Cleburne State Park: Spillway Trail (Blog Hike #1113)

Trail: Spillway Trail 
Hike Location: Cleburne State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Cleburne, TX (32.25650, -97.55269)
Length: 1.8 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: An out-and-back past a hand-carved spillway to an overlook of Cedar Lake.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/cleburne
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming February 26, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Cleburne, take US 67 west 7.4 miles to Park Road 21 and turn left on Park Road 21.  Drive Park Road 21 southwest 6.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the small gravel parking area on the left just past the first restroom building.

The hike: Many things change over the course of a century.  For example, consider the case of Cleburne State Park and Cleburne, Texas.  When this park was formed in 1934, Cleburne was a small rural town of about 11,000 people, and its economy was mainly driven by local agriculture and some major railroad hubs.  The dust bowl and the Great Depression had taken their tolls on both aspects of Cleburne's economy, so area residents donated land to form a state park so that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) would bring jobs to the area while building the park.

            Today Cleburne sits on the southwest fringe of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and it is experiencing rapid growth due to the Metroplex's expansion.  Cleburne State Park has become a major center of recreation, and it offers boating, fishing, and swimming on Cedar Lake, a 58-site developed campground, a primitive group camp, several picnic areas, and 11 hiking trails, most of which are less than 1 mile long.  This hike features the Spillway Trail.  While not the longest trail in the park, the Spillway Trail features this park's famous CCC-built hand-carved spillway and leads to a nice overlook over Cedar Lake.

Carsonite post marking the trailhead

            A brown carsonite post at the north side of the parking lot marks the start of the Spillway Trail.  The single-track dirt trail heads north before angling right to cross the main park road and enter the dense juniper and oak forest.  Such forest is typical of the cross timbers region of north Texas and east-central Oklahoma.  West Fork of Camp Creek, the main outflow of Cedar Lake, soon comes into view on the right.  A couple of the creek's steep-banked tributaries are crossed as the trail continues north.

Hiking through the cross timbers

            At 0.25 miles, you enter the spillway area and reach a major trail intersection.  The option going left leads to a secondary parking area, while the option continuing straight leads to the park's mountain bike trails.  Thus, you want to turn right to cross the West Fork of Camp Creek on a wooden footbridge.  As you cross the creek, notice how steep and chiseled the sides of this water channel are, a testament to the power of eroding water.

Creek in the spillway

            Next the trail climbs away from the creek, and at the next intersection you need to turn left to stay on the Spillway Trail.  Look for tan arrows on brown carsonite posts to mark the way.  The grades on this trail are not particularly steep or long, but the eroded and rocky treadway will make the going slower and harder than you might like.  That treadway is the main reason I rank the difficulty of this hike as moderate; otherwise it would be easy.

Climbing out of the spillway

            At 0.5 miles, you reach the main overlook for Cedar Lake's dam and spillway.  The terraces cut in the rock are what make this spillway famous: they were hand-carved by the CCC.  The terraces look like the famous Serpentine Wall in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, but that wall is made out of concrete.  This overlook is about 50 feet above the spillway with no railing for safety, so be careful where you step as you try to get a good view and photograph of the spillway.

Cedar Lake dam and spillway

            After heading upstream past the dam, the trail dips and then rises as it curves right to head away from the lake.  There are several narrow unofficial trails in this area, but the official Spillway Trail is wide and easy to follow.  At 0.7 miles, the Limestone Ridge Trail, which is primarily a mountain bike trail, exits right.  Turn left to stay on the Spillway Trail.

Hiking the Spillway Trail

Cedar Lake overlook

            The Spillway Trail dips through a rocky ravine as it stays close to the park's east boundary on the right.  0.8 miles into the hike, you reach the north end of the Spillway Trail.  For a nice view of the lake, turn left and make a short moderate descent to reach a lakeside overlook at 0.9 miles.  The clear blue lake waters contrasted nicely with the green and brown cross timbers forest and matched the sky perfectly on my visit.  If you have more time, you can continue north on the Coyote Run Trail toward the campground, but I faced a long drive to Oklahoma City that afternoon.  Therefore, I turned around at the lake overlook and retraced my steps to the trailhead, thus completing the hike.

Mother Neff State Park (Blog Hike #1112)

Trails: Prairie Loop, Wash Pond, Cave, Tower, and Pond Trails
Hike Location: Mother Neff State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Waco, TX (31.33186, -97.46769)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A round-the-park loop passing several CCC-built structures and Tonkawa Cave.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mother-neff
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming February 12, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: Between Temple and Waco, take I-35 to FM 107 (exit 315).  Exit and go west on FM 107.  Drive FM 107 west 13 miles to SR 236 and turn left on SR 236.  Drive SR 236 south 0.5 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the first parking area to the right after the entrance station; this parking area is the signed parking lot for the Prairie Loop Trail.

