Hill Country

Hill Country SNA https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/hill-country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_Country_State_Natural_Area Hill Country State Natural Area preserves rugged, relatively pristine Hill Country terrain in Bandera County, Texas. Since the site is designated "Natural Area" rather than a "State Park", the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's first priority is the maintenance and preservation of the property's natural state. Accordingly, facilities are purposely somewhat primitive and recreational activities may be curtailed if the TPWD deems it necessary to protect the environment.

For assistance using this map, contact the park. Hill Country Ask for a TRAIL MAP for detailed trail information. Trail locations here are for reference only. State Natural Area /hillcountrystatenaturalarea TexasStateParks.org/App #TexasStateParks TexasStateParks.org/SocialMedia LEGEND To F.M. 1077 & Bandera Par k Par k Bou nda ry nda ry Pa r d k Headquarters Bo un Restroom da ry Toilet Group Lodge rm its Hermits 21 4 3 Wes t Ver Creek de 218 217 15 Bo und ary 6 21 2 Merrick Mile Trail de Creek West Ver Private Road 123 W. Verde Creek Camp Area Comanche Bluff Camp Area Bandera Creek Wilderness Camp Area Hill • Trails and backcountry campsites may be closed for resource protection following wet weather events. Please contact the natural area for the latest information. am • Please do not leave trash in park – carry out what you pack in. Cre • Equine must have proof of a negative EIA (Coggins) test within the past 12 months. The form VS 10-11 is proof of testing. Ice • Hikers and bikers MUST yield to horses. Hike, bike or ride only on designated trails. POND • It is illegal to disturb, collect or remove fossils, artifacts, plants or animals from public lands. ks Hollow ry Spanish Oa PLEASE NOTE nda To RR 462 & Tarpley Park B Scenic Overlook Residence Double Track (Hike, Bike, Horse Trails) Park Boundary Single Track Trail Courtesy Fence Line Yield To ound ary As a State Natural Area, the primary focus of this site is the preservation of the natural environment. Please help us ensure that this special place is not only enjoyed today, but also enjoyed for many generations to come. 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. © 2023 TPWD PWD MP P4507-115 (2/23) Wheelchair Accessible Denotes trails that are steep and/or rugged. Caution is advised. W Bou Group Lodge Day Use Parking 127 126 124 125 il ss Tra ilderne Par k Group Camp Davenport Ranch 122 121 ad rne Wi lde 130 128 129 Chaquita Falls Camp Area Co unty Ro ss rC ga Equestrian Camp Creek West Verde Tra il an yo n Par k Trailhead Equestrian Camp Area Park Roa d Water Only Sites Chapa’s Group Camp Area Trail 21 Tr ail Primitive Campsites Park Boundary He Da Ba y r-O Us e Hermit’s Shack Camp Area Butterfly Springs Camp Area u Co Bou Cou nty Ro a N #BetterOutside This publication can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/parkinfo/maps/park_maps/ PARK RESERVATIONS TexasStateParks.org ParquesDeTexas.org (512) 389-8900 10600 Bandera Creek Bandera, TX 78003 (830) 796-4413 Proud Sponsor of Texas State Parks 

For assistance using this map, contact the park. For a web version of the map text, visit our Trails Information page. For information on #TexasStateParks, visit texasstateparks.org Sign up today for free email updates: texasstateparks.org/email /TexasStateParks @TPWDparks @TexasStateParks Sponsor: Whole Earth Provision Co. 

