Mother Neff State Park
State park in Coryell County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1937. 384 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Mother Neff is one of the earliest Texas state parks, on the Leon River southwest of Waco. Isabella Neff donated the first six acres in 1921, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built its roads and stone water tower. Swimming and fishing aren't allowed because of river conditions. Come for about 3.5 miles of canyon and prairie trails and a rock shelter the Tonkawa used in the 1800s.
Things to do
Hike the canyon trails
Trails lead to the Wash Pond, the CCC Rock Tower and a cave the Tonkawa used in the 1800s. The park has adult and junior all-terrain wheelchairs.
Visitor center
Interactive displays cover the park's history. It's open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closes from noon to 1 p.m. on weekdays.
Trails
TPWD counts about 3.5 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie Loop | 0.6 mi | Easy |
| Pond Trail | 0.5 mi | Easy |
| Tower Trail | 0.6 mi | Moderate |
| Cave Trail | 0.2 mi | Moderate |
| Wash Pond Trail | 0.5 mi | Moderate |
| Bluff Trail | 0.4 mi | Moderate |
| Lost Trail | 0.5 mi | Moderate |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
The new camping loop has 20 full hookup sites on level concrete pads. The riverside tent sites are closed because of flood damage. There's also a CCC lodge.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup | 20 | 8 | $25 |
| Lodge (CCC Cabin)Cabins | 16 | $200 |
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 isn't allowed here.
The closest park in this guide with swimming is Meridian, 41 miles away in a straight line.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring, early summer and fall
- January low
- 36°F
- July high
- 97°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists spring, early summer and fall as the busy season. The Leon River has flooded the lower park several times in recent years.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Moody, TX 76557
(254) 853-2389
Open in OpenStreetMap (31.3342, -97.4679)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Waco | 41 min | 23 mi |
| Austin | 1 hr 41 min | 74 mi |
| Fort Worth | 2 hr 18 min | 100 mi |
| Dallas | 2 hr 24 min | 109 mi |
| Tyler | 3 hr 12 min | 144 mi |
| San Antonio | 3 hr 13 min | 144 mi |
Nearby parks
- Meridian State Park
- Lake Whitney State Park
- Fort Parker State Park
- Post Oak Ridge State Park
- Colorado Bend State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.
Questions people ask
Can you swim or fish at Mother Neff State Park?
No. Swimming and fishing aren't allowed because of river conditions.
How far is Mother Neff from Waco?
About 40 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Mother neff forest.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Mother neff state park lookout tower.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Mother-neff-state-park2015-6.jpg by Darrylpearson, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Mother-neff-state-park2015-5.jpg by Darrylpearson, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Mother Neff has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Mother Neff 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: Mother Neff State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Mother Neff State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Mother Neff State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Mother Neff 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
- 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