The hike: Located between Temple and Waco in the fringe of Texas Hill Country, 259-acre Mother Neff State Park is one of the oldest state parks in Texas.  The park originated in 1916 with a 6 acre land donation from Isabella Neff, who was the mother of Texas Governor Pat Neff.  The Governor himself deeded a total of 250 acres in 1934, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to build the park from 1934 through 1938.  The park opened to the public in 1937.

            Today Mother Neff State Park remains small in terms of acreage, but it contains some nice amenities and scenery that make it quite popular.  The park offers a 35-site developed campground, plenty of CCC history, and 6 short hiking trails.  The hike described here uses all but 1 of those trails as it visits every point of interest in the park.  I was not expecting much from this park when I drove in on a seasonally warm Sunday afternoon in mid-February, but I had a very good hike.

Trailhead for Prairie Loop Trail

            From the signed trailhead for the Prairie Loop Trail, walk southwest to the picnic tables, then turn right to begin heading counterclockwise around the Prairie Loop.  The prairie consists of sunny grassland interspersed with thickets of juniper/cedar trees.  Just shy of 0.2 miles, you reach a picnic table at an overlook.  This narrow viewpoint looks south across the prairie toward the Leon River.

Overlook on Prairie Loop Trail

            Curving more left than right brings you to a trail intersection near a park road cul-de-sac at 0.4 miles.  The Prairie Loop continues to the left, but this hike turns softly right to follow the park road past the playground and into the campground to head deeper into the trail system.  At 0.7 miles, you reach a major trail intersection at the campground bathroom building.  We will pass through this intersection twice; for now, turn right to cross the campground road, then turn right again to begin the Wash Pond Trail.

Starting the Wash Pond Trail

            Marked with green trail markers, the narrow dirt Wash Pond Trail descends gradually as it winds its way southwest through dense oak and cedar forest.  Ignore the rough Bluff Trail as it exits left.  1 mile into the hike, you circle the wash pond, a natural pond that the CCC enlarged by building a dam.  The dense cedar thicket keeps this pond cool and shady, and this is a nice place to watch for birds and wildlife.

CCC Wash Pond

            Continuing south, a gradual descent brings you to the south end of the Wash Pond Trail and a major trail intersection at 1.25 miles.  We will eventually go up the Tower Trail via the stone stairs to the left, but first continue downstream, heading for Tonkawa Cave on the Cave Trail.  Soon you pass a stone table built by the CCC.  This table was built out of local materials to make it blend in with its natural surroundings.

CCC stone table

            The Cave Trail soon starts curving right to begin heading up another ravine.  An unmarked trail exits left, but that trail is now closed due to flood damage.  At 1.4 miles, you reach Tonkawa Cave.  More of a rock shelter than what you would normally think of as a cave, Tonkawa Cave has a large rock overhang, and its cool recess was a popular place on the warm afternoon that I came here.

Tonkawa Cave

            Backtrack past the stone table to the Tower Trail, then angle right to climb the Tower Trail's stone steps.  At 1.65 miles, you reach the stone tower for which this trail is named.  Climbing the curved stone stairway lifts you up to the viewing platform at the tower's top.  While the view is 360-degrees, the surrounding trees have grown considerably since the CCC built this tower, and trees block out much of the view today.

CCC stone tower

View west from top of tower

            Exit the tower area by going north on the Tower Trail, which climbs gradually through more dense cedar forest.  Just past 2.1 miles, you get back to the campground bathroom building.  Angle right and then left to hike through the campground and begin heading north on the Pond Trail, but before you head to the pond take a short detour to view the old CCC bell.  Interpretive signs tell you that this bell was used to call CCC workers to dinner and meetings, but today it occupies an isolated spot on the grassy prairie near the perimeter of the campground.

CCC bell

            The Pond Trail heads north on a fairly flat course with the park road close to the left.  At 2.65 miles, you reach the pond.  This pond appears man-dug, but it should be a nice spot to watch for birds and wildlife although all was quiet on my visit.  Backtrack a short distance and turn right to cross the park road.  Turning right twice more returns you to the Prairie Loop parking area and completes the hike.