INTERPRETIVE GUIDE HILL COUNTRY THANK YOU FOR VISITING! ESCAPE THE BUSTLE OF MODERN LIFE AT HILL COUNTRY STATE NATURAL AREA, WHERE YOU HAVE OVER 5,000 ACRES OF HILLS, CANYONS, AND CREEKS TO EXPLORE. BRING YOUR HORSE AND RIDE THE TRAILS LIKE RANCHERS WOULD HAVE DONE 100 YEARS AGO, OR PULL ON A BACKPACK TO TAKE A RUGGED, While enjoying this natural beauty, please remember everything you see in the natural area is protected. Artifacts, rocks, animals, and plants are all part of the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. Help us keep the natural area a special place for everyone. • Hike only on designated trails and check for trail closures before you hike, bike, or ride. • Leave no trace. Keep your natural area clean by picking up your trash. • Preserve the natural area for future generations and leave plants, artifacts, animals, and fossils where you find them. • Get involved by volunteering! Contact the natural area to learn more. Hill Country State Natural Area 10600 Bandera Creek Road Bandera, TX 78003 (830) 796-4413 www.tpwd.texas.gov/hillcountry ROCKY HIKE. WILDLIFE AND PLANT LIFE ABOUND AT THIS WILDERNESS PARADISE. © 2022 TPWD. PWD BR P4507-0115J (7/22) 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 STATE NATURAL AREA H I L L C O U N T R Y S T A T E N A T U R A L A R E A RANCH LIFE WILD RESIDENTS Permanent settlers arrived here in the mid-nineteenth century with the promise of free land—as long as they added some improvements, like a house or pasture. These landowners ushered in a new era, changing the land to suit their needs. Ranchers raised cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Today, you can still see their cleared fields and terraced lands for crops, as well as historic Kitselman fencing throughout the natural area. Native people used earth ovens to prepare food. HILL COUNTRY HERITAGE The first people here weren’t farmers and ranchers that this natural area is best known for—they were hunters and gatherers! Native Americans moved through this area starting about 12,000 years ago. They didn’t have crops to plant or animals to wrangle, so these indigenous people moved around with the seasons and resources. From this rugged landscape they harvested plants like sotol, agave, and wild onion. But you can’t bite down on a heart of sotol—it needs to be slow cooked for many hours before it’s palatable. Native groups built earth ovens to do this, starting around 9,000 years ago. They lined a hole in the ground with hot rocks, added the fibrous plant material, and covered it up for a day or so. The result was tender, edible starches and vegetables. Archeologists study the material items that people have left behind, and one thing native people left here are the remains of their earth ovens. Now, we call them burned rock middens—they serve as ovens no longer. As rocks in the ovens cracked from heat, the cooks would toss them aside. Today, that means that piles—also known as middens—of scorched rocks mark the site of an ancient kitchen. Archeologists have traced the path of humans with other kinds of discoveries, like camping spots or places where native people quarried rocks for tools. Though we know more about the people here after 1850, indigenous people survived and thrived here for a much, much longer time. Of the many ranches that dotted the landscape, the most notable is perhaps the Bar-O Ranch. John and Louise Merrick bought up smaller ranches in the area during the 1940s and 1950s to create the larger Bar-O. It was their wilderness retreat—John owned a drilling company in Houston and would visit periodically. Louise lived on the ranch full-time, so she could “get away from the city and get away from the pressure.” She was active in the community, donating books and dollars to the local library, bidding on livestock at junior stock shows, and serving on the board of the local American Red Cross chapter. After John’s death in 1969, Louise donated most of the land to Texas Parks and Wildlife—with the stipulation that it “be kept far removed and untouched by modern civilization… yet put to a useful purpose.” Hill Country State Natural Area opened in 1984. Kitselman fence Porcupine S teep hills and trickling creeks come together to form a rugged home for wildlife. Hidden crevices in the limestone provide shelter to spe

