Colorado Bend State Park
State park in San Saba County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1987. 5,328 acres.
Colorado Bend is a rugged park on the Colorado River about two hours northwest of Austin. Most people come to see 70-foot Gorman Falls, a 3-mile round trip over rough, rocky ground, and to cool off in Spicewood Springs. All camping is primitive, with no hookups. The entrance road can flood in heavy rain, so check conditions before you drive out.
Things to do
Hike to Gorman Falls
The self-guided hike to the 70-foot spring-fed waterfall is a 3-mile round trip over rough, rocky terrain.
Spicewood Springs
Dip your toes in Spicewood Springs. The Spicewood Springs Trail is 1.3 miles, and TPWD rates it moderate to difficult.
Cave tours
Book a wild cave tour to go underground. Reservations are required.
Hike, bike, fish and paddle
The park has 35 miles of hike and bike trails. You can also fish or paddle the river.
Trails
TPWD counts about 35 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Creek Junction | 0.3 mi | Easy | 15 min. |
| Gorman Spring Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy | .5 hr. |
| Lively Loop | 4.8 mi | Easy | 3 hrs. |
| River Trail | 3.4 mi | Easy | 2 hrs. |
| Cedar Chopper Loop | 2.3 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Lemons Ridge Pass | 5 mi | Moderate | 3 hrs. |
| Old Gorman Road Trail | 1 mi | Moderate | .5 hr. |
| Spicewood Canyon Trail | 3 mi | Moderate | 2.5 hrs. |
| Tie Slide Trail | 2.3 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Windmill Trail | 1.6 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Spicewood Springs Trail | 1.3 mi | Moderate / Difficult | 1.5 hrs. |
| Dogleg Canyon Trail | 1.3 mi | Difficult | 1.5 hrs. |
| Gorman Falls Trail | 1.5 mi | Difficult | 1.5 hrs. |
| Tinaja Trail | 2.8 mi | Difficult | 2.5 hrs. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Choose drive-up, walk-in tent or hike-in primitive sites. The drive-up and hike-in areas have water nearby but no hookups. There are composting toilets near the main camping area and an open-air rinse-off shower near the campground.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primitive Campsites (Drive-up)Primitive | 15 | 8 | $15 |
| Primitive Campsites (Walk-in)Primitive | 28 | 8 | $13 |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in | Backcountry River Area)Primitive | 4 | $10 | |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in | Backcountry Windmill Area)Primitive | 4 | $10 | |
| Group Camp (Grey Fox)Group | 16 | $35 | |
| Group Camp (Canyon)Group | 16 | $35 | |
| Group Camp (River Area)Group | 48 | $75 |
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 and summer
- Night sky
- Bortle 3
TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity. The entrance road can flood during heavy rains, so check the weather and road conditions before you leave.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Bend, TX 76824
(325) 628-3240
Open in OpenStreetMap (31.0230, -98.4424)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 2 hr 21 min | 65 mi |
| Waco | 2 hr 51 min | 83 mi |
| San Antonio | 3 hr 33 min | 108 mi |
| Fort Worth | 4 hr 1 min | 137 mi |
| Dallas | 4 hr 26 min | 157 mi |
| The Woodlands | 5 hr 14 min | 184 mi |
Nearby parks
- Post Oak Ridge State Park
- Inks Lake State Park
- Longhorn Cavern State Park
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
- Pedernales Falls State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.
Questions people ask
How long is the hike to Gorman Falls?
About 3 miles round trip over rough, rocky terrain.
Does Colorado Bend have RV hookups?
No. All campsites are primitive; the drive-up and hike-in areas have water nearby but no hookups.
How far is Colorado Bend from Austin?
About two hours and 20 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Cliffs Seen from Colorado Bend State Park Texas.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Colorado Bend Overlook.jpg by Morcup, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Spicewood Springs Trail.jpg by Clairissa Simmons, CC BY 4.0.
- Gorman Falls Base Colorado Bend SP 2024.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Turkey Vulture (50885402796).jpg by G. Lamar, CC BY 2.0.
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Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Colorado Bend has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Colorado Bend 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: Colorado Bend State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Colorado Bend State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Colorado Bend State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026