Lake Casa Blanca International State Park: Roadrunner, Mesquite Bend, and Osprey Hill Trails (Blog Hike #1110)

Trails: Roadrunner, Mesquite Bend, and Osprey Hill Trails
Hike Location: Lake Casa Blanca International State Park
Geographic Location: northeast side of Laredo, TX (27.53830, -99.45086)
Length: 3.9 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A mostly flat lollipop loop through desert scenery to an old earthen water storage tank.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-casa-blanca
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 2028)

Directions to the trailhead: The entrance to Lake Casa Blanca International State Park is located on the northbound lanes of the Bob Bullock Loop 0.9 miles north of US 59 BUS on the northeast side of Laredo.  The park is NOT accessible from Bob Bullock Loop's southbound lanes.  Enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the large picnic area at the west end of the dam that forms Lake Casa Blanca.

The hike: Located on the northeast side of Laredo, a quintessential border town, Lake Casa Blanca is a 1680 acre man-made lake on Chacon Creek, a tributary of the Rio Grande.  The lake was built to provide water recreation, and a 525-acre park on its south shore was established as a municipal park operated by Webb County and the City of Laredo.  In 1991, the municipal park was transferred to the State of Texas to form the Lake Casa Blanca International State Park we visit today.

            The lake remains the park's centerpiece: it offers swimming, fishing, water skiing, and boating.  The park also offers a 66-site developed lakeside campground, several picnic areas, some athletic fields and courts, and 4 hiking trails totaling over 4 miles.  I have to admit that the lollipop loop described here is a little on the mundane and repetitive side.  The "stick" of the lollipop is almost a mile long, and it goes right beside a park road across the lake's dam.  Yet this hike offers nice views across Lake Casa Blanca, and it leads to this park's site of greatest historic interest: an old earthen water tank.

Roadrunner Trail trailhead

            From the entrance to the large picnic area at the west end of the dam, cross the main park road to find the signed start of the Roadrunner Hike and Bike Trail.  A simple wooden sign marks the trailhead.  The wide two-track dirt trail rises slightly and then curves sharply left to begin heading southeast across the dam that forms Lake Casa Blanca.  The scenery consists of dusty, grassy, desert-like land with the lake visible to the left.

Lake Casa Blanca, as seen from the dam

            Traffic noise from Bob Bullock Loop Road fills up your ears from your right at first, but soon the road and dam curve different directions and the road noise fades.  The scenery remains the same, but at least the dam makes the going flat and easy.  Near 1 mile into the hike, you reach the east end of the dam, the park's boat launch parking area, and the end of the Roadrunner Trail.  To continue our hike, stay straight on the south side of the road to begin the Mesquite Bend Trail.

Hiking the Mesquite Bend Trail

            The Mesquite Bend Trail is a single-track dirt trail that is designed mainly for mountain bikers, and it takes the usual serpentine route that mountain bikers enjoy.  In fact, the trail winds back and forth many times between the park road to the north and a housing development across the park boundary to the south.  The terrain has minor ups and downs, and the scenery retains its desert feel featuring mostly mesquite trees and prickly pear cactuses.  I also saw some common birds including cardinals and mourning doves while hiking this trail.

            After much winding and bending, you come around the eastern-most portion of the Mesquite Bend Trail, where the White-tail Loop exits right at 2.2 miles.  The White-tail Loop explores the lake's spillway, and you could add it onto this hike if you wanted to extend the hike by about 1 mile.  At 2.35 miles, you reach the end of the Mesquite Bend Trail where it intersects the main park road at a parking lot.  To continue this hike, cross the road and begin the Osprey Hill Loop.

Start of Osprey Hill Loop

            Turn left at the next intersection, and notice the low but steep hill off to your right.  At first you hike west along the base of the hill, but soon the trail curves right to gradually take you up the hill.  At the west side of the hill, turn right to head directly up the rest of the hill.  When you get to the top of the hill, you realize that this "hill" is actually a constructed earthen water tank.  The park trail guide tells you that this tank was used for holding water to fight fires in Laredo, and today it provides nice views across the campground and lake to the north.  Benches make nice places to sit, rehydrate, and enjoy the view.

View north from earthen water tank

Old museum building

            Descend the west side of the water tank to pass an old museum, a stone building with wooden doors at the base of the tank.  Past the old museum, walk out to the park road, then turn right to walk a short distance along the park road to get back to the east end of the Roadrunner Trail.  Retracing your steps across the dam on the Roadrunner Trail returns you to the west picnic area parking lot to complete the hike.