HILL COUNTRY SNA BIRD CHECKLIST This checklist is a list of common and specialty birds seen in the park. Staf and volunteers have used previous checklists as well as eBird data to compile these lists. This list should not be used as a comprehensive list of birds seen in this park. Please help us protect the natural avian communities by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Thank you for your cooperation. Waterfowl ___ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Grouse, Quail, and Allies Kingfshers ___ Belted Kingfsher Woodpeckers ___ Northern Bobwhite ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ___ Wild Turkey ___ Golden-fronted Woodpecker Pigeons and Doves ___ Ladder-backed Woodpecker ___ Rock Pigeon ___ Eurasian Collared-Dove ___ Northern Flicker Falcons and Caracaras ___ Inca Dove ___ Crested Caracara ___ Common Ground Dove ___ American Kestrel ___ White-winged Dove Tyrant Flycatchers: Pewees, ___ Mourning Dove Kingbirds, and Allies Cuckoos ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee ___ Greater Roadrunner ___ Least Flycatcher ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo ___ Eastern Phoebe Nightjars ___ Vermilion Flycatcher ___ Common Nighthawk ___ Ash-throated Flycatcher ___ Common Poorwill ___ Great Crested Flycatcher Hummingbirds ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird ___ Black-chinned Hummingbird Shorebirds ___ Killdeer ___ Western Kingbird ___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Vireos ___ Black-capped Vireo ___ White-eyed Vireo Herons, Ibis, and Allies ___ Bell’s Vireo ___ Great Blue Heron ___ Hutton’s Vireo ___ Great Egret ___ Yellow-throated Vireo Vultures, Hawks, and Allies ___ Black Vulture ___ Turkey Vulture ___ Osprey ___ White-tailed Kite ___ Blue-headed Vireo ___ Red-eyed Vireo Shrikes ___ Loggerhead Shrike Jays, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens ___ Northern Harrier ___ Blue Jay ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk ___ Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay ___ Cooper’s Hawk ___ Common Raven ___ Red-shouldered Hawk Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice ___ Zone-tailed Hawk ___ Carolina Chickadee ___ Red-tailed Hawk ___ Black-crested Titmouse Owls ___ Eastern Screech-Owl ___ Great Horned Owl Penduline-Tits and Verdin ___ Verdin Martins and Swallows ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow ___ Chipping Sparrow ___ Clay-colored Sparrow ___ Field Sparrow ___ Purple Martin ___ Black-throated Sparrow ___ Tree Swallow ___ Lark Sparrow ___ Barn Swallow ___ Dark-eyed Junco ___ Clif Swallow ___ White-crowned Sparrow Long-tailed Tits and Bushtit ___ Bushtit Kinglets ___ White-throated Sparrow ___ Vesper Sparrow ___ Savannah Sparrow ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gnatcatchers ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Wrens ___ Song Sparrow ___ Lincoln’s Sparrow ___ Canyon Towhee ___ Rufous-crowned Sparrow ___ Canyon Wren ___ Spotted Towhee ___ House Wren Yellow-breasted Chat ___ Carolina Wren ___ Bewick’s Wren Starlings and Mynas ___ European Starling ___ Yellow-breasted Chat Blackbirds ___ Western Meadowlark ___ Eastern Meadowlark Catbirds, Mockingbirds, ___ Orchard Oriole and Thrashers ___ Audubon’s Oriole ___ Curve-billed Thrasher ___ Scott’s Oriole ___ Long-billed Thrasher ___ Red-winged Blackbird ___ Northern Mockingbird ___ Brown-headed Cowbird Thrushes ___ Common Grackle ___ Eastern Bluebird ___ Swainson’s Thrush ___ Great-tailed Grackle Wood-Warblers ___ Hermit Thrush ___ Black-and-white Warbler ___ American Robin ___ Orange-crowned Warbler Waxwings ___ Nashville Warbler ___ Cedar Waxwing ___ Yellow Warbler Old World Sparrows ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler ___ House Sparrow ___ Yellow-throated Warbler Finches, Euphonias, and Allies ___ Golden-cheeked Warbler ___ House Finch ___ Black-throated Green Warbler ___ Pine Siskin Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies ___ Lesser Goldfnch ___ Summer Tanager ___ American Goldfnch ___ Northern Cardinal New World Sparrows ___ Blue Grosbeak ___ Cassin’s Sparrow ___ Indigo Bunting ___ Grasshopper Sparrow ___ Painted Bunting ___ Olive Sparrow ___ Dickcissel © 2022 TPWD PWD CD P4507-0115H (3/22) 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. 

