South Llano River State Park
State park in Kimble County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1990. 2,767 acres by TPWD boundary data.
South Llano River State Park is on a spring-fed, slow-moving river near Junction, about two hours from San Antonio. Most visitors come to swim, tube and paddle its two miles of river frontage. It's also an International Dark Sky Park, and one of the largest turkey roosts in Central Texas. From October through March, the day-use area is open only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to protect the roosting turkeys.
Things to do
Tube and paddle the river
The park rents tubes and has several put-in and take-out points for tubers. Paddlers have one designated put-in; bring your own boat or rent one locally.
Hike or bike
The park has 22.7 miles of trails across river bottoms, steep ridges and the woods in between. The Frontera Trail is 4 miles, rated moderate to difficult.
Birding
Visitors have recorded more than 250 bird species here. There are four bird blinds.
Stargazing
The park is an International Dark Sky Park with a Bortle rating of 3. A night activity fee lets you stay after dark to stargaze.
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Trails
TPWD counts about 22.7 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interpretive Trail | 0.4 mi | Easy | 25 min. |
| Buck Lake Trail | 1.75 mi | Easy | 1 hr. |
| River Trail | 1.2 mi | Easy | 45 min. |
| Overlook Trail | 0.9 mi | Moderate | 45 min. |
| Fawn Trail | 1.3 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. |
| Mid-canyon Trail | 2.9 mi | Moderate | 1.75 hrs. |
| West Canyon Loop Trail | 2.4 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Frontera Trail | 4 mi | Moderate to Difficult | 2.5 hrs. |
| East Ridge Trail | 2.8 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Most campsites have water and electricity, with showers nearby. There are also six walk-in sites with water and five hike-in primitive sites with no water.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 56 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Water (Walk-in)Tent sites with water | 6 | 8 | $15 |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in)Primitive | 5 | 4 | $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
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- March through October
- January low
- 32°F
- July high
- 94°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 3
TPWD lists March through October as the busy season. From Oct. 1 through March 31 the turkeys roost, and the day-use area is open only 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Junction, TX 76849
(325) 446-3994
Open in OpenStreetMap (30.4406, -99.8074)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 2 hr 5 min | 102 mi |
| Austin | 2 hr 53 min | 123 mi |
| Midland | 4 hr 7 min | 175 mi |
| Waco | 4 hr 34 min | 173 mi |
| Lubbock | 5 hr 2 min | 248 mi |
| Corpus Christi | 5 hr 11 min | 244 mi |
Nearby parks
- Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
- Lost Maples State Natural Area
- Garner State Park
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
- Bear Creek State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.
Questions people ask
Can you tube the river at South Llano River State Park?
Yes. The park rents tubes, and there are several put-in and take-out points along two miles of river.
Why is the day-use area closed part of the day in winter?
From Oct. 1 through March 31, it's open only 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so visitors don't disturb one of the largest turkey roosts in Central Texas.
How far is South Llano River State Park from San Antonio?
About two hours by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- South Llano River State Park.jpg by Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0.
- South Llano River at South Llano River SP 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Buck Lake Pier South Llano River SP 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Red-shouldered Hawk South Llano River State Park TX 2018-02-24 13-30-59-2 (39872540364).jpg by Bettina Arrigoni, CC BY 2.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for South Llano River has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: South Llano River 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: South Llano River State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: South Llano River State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: South Llano River 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
- TPWD: Dark Sky Parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026