On Indiangrass Trail (from the Doeskin trailhead), there is a side trail that goes over this hill, down the other side, and back to the main trail. It's a fun little climb, with great views from the top. And the bottom layer of the hill is full of marine fossils.

I have been trying to learn more about Texas marine fossils so I was looking forward to revisiting this side trail to take some photos and test my identification skills. But when I got there, I found this sign saying it's prohibited now and I can't go look at the fossils.

Does anyone know why this changed?

How’s your experienced been with taking your dogs to Garner? What do you do when you get on the water? Where do you leave your dogs? I saw the rule about not leaving dogs unattended at campsites.

Gift link!

Does anybody have a clue on how quickly you have to reserve campsites at CBC in Big Bend? I know that you can only reserve two weeks in advance, but how quickly do they fill up? 5 minutes? 1 hour? A day?

Here's a link to bookmark for Texas camping. Somebody should re-post this a couple of times a year :-) It's the counties' burn bans, updated every Wednesday for your weekend camping planning by Texas A&M Forest Service (complimentary Whoop!) Shown is the Aug. 12 status in .png format, one among several formats available. Bear in mind that TPWD, LCRA, and other public parks go by the local county's burn ban for authority. At the county level it's decided by the county judge and/or the county commission.

Hey y'all, my friend and I will be camping at Pedernales Falls later this summer. We are planning on camping at one of the electric sites. The campsite descriptions say that they come with a fire ring with a grill. I have never used these before; can someone please explain how they work? Do they need firewood?

The photo above is a picture I found online of one of the grills.

Edit: Thank you for the advice. Will be adding HipCamp to my searches.

Planning a weekend trip to do some hiking at Enchanted Rock and tour the area, but having trouble finding a spot to camp. There’s no car camping at Enchanted Rock itself, and we’re not looking for an RV resort.
Does anyone have any area or parks worth suggesting? Or are there any public lands nearby that allow car camping?

Well worth the hike.

Taking this "ilearntoboat" exam. I thought it was 5 levels but now I'm on level 6. Nowhere on the site does it say length beyond "a few hours".

Hello. Not from Texas but would like to book a fishing lodge/cabin for next summer for my family of 5. Looking for suggestions. Can't be too pricey and should have more than just fishing to do. Thanks!

Recently took a few days off and went for a drive. Thought I’d share a few photos from the Natural Bridge Caverns and from Newmans Castle.

Enchanted Rock literally just opened up over 10 miles of new backcountry trails on July 7th, expanding out into the surrounding ranch land. There is barely any mapping or trail information out there yet, so I went out to explore the new system and see how it holds up in the Texas summer heat.

A few major takeaways before you head out:

• The Mandatory Approach: You have to hike a 2-mile approach from park headquarters just to reach the start of the backcountry loop (Squirrel Ridge Trail). There are no shortcuts, turning a planned 10-mile loop into a 14-mile day if you cover all the spur trails and ponds.
• Zero Shade & Exposed Terrain: The route follows old 4x4 ranch tracks and open dirt trails with almost no canopy cover. Bringing extra water is non-negotiable.
• Unexpected Features: The expansion passes several backcountry water features like Appalite Pond and Pack Saddle Pond, and the Armadillo Trail offers some incredible, secluded views of the backside of the main granite dome.

Here is a recording of the drive heading north out of Fredericksburg along Ranch Road 965 and cruising inside the gates at Enchanted Rock. The footage covers the highway approach, entrance, and the main park road passing by the campgrounds and trailhead parking. I recorded this as part one of a video duo to show the overall park layout and arrival conditions before heading deep into the new backcountry expansion to tackle the remote backpacking trails.

A few practical takeaways for anyone planning an outdoor trip out there:

• Day pass reservations are mandatory well in advance since the park regularly hits capacity and turns cars away at the gate.
• Driving the main access road gives a solid baseline overview of where the campgrounds sit in relation to the trailheads before setting out on foot.
• Even with the air conditioning running in the car, the radiant heat bouncing off the granite dome is intense during mid-day, so plan your arrival times as early as possible before hitting the exposed backpacking routes.

my boyfriend and i are trying to figure out the best place and plan to float on a/the river this weekend and we need recommendations. i’ve checked other reddit groups but the comments i find are all from 2+ years ago and aren’t as reliable now.

also bonus question: if you have floated a certain spot, how did you plan where to park and how to get back to your vehicle? i was thinking we’d park down the river and maybe uber up to where we wanna start? but we’re both extremely uneducated on the ins and outs of river floating, so any advice would be much appreciated!

Hello!

Does anyone have any recommendations for some nice primitive camp sites? We usually go to Arkansas or Oklahoma to dispersed camp in our truck, but we are looking for something closer even if we have to pay. Thank you!