By Danno Wise
Texas Travel Expert, about.com
Located along the Colorado River north west of Austin, Colorado Bend State Park is one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in Texas. This is due largely to the vast array of outdoor recreational activities available within the park, coupled with the park’s unique setting and relatively close proximity to the city of Austin. A partial list of the outdoor recreational activities to be found within Colorado Bend State Park includes hiking, camping, fishing, birding, mountain biking, caving, swimming and paddling. And, in addition to these activities, the scenery is second to none, particularly the spectacular Gorman Falls.
A relatively “young” state park,
Colorado Bend State Park was opened in 1987 on the site of the former
Gorman and Lemons ranches on the Colorado River above Lake Buchanan. The
park’s signature feature, Gorman Falls is located on the western bank
of the Colorado River and is formed by the flow of Gorman Creek feeding
into the Colorado River.
[post_ads]Due to the unique and fragile nature of the
aquatic ecosystems found in Gorman Creek just above the 60-foot
waterfall, no swimming, fishing or wading is allowed in that specific
area. However, those activities can be enjoyed in plenty are areas
elsewhere in the park and just viewing the impressive Gorman Falls is
usually well worth the trip. There are two ways to visit Gorman Falls.
One is on an unguided, three-mile round-trip hike over fairly rugged
terrain along the Gorman Falls Trail. The other is on one of the parks
guided Gorman Falls Tours. These tours last around two hours and involve
a one-and-a-half mile hike.
In addition to the Gorman Falls Tours, Colorado Bend State Park
offers guided “Wild Cave Tours.” The caves in Colorado Bend State Park
are only open to guided tours, so anyone interested in caving should
call ahead and make a reservation on one of the Wild Cave Tours. But,
those hoping to go on a cave tour should be warned that many of the areas are tight and require crawling or sliding through small openings.
And, anyone going on a cave tour should expect
to get dirty and possibly wet. But, those who are up for it can
experience a very unique outdoor experience by participating in a Wild
Cave Tour.
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But, not all activities within Colorado Bend State Park
require a guide. There are more than 35 miles of trails within the
park, open to hikers and mountain bikers. The three main trails are
Spicewood Springs, Gorman Falls and River. For hikers who wish to spend
more than one day on the trail, primitive backpack campsites are
available. Park staff is also available to help hikers plan their route
to take advantage of the various trails, activities and landmarks.
Water sports are also popular at Colorado Bend State Park. The
park has six miles of river frontage along the Colorado River, as well
as Spicewood Springs Creek which flows through the park and into the
Colorado. Spicewood Springs Creek has several swimming and wading areas
along its length. The Colorado River itself offers plenty of access for
swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing
and boating. There is a boat ramp within the park, as well as kayak
rentals. Kayaking is almost always an option, while boating (and use of
the boat ramp) is reliant on the lake level of Lake Buchanan. When the
lake is at normal level, the ramp is open and the river is navigable to
the lake. When the lake is low, the ramp is often closed and many areas
of the river are too shallow for boats with outboard motors.
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