TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Blanco State Park

State park in Blanco County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1934. 91 acres by TPWD boundary data.

Ice in Blanco State Park, Texas
Photo: Charles Willgren from Fort Collins, Colorado, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Blanco State Park is a small park on a one-mile stretch of the spring-fed Blanco River, about an hour from both Austin and San Antonio. You can swim anywhere along the river, and small kids have a shallow wading pool by Falls Dam. TPWD stocks the river with trout in winter. You must reserve a day pass to enter.

Things to do

Swim and paddle

Swim anywhere along the river. Bring a canoe, kayak or boat with an electric motor only. There are no lifeguards.

Fish

Fish for largemouth and Guadalupe bass, catfish, sunfish and winter-stocked rainbow trout. You don't need a license to fish from shore, and you can borrow rods at headquarters.

CCC stonework

The CCC built the picnic pavilion, stone walks and stairs to the river, dams and bridges in 1933 and 1934.

Blanco State Park, Blanco, Texas
Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0
Blanco State Park, Blanco, Texas
Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0
Five geese at the bank of Blanco River. The yellow hue of the water is due to reflection at sunset.
Photo: Wing-Chi Poon, CC BY-SA 3.0

Trails

Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficulty
Pumphouse Trail0.3 miEasy
Caswell Nature Trail0.8 miEasy

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

Choose full hookup sites or sites with water and electricity, or a screened shelter overlooking the river.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Full Hookup Campsites (Premium - 30/50-amp)Full hookup88$25
Full Hookup Campsites (30-amp)Full hookup98$23
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric128$20
Screened SheltersScreened shelters78$30

Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.

Visiting with dogs

Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.

Swimming

Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.

Best time to go

January low
46°F
July high
86°F
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

101 Park Road 23
Blanco, TX 78606
(830) 833-4333

Open in OpenStreetMap (30.0931, -98.4238)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
San Antonio1 hr 1 min44 mi
Austin1 hr 3 min42 mi
Waco2 hr 55 min125 mi
Houston3 hr 53 min183 mi
Corpus Christi4 hr178 mi
The Woodlands4 hr 3 min174 mi
Map of Texas showing where Blanco isAbilene State ParkAlbert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural AreaAtlanta State ParkBalmorhea State ParkBarton Warnock Visitor CenterBastrop State ParkBear Creek State ParkBentsen-Rio Grande Valley State ParkBig Bend Ranch State ParkBig Spring State ParkBlanco State ParkBonham State ParkBrazos Bend State ParkBuescher State ParkCaddo Lake State ParkCaprock Canyons State Park & TrailwayCedar Hill State ParkChinati Mountains State Natural AreaChoke Canyon State ParkCleburne State ParkColorado Bend State ParkCooper State ParkCopper Breaks State ParkDaingerfield State ParkDavis Mountains State ParkDevil's Sinkhole State Natural AreaDevils River State Natural AreaDinosaur Valley State ParkEisenhower State ParkEnchanted Rock State Natural AreaEstero Llano Grande State ParkFalcon State ParkFort Boggy State ParkFort Leaton State Historic SiteFort Parker State ParkFort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State TrailwayFranklin Mountains State ParkGalveston Island State ParkGarner State ParkGoliad State Park & Historic SiteGoose Island State ParkGovernment Canyon State Natural AreaGuadalupe River State ParkHill Country State Natural AreaHoney Creek State Natural AreaHueco Tanks State Park & Historic SiteHuntsville State ParkIndian LodgeInks Lake State ParkKickapoo Cavern State ParkLake Arrowhead State ParkLake Bob Sandlin State ParkLake Brownwood State ParkLake Casa Blanca International State ParkLake Colorado City State ParkLake Corpus Christi State ParkLake Livingston State ParkLake Mineral Wells State Park & TrailwayLake Somerville State Park & TrailwayLake Tawakoni State ParkLake Whitney State ParkLockhart State ParkLonghorn Cavern State ParkLost Maples State Natural AreaLyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic SiteMartin Creek Lake State ParkMartin Dies, Jr. State ParkMcKinney Falls State ParkMeridian State ParkMission Tejas State ParkMonahans Sandhills State ParkMother Neff State ParkMustang Island State ParkOld Tunnel State ParkPalmetto State ParkPalo Duro Canyon State ParkPalo Pinto Mountains State ParkPedernales Falls State ParkPossum Kingdom State ParkPost Oak Ridge State ParkPowderhorn State ParkPurtis Creek State ParkRay Roberts Lake State ParkResaca de la Palma State ParkSan Angelo State ParkSea Rim State ParkSeminole Canyon State Park & Historic SiteSheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning CenterSouth Llano River State ParkStephen F. Austin State ParkTyler State ParkVillage Creek State ParkWyler Aerial Tramway

Nearby parks

  1. Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site16 miles away. Free entry. Swimming allowed.
  2. Guadalupe River State Park17 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. Pedernales Falls State Park18 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Honey Creek State Natural Area20 miles away. $2 per adult, kids 12 and under free.
  5. Old Tunnel State Park24 miles away. Free entry.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation for Blanco State Park?

Yes. TPWD says you must reserve passes online or by phone before you visit.

Can you swim at Blanco State Park?

Yes, anywhere along the river. There's also a shallow wading pool for small children by Falls Dam.

Is there trout fishing at Blanco State Park?

Yes. TPWD stocks the river with rainbow trout in winter.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Blanco has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Blanco State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Blanco State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Blanco State Park screened shelters, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Blanco State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: Blanco State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  13. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026