"Guadalupe River State Park" by Stephen Rah , zero/1.0
Guadalupe RiverInterpretive Guide |
Interpretive Guide of Guadalupe River State Park (SP) in Texas. Published by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
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BEYOND THE RIVER
While at the park be sure to “take another look” at the
children’s Discovery Center. This hands-on facility
provides children and adults alike the opportunity to
explore skins, skulls, skeletons while interactive exhibits
reveal fascinating details of the park’s flora and fauna.
Be sure to check out a backpack to continue your
exploration along the trails.
INTERPRETIVE GUIDE
STEWARDSHIP OF THE PARK
Undeveloped land such as Guadalupe River State Park and
Honey Creek State Natural Area are becoming increasingly
rare. Rapid development continues to destroy and fragment
habitat in the surrounding area. Changes in recreation patterns
and increased numbers of visitors have placed these precious
resources at risk.
An important step toward ensuring the future of this site is to
appreciate and gain a better understanding of it. We encourage
you as a visitor and user of this sensitive area to join us in this
effort.
• Educate yourself about the wonderful natural resources
by attending regular weekend programs for families and
children, including the Saturday morning Honey Creek
hike, night hikes, stargazing, geocaching and much more.
• Protect the natural and historical resources of the area by
staying out of closed areas.
• Learn more about German settlement and land management as well as natural resources in the Texas Hill Country.
• Stay on designated trails to further reduce impacts.
• Help keep the area clean by not littering, and take nothing
but photographs when you leave.
• Become a volunteer, join the Friends of Guadalupe River
State Park and Honey Creek State Natural Area, or help by
making a monetary donation.
Guadalupe River SP and Honey Creek SNA
3350 Park Road 31, Spring Branch, TX 78070
(830) 438-2656 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/guadaluperiver/
Friends of Guadalupe River State Park/
Honey Creek State Natural Area:
www.friendsofgrhc.org
GUADALUPE
R IIVER
VER
STATE PARK AND HONEY
CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA
CREAMY LIMESTONE CLIFFS AND
TOWERING CYPRESS TREES GRIP
THE BANKS OF A SEEMINGLY LAZY
AND DOCILE RIVER TO CREATE
THE FOCAL POINT OF GUADALUPE
RIVER STATE PARK. THIS IDYLLIC
SETTING IS THE ONLY DEVELOPED
UPPER GUADALUPE, ONE OF THE
MOST SCENIC RIVER SECTIONS IN
TEXAS.
YET THERE IS SO MUCH
MORE TO GUADALUPE RIVER
STATE
PARK
THAN
THE
BEAUTIFUL RIVER. LEAVE THE
CROWDS BEHIND AND DISCOVER
BEAUTIFUL PARK.
TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender,
pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone
(TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and
Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.
This publication can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/park-pubs
Between headquarters and the river, seven miles of trails
wind through grasslands and savannahs once dominated
by impenetrable stands of second-growth Ashe juniper.
Today you’ll encounter a diverse assemblage of wildflowers
including antelope horns milkweed, an important host
plant for monarch butterflies. Eastern bluebirds, vermilion,
and scissor-tailed flycatchers, along with painted buntings
galore nest in these restored habitats.
PUBLIC ACCESS POINT TO THE
OTHER WONDERS OF THIS
© 2022 TPWD. PWD BR P4505-040G (7/22)
Speaking of trails, there are more than 13 miles of
hiking trails, including six miles on the Bauer Unit,
located across from the day use area. Home to our largest
population of the golden-cheeked warbler, trails at the
Bauer Unit wind through a mix of grasslands, oak
woodlands and stands of old-growth Ashe junipers.
The Discovery Center
offers hands-on
experiences for youth
and adults.
R I V E R
S T A T E
P A R K
A N D
H O N E Y
C R E E K
S T A T E
N A T U R A L
A R E A
HO N E Y C REEK S NA
RESPECTING THE RIVER
The Guadalupe is a true Texas
river, flowing entirely within the
state. The 2.75-mile portion within
the park is wild, rugged and
untamed by dams. Respect is
required; river
conditions can
change instantly
since the river flows
free and is subject to
intense flash flooding.