-Official- FACILITIES Get the Mobile App: MAPS ACTIVITIES TexasStateParks.org/app T O Y O T A T U N D R A The Toyota Tundra is built to explore the great outdoors. No matter what the weekend throws at you, your Tundra takes it on with ease. | toyota.com/tundra Official Vehicle of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation CONTENTS 4 100 Years of Texas Parks 6 Parks Near You 8 90 Checklist DIRECTORY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT 52 68 20 38 60 30 84 68 David Yoskowitz, Ph.D. Executive Director Rodney Franklin State Parks Director Mischelle Diaz Communications Director TPW COMMISSION Arch “Beaver” Aplin, III, Chairman Lake Jackson Dick Scott, Vice-Chairman Wimberley James E. Abell Kilgore Oliver J. Bell Cleveland Paul L. Foster El Paso Anna B. Galo Laredo Jeffery D. Hildebrand Houston Robert L. “Bobby” Patton, Jr. Fort Worth Travis B. “Blake” Rowling Dallas T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman-Emeritus Houston Lee Marshall Bass, Chairman-Emeritus Fort Worth 52 Panhandle Plains 48 State Parks Map Special thanks to Toyota and advertisers, whose generous support made this guide possible. Texas State Parks is a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Cover illustration: Brad Woodard, bravethewoods.com Texas State Parks Official Guide, Nineteenth Edition © TPWD PWD BK P4000-000A (3/23) TPWD receives funds from DHS and USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin (including limited English proficiency), disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, visit tpwd.texas. gov/nondiscrimination or call (512) 389-4800 for information on filing a complaint. To obtain information in an alternative format, contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915, by Relay Texas at 7-1-1, (800) 735-2989, or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you speak a language other than English and need assistance, email lep@tpwd.texas.gov. You can also contact Department of the Interior Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240, and/or U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), Mail Stop #0190 2707, Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20528. In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries. WELCOME from Rodney Franklin, State Parks Director This year is very special for Texas State Parks: We are celebrating our 100-year anniversary in 2023. More and more Texans are discovering the beauty of State Parks and exploring the outdoors in new and adventurous ways. Our teams across the state are incredibly excited to welcome outdoor enthusiasts, especially those who have yet to discover what our parks have to offer. The variety of Texas’ lands is unmatched; from the mountains of west Texas to the Gulf shores, the Texas State Park system celebrates and preserves the natural and cultural treasures that make Texas such a special place. The 640,000-plus acres that make up the state park system are nearly as diverse as the people of Texas. Since 1923, our mission has been to help connect our visitors with the outdoors. As we honor those who have come before us, I invite a new generation to be a part of the story of the lands that connect us all. There is more to enjoy in our parks than you know, so please join us in our celebrations and activities. Every day we look for new and better ways to ensure your state parks are welcoming to every Texan, regardless of their background or experience being outside. I hope you’ll visit soon and often, while bringing your friends and family along. YOU are a natural and we’re looking forward to celebrating the 100-year anniversary of state parks with you! WHAT’S NEW IN STATE PARKS Galveston Island State Park reopened the beachside of the park with a new headquarters, campsites, restrooms, and more. Bastrop State Park unveiled an extensive new group of trails, the “Tree Army Trails,” many of which are ADA-accessible. Improvements and major repairs are planned for Indian Lodge, Tyler, Inks Lake, Cedar Hill, South Llano River, Eisenhower and several other state parks All-terrain “GRIT” wheelchairs are now available at 10 parks with more adaptive equipment on the way to help people of all abilities experience Texas State Parks. Learn more about our accessibility efforts, page 14. More information: TexasStateParks.org/whatsnew 100 Years of Texas Parks The crown jewels of Texas road trips started as an unfunded wish list before the Depression. Back in 1923, Governor Pat Neff realized rising numbers of new car travelers needed places to camp overnight on multi-day trips. Neff convinced the state legislature to create a six-member State Parks Board, half men, half women. Isabella, the Governor’s mother, and her family donated acreage on the Leon

