Choke Canyon State Park
State park in McMullen County, in the South Texas Plains region. 3,108 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Choke Canyon State Park is on the 26,000-acre Choke Canyon Reservoir, between San Antonio and Corpus Christi, and it's mainly a fishing and birding park. It has two units: Calliham, a full-service park with campsites and cabins, and South Shore, which is day-use only. Largemouth bass and catfish are the main catch.
Things to do
Fish
Fish for largemouth bass and catfish from a boat or the shore. Both units have boat ramps, and Calliham also has fish cleaning shelters, a rock jetty and a bait shop.
Birding
The park is a stopover for migrating birds. Walk the Birding Trail to look for everything from water birds to songbirds.
Camping
At Calliham, choose campsites with water and electricity, walk-in tent sites or one of 20 cabins.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 40 | 8 | $22 |
| Campsites with Water (Walk-in)Tent sites with water | 9 | 8 | $12 |
| Group Camp (Youth)Group | 50 | $15 | |
| CabinsCabins | 20 | 8 | $50 |
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
- Busy season
- Spring, summer and fall
- January low
- 41°F
- July high
- 95°F
- Rain per year
- 27.6 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists spring, summer and fall as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Calliham, TX 78007
(361) 786-3868
Open in OpenStreetMap (28.4658, -98.3542)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 1 hr 46 min | 70 mi |
| Corpus Christi | 2 hr 12 min | 87 mi |
| Austin | 3 hr 7 min | 132 mi |
| McAllen | 3 hr 26 min | 155 mi |
| Houston | 4 hr 38 min | 201 mi |
| Waco | 4 hr 51 min | 225 mi |
Nearby parks
- Lake Corpus Christi State Park
- Goliad State Park & Historic Site
- Government Canyon State Natural Area
- Goose Island State Park
- Mustang Island State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the South Texas Plains.
Questions people ask
Which Choke Canyon unit can I camp at?
Calliham. South Shore is day-use only, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
How far is Choke Canyon from San Antonio?
About an hour and 45 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Bird Blind Choke Canyon SP Texas 2024.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Choke Canyon State Park Store Texas 2024.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Choke Canyon has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Choke Canyon State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Choke Canyon State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Choke Canyon State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Choke Canyon State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026