Palmetto State Park Transports Visitors To Another World

Just an hour east of San Antonio lies an otherworldly park that more closely resembles the tropics than the gently rolling hills of Central Texas.

“What really surprises most of our visitors is, they get off of the interstate and head into the park, and then they find the swamp. It’s like nothing they’ve ever seen before, and they can’t believe that they’ve never known about this,” says Nathan Reynolds, the park’s superintendent. “I like it being kind of quiet, kind of a word-of-mouth thing.”

Well, just between you and me, Palmetto State Park is definitely worth a trip. The park, named for its unusual proliferation of dwarf palmetto plants, is only 270 acres, but full of wonderful, unusual sights. When I visited early this spring, I wondered at tiny, mint-green praying mantises climbing the palmetto leaves, and sat peacefully on a rock in the middle of the San Marcos River, dangling my feet in the current.

“Palmetto is one of the smaller parks in our system, but we’ve got so much going on,” says Reynolds. “We’ve got fishing in our lake or in the river; we’ve got kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals; people can swim.”

The park also has around five miles of trails, winding through swamps and bottomland forest and tracing the banks of the park’s lake and river. “You can pretty much see all of the park in one afternoon, four hours of time or so, just depending on what your pace might be and what your activity is,” Reynolds says.

The park contains outstanding examples of architecture constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Perhaps the most stunning is the refectory, a huge communal building set a short walk from the river and made of local sandstone boulders so it seems to grow naturally out of the ground. “It’s something that we’re really proud of, and we try to take good care of it,” Reynolds says.
Next time you’re looking for a weekend destination or a beautiful day trip, head out to Palmetto for an immersive and unusual park experience. This year is an excellent time to visit; the park recently finished repaving its roads, and has more renovations planned, including adding showers to the lakeside campground. Reynolds advises visitors to make their reservations for camping months in advance, and to book day passes ahead of time as well. 

See the densest concentration of the park’s namesake dwarf palmettos, and learn about the geology and ecology of the park through excellent interpretive signage. The trail passes an old CCC-built water tower, which pumps water into a 1930s-era cistern and the surrounding wetlands.

Walk around the lake at this short trail near the campground, and stop and linger at the giant oak tree with its knees (or elbows?) dipping into the water. Keep an eye out for birds such as herons and kingfishers.

If you’re looking for a harder hike, you can string together several trails. This route showcases the different environments of the park, starting with the Ottine Swamp Trail, where boardwalks lead over the wetlands. Connect with the Mesquite Flats Trail through grassy woodlands, and take the San Marcos River Trail up into a hillier section overlooking the river.

The park has around 5 miles of mostly flat, well-maintained trails, which take you through ephemeral swamps, around lakes and along the San Marcos River.    

Get out on the water with a rental watercraft. Check with the front desk to confirm availability.

Experienced paddlers can put in at Luling City Park and take a six- to seven-hour trip to Palmetto. The river is bordered by private land, so put-in and take-out points are limited.

The park’s picturesque camping areas offer access to the park’s lake and river and are shaded by tall trees. Book early, because these sites tend to fill fast.

Cast a line in Oxbow Lake, which is stocked with Florida largemouth bass and channel catfish, plus rainbow trout in the winter. You can also catch carp, crappie and sunfish. Or, fish in the river for various species of bass, sunfish and channel catfish.

The park offers one cabin and 40 overnight campsites. Half of these are tent-only, and the other half have water and electricity for RVs. The campsites near Oxbow Lake are set in a beautiful glade of trees, and campers can fish from a pier in the lake, as well as a small fishing pond. On the other side of the park, another camping loop is just steps from the San Marcos River. A group camp, set within a bend in the river, sleeps 25.   

The Civilian Conservation Corps built this lovely communal space to harmonize with the natural surroundings. The sandstone boulders and Spanish moss-draped trees make it a beautiful spot for a photo.  

Dangle your feet above the blue-green San Marcos River at the park’s low-water crossing bridge.

Sit on the fishing pier of the park’s Oxbow Lake and watch the sun play off the water.