Pedernales Falls State Park: Pedernales Falls and Hackenburg Loop Trails (Blog Hike #1111; Golden Staff Hike)

Trails: Pedernales Falls and Hackenburg Loop Trails
Hike Location: Pedernales Falls State Park
Geographic Location: west of Austin, TX (30.33408, -98.25211)
Length: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A loop hike, mostly easy but with 1 rocky section, past Pedernales Falls.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/pedernales-falls
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 29, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Austin, take US 290 west 31.8 miles to Ranch Road 3232 and turn right on Ranch Road 3232.  After driving Ranch Road 3232 north for 6.4 miles, turn right on Pedernales Falls Road, then almost immediately turn left to enter the park.  Pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the falls parking area at its end.  Park in this large blacktop lot.

The hike: Rising in the heart of Texas Hill Country west of Fredericksburg, the Pedernales River follows a general west to east course as it drains part of the Edwards Plateau.  The river flows along the south side of the famous LBJ ranch, which I featured in my hike at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site last year.  Over its 106 mile course, the river loses more than 1600 feet in elevation before it empties into the Colorado River and Lake Travis on the west side of Austin.  The word pedernales is the Spanish word for the flint rocks that are prevalent in the river's bed.

            About 20 miles upstream from its mouth, the Pedernales River drops over a series of low limestone ledges known as Pedernales Falls, which of course form the centerpiece of Pedernales Falls State Park.  One of the crown jewels in the Texas state park system, Pedernales Falls State Park consists of 5212 acres that were operated as the private Circle Bar Ranch before the State of Texas bought the ranch in 1970.  The park is one of the most visited state parks in Texas thanks to its fantastic scenery and its location just west of Austin.  The park offers many amenities including a 69-site developed campground, primitive camping, swimming in the Pedernales River, and several picnic areas.

            Pedernales Falls State Park is also a top-tier hiking destination: it offers 10 trails totaling over 40 miles, some of which are also open to horses and/or mountain bikers.  The park offers many fantastic hikes, but the falls remain the park's main attraction.  This hike takes you to Pedernales Falls, but it also takes you around the Hackenburg Loop, which has more of an old ranch feel, thus exploring both the touristy and more natural sides of this park.  Be advised that, like most rivers in Texas Hill Country, the water flow on the Pedernales River varies widely from nary a trickle to a raging torrent, and therefore the water volume in Pedernales Falls also varies widely.  When I came here on a rainy morning in mid-February, the river had some flow but was well below its peak.

Falls Trailhead

            This hike starts at the Falls Trailhead, which is marked by an information kiosk at the rear of the parking lot.  Clearly this is the touristy part of the park: the super wide gravel trail descends gradually through thick forest dominated by juniper and mesquite trees.  Almost everyone who visits this park walks down this trail at some point, and I shared this trail with several other people even on the wet, rainy, mid-February morning that I came here.

Hiking the Pedernales Falls Trail

            At 0.25 miles, you descend some stone steps to reach the main overlook for Pedernales Falls.  Unless the river level is very high, the view consists of the stone terraces that form the falls in front of cliffs on the other side of the river.  You may also be able to see people walking around on the stone terraces, and you will have a chance to join them in a few minutes.

Pedernales Falls, overlook view

Pedernales Falls, overlook view

            Exit the overlook to the right.  The next part of the hike heads downstream on a maze of trails, none of which are wide and easy and none of which are marked.  Therefore, what has thus far been been a very touristy hike takes on a more primitive feel.  All of the trails in the maze eventually converge into the lower arm of the Hackenburg Loop, so my best advice is to work your way downstream using whatever route seems most feasible.  If you stay close to the river, you will have a chance to climb up onto the stone terraces and explore the seasonal riverbed.  You also get a nice base view of the falls and the large plunge pool, which is called Cypress Pool.

Cypress Pool at base of falls

            As you continue downstream from the falls, the trail becomes very rocky as you pass a couple of smaller cascades in the river on the left.  At 0.7 miles, the lower and upper arms of the Hackenburg Loop converge, and the combined trail continues downstream on a wider and easier course.  Wooded walls rise on either side of the river, and this part of the hike has more of a canyon feel with lots of grasses, yuccas, and prickly pear cactuses.

Pedernales River below the falls

            Near 1 mile into the hike, the trail assumes a sidehill course as it starts following what appears to be an old dirt road and starts climbing out of the canyon.  Soon you pass atop a vertical dirt bank on the left.  Although this area is at least 20 feet above the river's normal level, that bank was formed by river erosion, a testimony to how high and raging the Pedernales River can get after a good rain.