A
Enjoy this beautiful protected area by joining our weekly
Saturday morning guided walk. Beginning at the historic
Rust house, you’ll learn both cultural and natural history
as you pass through restored grasslands and old-growth
Ashe juniper, your walk culminating at the breathtaking
creek. Occasional night hikes are also offered to enjoy
the tranquility of the night along the stream’s bank.
Along the way, you may hear the steady clicking of the
Blanchard’s cricket frog, the distinctive call of the
barred owl or catch the on-and-off twinkling of fireflies.
“The mountains are cedar bedecked, the valleys
contain delightful prairies with occasional groves
of trees of ten or twelve varieties of oaks.”
C. Hugo Claus (c. 1875), description of the
Cibolo and Guadalupe River Valley
The river is a ribbon of life providing
a healthy ecosystem for wildlife as well as
people. Its watershed is a major artery of fresh
water for central Texas cities, industry, agriculture
and recreation. Despite recognition of the river’s water quality
and scenery, overuse threatens its flow. In 2002 the national nonprofit conservation organization American Rivers ranked the
Guadalupe River as one of the top 10 most endangered rivers in
the United States. Please demonstrate respect for this precious
Texas resource through safe and responsible use of the river.
KNOWING THE PAST HELPS
US PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
The fresh, clean, cool waters of the Guadalupe River have been
the life force for the plants animals and humans using this area for
over 12,000 years. Prehistoric people walked the river’s edge you
are walking now. They saw the same cliffs and likely enjoyed the
river and its natural beauty as they hunted, fished, gathered and
processed plant resources.
In recent years, TPWD has actively worked to restore several
hundred acres of savannah-like grasslands similar to those prior
to European settlement 200 years ago. Prescribed burns now
maintain this community, providing new habitat for a host of
flora and fauna, including the golden-cheeked warbler.
Spanish explorers discovered these wonders in the early 1700s,
but it was over 100 years before European immigrants, mostly
German, began to settle here. Their journals and letters described
vast prairies, wildfires and migrating bison herds. These grasslands
appeared to be an endless supply of food for domestic livestock.
But the suppression of fire, fragmentation by fencing, and overgrazing by increasing numbers of cows and goats, decimated the
very resource that had attracted the settlers. As a result, native
Ashe juniper woodlands (cedar) became the dominant habitat.
Recognizing how past cultures used the land, and the results that
followed, can help us develop preservation plans for future sustainability. Every visitor – past, present or future – leaves a mark
on the face of the resource that is Guadalupe River State Park.
CRAIG HENSLEY
djacent to the park is Honey Creek State
Natural Area, home to the spring-fed, pristine
and fragile Honey Creek, lined with centuryold bald cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss.
Adjacent woodlands are home to stands of dwarf
palmetto, red buckeye, sycamore, ash and walnut.
Water lily-like leaves of spadderdock float on the creek’s
surface, providing shelter to a rich diversity of aquatic
organisms. Each spring, the distinctive, buzzy spring
song of the golden-cheeked warbler announces its
return while the loud rattle call of the belted kingfisher
reverberates up and down the creek throughout the year.
Untamed by dams,
the river is subject
to flash flooding,
which can reach
above the cliff tops.
The Nature of the Guadalupe
One of the most compelling attributes of the park is its
ecological diversity. The drive from the park headquarters
to the river exposes wide-ranging habitats. Initially, moving
through uplands of classic Texas Hill Country, notice
the open grasslands scattered with oak mottes. Closer
inspection reveals many species of grasses and wildflowers.
Stands of thick Ashe juniper become dominant on steep
rock slopes and valleys of the park, providing welcome
shade to hikers and campers. Humidity increases near the
river. This riparian habitat, where water meets land, is
home to the highest concentration of wildlife.
USFWS/STEVE
MASLOWSKI
The diverse plant life provides habitat to many
invertebrates, fish and mammals, as well as over 240
species of birds that call this park home. Rare and
endangered species survive at the park, including the
Cagle’s map turtle, Guadalupe bass, golden-cheeked
warbler, and the Comal blind salamander. The
diverse mammal populations provide excellent
opportunities for wildlife viewing. The nature of
Guadalupe awaits your discovery and appreciation.
CRAIG HENSLEY
G U A D A L U P E