Guía de Parques INSTALACIONES Descarga la Aplicacíon Móvil MAPAS ACTIVIDADES texasstateparks.org/app ¡Los niños entran gratis! La entrada es gratis para los niños de 12 años y menores. Encuentra un parque: parquesdetexas.org Contenido Estero Llano Grande SP 2 Actividades y Programas 4 Parques Cercanos 6 Lugares para Quedarse 8 Tarifas y Pases 9 Directorio 10 Mapa de Parques 18 Instalaciones y Actividades BIENVENIDO Rodney Franklin, Director de Parques Texas tiene algunas de las tierras públicas más diversas del país, con una gran riqueza natural y cultural. La vida silvestre está por todas partes, los paisajes florecen con belleza, y la historia es abundante. Sus parques estatales son parte del legado que nos enorgullece. La gente de Texas ayuda a asegurar ese legado para las generaciones futuras al visitar y ser voluntarios. ¡Gracias! Estos más de 630,000 acres exhiben algunos de los grandes tesoros del estado. Los parques nos ayudan a crear recuerdos con la familia y a encontrar consuelo en la naturaleza. Los parques fortalecen las economías locales y unen a las comunidades. Sobre todo, los parques nos permiten pasar tiempo al aire libre para recargar energías, estar saludables y relajarnos a nuestra manera. Les invito a disfrutar de sus parques estatales, explorando lo mejor de Texas con amigos y familia. Los parques están aquí para todos. Nos pertenecen a todos. ¡Visítelos, diviértase y ayude a protegerlos para siempre! Foto de portada: Estero Llano State Park, Chase Fountain © 2021 TPWD PWD BK P4000-000A (5/21) TPWD recibe fondos del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU. (USFWS por sus siglas en ingles). TPWD prohíbe la discriminación por raza, color, religión, nacionalidad de origen, discapacidad, edad y género, conforme la ley estatal y federal. Para solicitar un acomodo especial u obtener información en un formato alternativo, por favor contacte a TPWD en un Teléfono de Texto (TTY) al (512) 3898915 ó por medio de “Relay Texas” al 7-1-1 ó (800) 735-2989 ó por email a accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. Si usted cree que TPWD ha discriminado en su contra, favor de comunicarse con TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, o con el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU., Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. De acuerdo con la Ley de Depósito del Estado de Texas, esta publicación está disponible en el centro de Distribución de Publicaciones del Estado de Texas y/o las Bibliotecas de Depósito de Texas. ACTIVIDADES Y PROGRAMAS ¿Qué puedo hacer en los parques estatales? ¡Disfruta de un día de campo, visita un sitio histórico o elige entre muchas otras opciones! Bicicletas Pedalea a lo largo de los parques a cualquier velocidad, en cualquier estilo, con cualquier grupo. Elige las rutas, el tipo de terreno y las distancias que cumplan con tu zona de confort. Caminatas Empieza con un circuito más corto, avanza a terrenos más difíciles o únete a una caminata guiada. Pescar Puedes pescar sin licencia en tantos como 70 parques estatales. Muchos parques ofrecen equipo para pescar a manera de préstamo y eventos especiales para aprender a pescar. Barcos Renta canoas y kayacs y explora uno de los senderos acuáticos en Texas. Nadar Animales Silvestres Acampar Descubre aves, mamíferos y plantas que tienen su hogar en Texas. Muchos parques tienen señalamientos y listados que te ayudan a aprender más. Encuentra un lugar que cumpla con lo que quieres. Prueba nuevas recetas, comparte historias favoritas y disfruta de las estrellas. 2 Más información y reservaciones: parquesdetexas.org Escape del calor en arroyos, ríos, lagos, manantiales, piletas y playas del mar. Tu seguridad en el agua es muy importante. Lleva el chaleco salvavidas. Aprende a nadar. Guarda a los niños. (512) 389-8900 ¡Pregunta en tu parque cuáles están disponibles! Los niños de 12 años y menores entran GRATIS Cielos Estrellados Escapa de las luces de la ciudad y goza de maravillosas vistas del cielo que no encontrarás en ninguna otra parte. Ven a una fiesta de estrellas o toma una excursión de constelaciones auto-guiada. Familias en la Naturaleza Elige un taller o diseña tu propia aventura. ¡Monta una tienda de campaña, cocina al exterior, prende una fogata y juega al exterior! Nosotros te Toma una publicación gratuita de actividades o pregunta por los paquetes gratuitos con los parques proporcionamos todo el equipo. No es necesario tener experiencia. participantes. Usa los binoculares, lupas, libros de bosquejos y libros de guías para explorar el parque. Mochilas para Exploradores Soldados Búfalo de Texas Descubre la historia con cuentos, vestuarios y herramientas. Sigue la pista de un animal, pesca con caña, cocina sobre una fogata, visita los fuertes y más. Adéntrate en las historias de vida de aquellos que sirvieron valientemente en los primeros regimientos Áfrico-Americanos de las Fuerzas Armadas. ! Seguridad en el Parque Ten cuidado con el agua Pre