TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Honey Creek State Natural Area

State natural area in Comal County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1985. 2,809 acres.

On the service road in Honey Creek State Natural Area in Comal County, Texas, United States. The road connects to adjacent Guadalupe River State Park.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Honey Creek State Natural Area protects a 1.5-mile spring-fed creek about 30 miles north of downtown San Antonio, next to Guadalupe River State Park. You can walk 3.6 miles of savannah trails on your own with a reserved day pass (no passes are sold on site), but the creek itself is open only on guided weekend hikes.

Things to do

Guided creek hike

Weekend tours cover about 2 miles in about 2.5 hours, past a scenic overlook of Honey Creek winding through bald cypress. Pets aren't allowed on tours.

Walk the trails

The Box Turtle Trail is ADA accessible, and the Roadrunner Trail is 1.7 miles. Pets are allowed on the trails.

Rathbun Lake was constructed and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Located at Chariton River mile marker 142, approximately 7 miles north of Cent
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Rathbun Lake was constructed and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Located at Chariton River mile marker 142, approximately 7 miles north of Cent
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Looking across the Guadalupe River into Guadalupe River State Park from Honey Creek State Natural Area in Comal County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

Trails

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

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
Box Turtle Trail0.7 miEasy30 min.
Roadrunner Trail1.7 miModerate1 hr.
Karst Loop1 miModerate45 min.

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

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.

Pets are not allowed on guided tours.

Park rules as stated by TPWD

Swimming

TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.

Best time to go

Night sky
Bortle 4.5

January average temperature is 60 degrees. July average temperature is 86 degrees. First freeze occurs mid-November. Last freeze occurs mid-March.

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

Getting there

558 Park Road 31
Spring Branch, TX 78070
(830) 438-2656

Open in OpenStreetMap (29.8232, -98.5225)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
San Antonio43 min25 mi
Austin1 hr 37 min56 mi
Waco3 hr 29 min144 mi
Corpus Christi3 hr 45 min165 mi
Houston3 hr 52 min188 mi
The Woodlands4 hr 12 min182 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Guadalupe River State Park2 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Blanco State Park20 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area20 miles away.
  4. Government Canyon State Natural Area24 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free.
  5. Old Tunnel State Park26 miles away. Free entry.

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

Questions people ask

Can you see Honey Creek without a tour?

No. The creek area is open only on guided hikes. The upland trails are open with a day pass.

Can you buy a day pass at Honey Creek?

No. Reserve day passes online; passes aren't sold on site.

Photo credits

Sources

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

  1. TPWD: Honey Creek State Natural Area, 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: Honey Creek State Natural Area trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Honey Creek State Natural Area history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026