Colorado Bend State Park, Bend, Texas

We took a trip down to Colorado Bend State Park in the late fall and loved this park! It might be one of our new favorite places in Texas to visit.

About Colorado Bend State Park:

This park is about 2 hours away from Austin, Texas and has hiking, primitive camping, non-primitive camping, swimming, fishing, plenty of beautiful scenery, and (check the website for more details about availability) underground cave tours. It sits right along a bend in the Colorado River, hence the park name. The park has over 150 species of birds, many species of fish, and an abundance of other wildlife. It's highlight is Gorman Falls, a 70-foot tall waterfall tucked in a really beautiful ecotype of the river and the forest. You cannot swim, wade, or fish near the falls because of erosion and the sensitivity of the rocks and vegetation, but it is a really nice hike and is a great spot for pictures.

The park entrance fee is $5 per person 13 years or older. You can find more information about reservations and activities in the park here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/colorado-bend.

Hiking:

There about 38 miles of trails in the park and we hiked them all. It was sunny and very warm when we were there so we took advantage of any shady spots we could. We brought our backpacking packs, plenty of water, water filters in case we ran across more water, snacks, and extra backup gear.

Acadia loves the freedom of hiking off leash. Yeah, that's not good pet owner practice, but we have her leash tucked in her harness so we can easily grab it if we see someone nearby.

Pro tip: These Therm-A-Rest Sol sleeping pads are the best cushions for breaks. We try not to go on any long hikes without them. They really are perfect for laying out on any surface to keep your butt dry and safe from pokey sticks and rocks.

Photography:

Adam got his new camera right around the time we went to this park. He enjoyed taking pictures of the many waterfalls and flowing streams in the park. We saw many other nature and wildlife photographers out with their gear. We even ran into someone who was recording the sounds of the park. It was a super unique place to be.

Bathing/Swimming:

We had a backcountry campsite at the park, so we didn't have access to a full bathroom. No need to fear, we washed off in one of the tributary streams of the Colorado River. This area is part of the Spicewood Springs Trail. The trail crosses this stream multiple times and swimming is allowed. We brought our biodegradable Dr. Bronner's soap with us and air dried when we were all clean. Acadia did not like that she couldn't go swimming with us. She barked and cried until we both got out of the water.

This swimming adventure was nothing short of a comedy. The rock slopes down into the water here, making for a gentle submersion into the icy stream. That's what you would imagine at least... it's covered in mineral deposits from the rock and vegetative growth, leaving an incredibly slippery surface. Adam actually slid right down the rock and this is the aftermath of him finally finding a stable place to sit. Madi had an alright time getting in, but she could not get out of the water. She kind of beach-whaled herself and flopped around like a fish out of water until she could rock climb her way out. It was made all the more difficult by our laughter and Acadia's attempts to break free from her leash to come rescue me. We left that day with clean bodies and full hearts.