’re out in nature. The wildlife, the wind blowing through the trees, and the sound of the flowing river are the loudest things in the park, and I really appreciate that.
The park’s ecosystem is so unique that you really feel like you’ve gotten away—not just from the city, but to a strange, new place. Ethan says that Palmetto has Jurassic Park vibes, and I have to agree. The closest thing to a dinosaur you’d see, though, would be an alligator. We’ve never seen one, and I’m not so sure they’re even there, but there are some signs that warn of it. The swampy areas and extensive water sources make it plausible, but I’d rather ignore those facts.
Lastly, when the sun goes down, nature really takes over as the sounds grow louder and the skies reveal the stars above. The stars at night are truly notable and something I’ll never forget from my experience at Palmetto.
Additional Palmetto Need-to-Knows
Palmetto is quiet, secluded, and unique!
There is construction going on from January 26, 2025 to February 28, 2025 going on and half the park will be closed, so I would recommend planning a trip before or after that.
There are snakes and possibly even alligators in the park, according to signs, so be aware of your surroundings—especially in the swampy areas.
The park is fairly small with only 36 campsites, so it may be best to book reservations in advance.
Palmetto is less than an hour from San Marcos and New Braunfels, making those spots great for a day trip if you’re looking for a little more to do.