Falcon State Park (Blog Hike #1109)

Trails: Roadrunner, Verdin, Desert, Woodlands, and Whitebrush Trails
Hike Location: Falcon State Park
Geographic Location: northwest of Roma, TX (26.58277, -99.14269)
Length: 2.8 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A sunny desert-like loop around a peninsula in Falcon Reservoir.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/falcon
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 15, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: Northwest of Roma, take US 83 to FM 2098.  Drive FM 2098 to FM 2098 Spur, then continue north on FM 2098 Spur, which dead-ends at the park entrance.  Pay the entrance fee, and park in the parking lot beside the park entrance station.

The hike: Straddling the United States/Mexico border nearly 150 miles upstream from the Gulf, 83,654 acre Falcon International Reservoir is the largest lake shared by the United States and Mexico.  The lake was formed in 1953 by the construction of Falcon Dam, which provides flood control, water for irrigation, and hydroelectricity to the Rio Grande valley.  The dam is maintained and administered by the International Boundary and Water Commission, an organization established in 1889 by international treaty between the United States and Mexico.  The lake and dam are named for the submerged town of Falcon, which in turn was named for Maria Rita de la Garza Falcon, an early Spanish settler in the area.

            Perched at the southern end of the huge reservoir is 576-acre Falcon State Park, which occupies a peninsula that juts northwest into the reservoir.  Land for the park was leased by the State of Texas from the International Boundary and Water Commission in 1949 before it was purchased in 1974.  Fishing is a major activity at the lake and the park, and the park also offers 3 developed campground for a total of 98 sites, some picnic shelters, and a boat ramp.  For hikers, the park offers 5 short trails, and combining those trails forms the round-the-park hike described here.

Start of Roadrunner Trail at park entrance station

            There are several places where you could start this hike, but I chose to start at the entrance station because it is easy to find and, of course, close to the park entrance.  Head south from the entrance station to find the signed start of the Roadrunner Nature Trail.  The wide and dusty Roadrunner Nature Trail descends moderately and curves right to begin heading west through shrubby/grassy terrain with a few mesquite trees.  At 0.2 miles, the trail levels out, and the rest of this hike has only minor undulations until you get to the very end.

Hiking the Roadrunner Trail

            At 0.55 miles, you reach an unmarked trail intersection.  The shortest loop goes right here, but unsure of which way to go I angled left and made my hike a little longer then necessary.  Either option takes you to the park road that accesses the Roadrunner Campground, and in either case you want to continue west from that road to begin the Verdin Trail, the second leg of our loop.

Hiking the Verdin Trail

            The Verdin Trail passes through more shrubby/grassy desert scenery, and this was a hot and sunny desert-like hike on the near 90-degree mid-February day that I came here.  Near 1 mile into the hike, you reach a sequence of picnic shelters.  Some of these shelters offer nice views west across Falcon Reservoir into Mexico, and all of them offer welcome shade on a sunny day.  This part of the trail also passes through the parking lot that serves these picnic shelters; this parking lot is an alternate starting point for this hike.

View across Falcon Reservoir from picnic shelter

            At 1.35 miles, you reach the end of the Verdin Trail where it intersects the boat dock access road.  Angle right and climb slightly to begin the Desert Nature Trail.  Quickly you reach the Black Bass Campground Loop, where you need to turn right to stay on the Desert Trail, soon crossing the Black Bass Campground access road.  Again, this intersection is not signed, and a trail map can be very helpful even though this hike's route forms a single loop.

Hiking the Woodlands Trail

            1.8 miles into the hike, you reach another unsigned trail intersection.  Turn left to continue our loop, now on the Woodlands Trail.  True to its name, the Woodlands Trail features more and larger mesquite trees.  Nevertheless, this hike maintains its dusty desert feel.  I saw a roadrunner on this part of the trail even though wildlife was not plentiful when I came here at midday.  A steep hill descends to the left to reach the reservoir, but no further reservoir views emerge.

Hiking the Whitebrush Trail

            At 2.3 miles, you reach the end of the Woodlands Trail, where you need to angle left to begin the Whitebrush Trail, the final leg of our loop.  The Whitebrush Trail passes through more of the same desert scenery, but the mesquite trees are thin enough that you can see the park's entrance station ahead and to the right well before you get there.  A brief ascent over a rocky area returns you to the entrance station to complete the hike.