Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site
State park in Val Verde County, in the Big Bend Country region. Established 1980. 2,173 acres.
Seminole Canyon, on the Rio Grande near Del Rio, is known for pictographs painted on its canyon walls by early people. You can only enter the canyon itself with a guide, but the rest of the nearly 10 miles of trails, including routes to the Rio Grande and along the canyon rim, are open on your own. Summer temperatures regularly top 100°F, so the busy season is December through March.
Things to do
See the rock art
Hiking in the canyon, where the pictographs are, is allowed only with a guide.
Hike or bike the rim
The Canyon Rim Trail is 4.9 miles and rated challenging. The Rio Grande Trail (2.3 miles) leads toward the river.
Stargaze
TPWD gives the park a Bortle rating of 2, one of the darkest skies in the system.
Trails
TPWD counts about 10 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birding Trail | 0.1 mi | Easy | 15 min. |
| Canyon Rim Trail | 4.9 mi | Challenging | 3.5 hours |
| Middle Fork Trail | 1 mi | Moderate | 30 min. |
| Presa Overlook Trail | 0.6 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hours |
| Rio Grande Trail | 2.3 mi | Moderate | 3 hours |
| Windmill Nature Trail | 0.5 mi | Moderate | 30 min. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
There are 46 campsites, from drive-up primitive sites to sites with water and electricity, all with restrooms and showers nearby.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 23 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with WaterTent sites with water | 8 | 8 | $15 |
| Primitive Campsites (Drive-up)Primitive | 15 | 8 | $10 |
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
TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- December through March
- Night sky
- Bortle 2
TPWD lists December through March as the busy season. Summer temperatures regularly top 100°F. The park is closed Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Comstock, TX 78837
(432) 292-4464
Open in OpenStreetMap (29.7001, -101.3129)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 3 hr 47 min | 168 mi |
| Midland | 4 hr 44 min | 167 mi |
| Austin | 5 hr 18 min | 217 mi |
| Corpus Christi | 6 hr 34 min | 285 mi |
| Lubbock | 6 hr 40 min | 269 mi |
| El Paso | 6 hr 46 min | 338 mi |
Nearby parks
- Devils River State Natural Area
- Kickapoo Cavern State Park
- Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
- Garner State Park
- Bear Creek State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Big Bend Country.
Questions people ask
Can you hike into Seminole Canyon on your own?
No. The canyon area is guided only, but the other trails are open on your own.
When is the best time to visit Seminole Canyon?
TPWD lists December through March as the busy season. Summer temperatures regularly top 100°F.
How far is Seminole Canyon from San Antonio?
About three hours and 45 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Seminole Canyon Park2.JPG by Zereshk, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Lizard Seminole Park 2019 02.jpg by Yamaplos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Lizard Seminole Park 2019 01.jpg by Yamaplos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Seminole Canyon 3.JPG by Cqui, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Seminole Canyon 2.JPG by Cqui, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Seminole Canyon has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, 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: Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site 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