Eroded area along Hackenburg Loop

Hiking atop the canyon rim

            Next the trail curves to the right, and a brief steep climb lifts you up to the rim of the Pedernales River canyon at 1.15 miles.  The rest of the hike follows a mostly flat course through grassy prairie with a light smattering of mesquite and juniper trees.  At 1.6 miles, you come out at a park road.  Turning left and then right on park roads returns you to the falls parking area to close the loop and finish the hike.

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.

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park (Blog Hike #1108)

Trails: Rio Grande, Tram Road, and Resaca Vieja Trails
Hike Location: Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Mission, TX (26.18550, -98.37944)
Length: 4.1 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A barbell-shaped hike through flat mesquite forest.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bentsen-rio-grande-valley
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming December 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: On the west side of Mission, take I-2 to US 83 BUS (exit 134).  Exit and go west on US 83 BUS.  Drive US 83 BUS west 1.5 miles to FM 2062 and turn left on FM 2062.  The parking lot is 2.4 miles ahead on the left.

The hike: For my introduction to the World Birding Center and the lower Rio Grande valley's collection of Texas state parks, see my hike at nearby Resaca de la Palma State Park.  Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is the western-most of the 3 Texas state parks in the lower Rio Grande valley, and this hike is the final of the 3 hikes I did in those parks.  The park came to be in 1944 when Lloyd Bentsen Sr. and his wife Edna Bentsen, parents of the long-time United States Senator and one-time candidate for Vice President Lloyd Bentsen Jr., donated 586 acres to the Texas Parks Board.  That donation stipulated that the park bear the name it does today.  The park opened to the public in 1962, making it the oldest of the 3 lower Rio Grande valley state parks.

            Like every park in the lower Rio Grande valley, birding takes center stage here.  The park has only a primitive campground for lodging; the park's developed campground closed permanently in 2004.  Private vehicles are allowed only in the Visitor Center parking lot, and a tram that runs along the 3.8 mile tram road provides access to the park's hiking trails.  The hike described here uses a walk on the tram road to connect the park's 2 longest hiking trails.  While this hike does not pass the park's best birding area, it is the best option in this park for a hike of significant distance.

Trailhead for Rio Grande Trail

            To avoid a long road walk at the beginning or end of your hike, I recommend riding the tram to the first trailhead.  Board the tram at the Visitor Center, and ride it to the southeast corner of the tram road loop and the trailhead for the Rio Grande Trail.  From the signs that mark the trailhead, the wide dirt/gravel trail heads south and quickly splits to form its loop.  I turned right and used the left arm as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.

Mesquite forest on Rio Grande Trail

            The entire Rio Grande Trail passes through sparse mesquite forest with a dense grassy understory; this will be a hot and sunny hike for most of the year.  The land is persistently flat, and the never-changing scenery makes for a somewhat boring hike.  The bird viewing is decent but not as good as at La Parida Banco in the northwest part of the park.  I saw a wild turkey and some vultures in addition to some common small birds such as cardinals and mourning doves when I hiked here.

Hawk-viewing platform

            This park lies flush against the Rio Grande and the Mexican border, and Border Patrol activity in the park is common even though all was calm on my visit.  Despite this trail's name, the Rio Grande never comes into sight on this hike.  At 1.65 miles, you reach the spur trail that leads to the hawk-viewing platform, which is probably the best view on this hike.  The platform overlooks El Morillo Banco, an oxbow lake that was dry on my visit.  I did see a couple of hawks on my hike, but the real hawk-viewing occurs during mating season in April, not mid-February when I came here.

El Morillo Banco

            Past the hawk-viewing platform, you quickly close the loop and return to the tram road.  You could wait for the tram to take you to the next trailhead, or if you get impatient as I did, you can walk north on the tram road and turn right at each intersection.  0.9 miles of road walking later, you reach the trailhead for the Resaca Vieja Trail on the right.  A blue/green sign board with a park map greets you at this trailhead.

Start of Resaca Vieja Trail

            The Resaca Vieja Trail heads east on another wide two-track dirt/gravel trail.  The mesquite forest along this trail is denser and therefore the understory less grassy than what you saw on the Rio Grande Trail.  Numbered posts indicate the presence of an interpretive guide, but none were available at the trailhead.  Where the trail splits to form its loop, I angled softly right to hike the loop counterclockwise.

Resaca Vieja

            At 3.3 miles (including the road walk in the middle), you reach an overlook of the old resaca.  Resaca is the Spanish word for oxbow lake, of which the lower Rio Grande valley has many.  Most of these resacas are dry for most of the year, and this old oxbow lake is no exception.  The loop continues through very flat terrain, and the dense mesquite forest prevents you from seeing many birds.  Just past 4 miles, you close the loop.  Turn right to head back to the tram road, and then either ride the tram or walk 0.5 miles along the tram road to return to the Visitor Center and complete the hike.

