Another review by me. Remember this is my opinion based on my experience with the specific State Park. Each person's experience will be different.
State park #4 is on the chopping block. It is time to tell you about a park that we give a very low rating when it comes to the people who work there. Palmetto State Park. This park is convenient because it is close by. It is an absolutely gorgeous drive in to the park off the highway. You should stop at the small pull over area and look out into the fields below. This park is between Luling and Gonzales. (these two cities have some history, especially Gonzales so check it out if you can.)
The park itself is divided up into, basically 3 points. The first is the office area where you check in. Try not to spend too much time in there or you won't want to stay and see the amazing trails. After you check in, you will drive a small way up and on the left will be the first part of the park. Here you can enjoy the Oxbow lake. It is great for fishing and you can rent pedal boats at the office (these are at a very good price.) I can't recall the exact amount. Renting it for the day is the best deal though. You can also get canoes, I think. You can tube here as well but I would watch for snakes. You can view wildlife, including snakes, on the trails that go through the woods. It is beautiful at this park. The palmettos are dwarf like palms and they grow thick in the marshy waters. On the trails you will pass over wooden bridges and lots of marshy areas. The birds are every where. Please watch for snakes. I am not kidding at this park. I have never gone to Palmetto State Park without seeing at least 3 snakes each day. They don't usually bother you but just be careful not to step on them or anything. You see them more around the ponds, spring, and Oxbow than on the trails. If you want to do any activity other than fishing this side of the park is where you should do it. Now, to get to the otherside you will need to go back the way you came and then take a left and go across the bridge. Your next park entrance will be on your left. This side is where the best trails are. I have already told you about them. There is an area that you can walk down to the water and cross over from this side of the park to the other. This is usually where they take tubes out at and small boats. Sometimes the crossing will be covered with water. At this time they close the trail gate. If you have a boat in or something don't bring it this way to get it out of the water if the gate is closed. The people at this park will jump all over you. They would prefer you fight the rapids, get the boat to the side of the huge cliff you are camping on top of and drag your boat up the side. If you fall in just remember you are swimming at your own risk. While we are on that subject, PLEASE watch your children if you are camping at one of the sites on the bluff. These are very steep, straight down falls in most cases. Your child could be over the side in the blink of an eye. I would camp closer to the bathrooms or on the other side in the more primative sites if I had very small children. Both sides do have playgrounds.
We never stay overnight at this park except our first visit ever. It was a huge ordeal. This parks office closes early so be sure to be there no later than 3:30pm. I would not risk any later check in. Remember, unless you bring your own wood, you will need to purchase some from the park store. Most parks prohibit the gathering of firewood. You may want to get enough ice to last until they open back up too because in the summer it can be hot and ice will melt quickly. This park office is closed more than it is open. It is closed for about 15 hours plus a day. You may arrive to find them already closed even though it is 15-20 minutes before office closing time. Once you get all that taken care of and you�pick out a site, don't get too relaxed because although you were not allowed to reserve a specific site, the guy coming in at 10:30 pm reserved your specific site. You argue but he insists.�You are cooking on that pit and the tents are all setup, have been for hours. It doesn't matter because he wants your site, he reserved it specifically. My husband talks to the park host. He says no, the guy can't reserve a specific site. We are already there. We can stay where we are at. Husband comes back, the guy gets angry and drives over to the park hosts home. They talk for a while. Then we can hear laughter. Then more talking and finally the guy drives back. A few minutes later the park host comes and asks us to move, the guy reserved this site. (sites can not be reserved at any state park. you can only reserve a site�in a specified camping area. Example: Campsites 1-20 are water only. You pay for water only so you get one of those sites but you can not say which one. That part is on a first come first serve basis.)�My husband argues and then we end up packing up and about 11:30pm we finally have everything done and the park host wants to know if we would like another site that also has water, since that is what we paid for. We ask why he didn't just put the guy over there since we were already setup. The answer was, He reserved that site! So, we left the park and now we only go there for the day since we have a state park pass and we do not spend a dime there but we spend plenty at all the other parks.
We ended up at Coleto Creek Reservoir. That is not a state park so I will tell you about it another time.
Final words, go to Palmetto State Park, enjoy its beauty, hike the trails, fish the San Marcos River, and picnic under the live oaks with their dangling spanish moss. Have a great time but avoid the people who run this park. They are not so friendly and don't play well with others.
Another thing, if it rains, even if it is not flooded the park closes its gates and you can't get in. It has happened twice to us.
This is my opinion. Go see the park and create your own.
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