Estero Llano Grande State Park (Blog Hike #1107)

Trails: Wader's, Spoonbill, Alligator Lake, Llano Grande Trails et. al.
Hike Location: Estero Llano Grande State Park
Geographic Location: south of Weslaco, TX (26.12711, -97.95808)
Length: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A loop with many water vistas and bird-viewing opportunities.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/estero-llano-grande
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming December 4, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: In extreme south Texas, take I-2 to FM 1015 (exit 160).  Exit and go south on FM 1015.  Drive FM 1015 south 2.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and park in the only lot.

The hike: For my introduction to the World Birding Center and the lower Rio Grande valley's collection of Texas state parks, see my hike at nearby Resaca de la Palma State Park.  At only 230 acres, Estero Llano Grande State Park is the smallest of the lower Rio Grande valley's 3 state parks, but it is actually my favorite of the 3 because it has the most water and therefore the most wildlife.  The park was formed by assembling multiple pieces of land including some old farm land and an old trailer park; it opened in 2006.

            Like all of the lower Rio Grande valley's parks, bird watching takes center stage at Estero Llano Grande State Park.  The park has only a group lodge for lodging, and it offers only a Visitor Center and some picnic shelters for facilities.  For hikers and birders, the park offers 6 trails, but all 6 of the park's trails measure less than 1.5 miles long.  Because this park packs a large number of short trails into a small area, any route through the trail system will pass through many trail intersections with many route decisions to be made; picking up a trail map at the Visitor Center is advised.  This hike forms a grand loop around the park's central area while passing all of the park's best bird-watching spots, thus featuring the best this park has to offer.

Heading east from the Visitor Center

            After walking in the entrance trail from the parking lot to the Visitor Center, continue east to begin the Wader's Trail, which passes through a narrow strip of shrubby land with Ibis Pond on the right and a dry drainage canal on the left.  At 0.2 miles, turn right to head south on the Spoonbill Trail as it crosses Ibis Pond on a boardwalk.  Immediately the birding and wildlife show begins.  I did not see any spoonbills or ibis in this pond on the warm but windy early February day when I came here, but I did see some ducks and cormorants.

Boardwalk at Ibis Pond

            At the next 4 intersections, turn left, right, left, and left again to begin heading north on the east arm of the Wader's Trail.  Dowitcher Pond sits to your left now, and those long-billed wading birds would be common sights in this pond.  While I did not see any dowitchers here, I did see a large number of egrets.  At 0.7 miles, turn right twice to cross a drainage canal that was dry on my visit, following signs for Alligator Lake.

Egret

            0.85 miles into the hike, turn left to hike the short spur trail to the main overlook at Alligator Lake.  I saw several young alligators here in addition to many egrets.  A small picnic shelter stands in this area, and its shade will be welcome on a warm sunny south Texas day.

Small alligator in Alligator Lake

            Retrace your steps out the spur trail, then turn left to continue south.  Just shy of 1.2 miles, you climb the levee to reach the Llano Grande Hiking Trail, a two-track gravel linear trail that runs along the top of the levee.  Turn right to head southwest on the Llano Grande Hiking Trail, which is the most exposed trail in this park.  The levee's elevation gives nice views across Llano Grande Lake to the south, but you will need binoculars to see wildlife in the water: it is a decent distance away.

Hiking atop the levee

            After hiking less than 1000 feet on the Llano Grande Hiking Trail, turn right to descend from the levee, then turn left at the next 2 intersections to head around the south side of Ibis Pond on the Wader's Trail.  Turn left twice more to arrive at the Scissortail Loop, the Becard Trail, and my favorite bird blind in this park.  This blind overlooks an area of dense shrubs, and I saw many birds here including a bronzed cowbird and several redwinged blackbirds.  This blind is a popular spot, but the popularity is warranted.  Sit here awhile and see what birds you can see.

Hiking through the old trailer park

Hiking the Green Jay Nature Trail

            Continue west on the Becard Trail, then turn right to head north on the Tyrannulet Trail.  All of the trails in this part of the park are laid out in a grid formation and are paved with asphalt: this is the old trailer park I mentioned in the introduction.  Exit the old trailer park area to the north by passing the park's butterfly garden, then turn left to hike one last short loop: the Green Jay Nature Trail.  This narrow trail passes through dense woodlands, and I saw many more common songbirds here even though I did not see the regionally famous bird for which this trail is named.  After finishing the Green Jay Trail, head back out the entrance trail to the parking lot to finish the hike.