Family Fun Excursion To Guadalupe River State Park

Fun, Simple and Close By

Twenty-six minutes north of San Antonio (clocked from 1604 & Blanco) is an amazing get-away for you and the kids. This nearby river trip can be made into a half day or full day outing filled with exploration of nature, fun and water. We started taking our family here when the kids were two and three years old and I can foresee us utilizing this gem of a park well into their adolescent years.

I’ll tell you everything you need to know to have one of the best family excursions of the summer and early fall, for way less than the price of a movie for your family.218

Things To Do

  • Tubing (There are no real rapids, rather we use them mainly just to lounge) TIP: This past Saturday morning, there was a large tube and canoe rental truck set up in the main parking lot,  if could rent some there or you can buy good tubes with mesh bottoms, pictured below, at Academy for $9.99.
  • Canoeing (Yes, there were four there, just this past weekend.)
  • Swimming & Lounging In The Water – Most of this main area has waters that are less than 2 feet deep with many parts being just a few inches.
  • Exploring & Finding Wild Life: At ages five and six, this is what you will find my kids doing. We had lots of buckets and nets, scooping up minnows and tiny frogs, which truly kept them entertained for three hours. Before I knew it, there was a group of twenty kids looking for things together.
  • Skipping rocks – Your little ones will find an endless number of rocks to skip and build walls with. This was my kid’s favorite activity when they were two and three years old.
  • Hiking – There are numerous trails to explore.

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Location & Cost

The state park is located at 3350 Park Rd. 31, Spring Branch, Texas 78070. You can get there one of three ways.

  1. (From San Antonio) 281 North to Hwy 46, turn left (or West) on Hwy 46 and go 8 miles and finally turn right on Park Rd 31, where you will see clear signs marking the park entrance.
  2. (From San Antonio) Travel North on Blanco Rd from 1604 about 15 miles until you dead-end into Hwy 46, where you will see clear signs having you turn right on to Park Rd 31, less than half a mile down Hwy 46.
  3. (From Boerne) Travel 13 miles East on Hwy 46 before turning Left on Park Rd 31.

Day Entrance Fees : $7.00 per person 13 and older (Ages 12 and under are FREE!) or you can get an annual State Park pass that will get you in to ALL state parks across the great state of Texas. They accept cash, personal checks, VISA, MasterCard and Discover credit cards.) ***Bring your ID, they do check it.***

When To Go & What To Bring

The gate is open 8AM – 10PM.

With young children, we always go early, arriving by 10AM.  It’s still easily warm enough to be in the water but not too oppressive with the summer heat. Last weekend, we stayed about three hours and left after we ate lunch.

TIP: After driving to the end of the main road and parking in the main lot, you will have a little walk down to the river.  My husband and I can usually carry everything in one trip however with the baby,  he carried everything down in two trips.  I  don’t recommend a stroller for babies, as there are stairs. In this surrounding area, there are some picnic tables and grills to cookout that are first come first serve. Also, when we were leaving at 1:30PM, that main parking lot was full and cars were circling or having to park in the lot further up. (Another reason to go early.)227

Strongly Recommend To Bring:

  • Water shoes for everyone (not just the kids)
  • Sunblock and hats
  • Towels (however you mainly dry off in the sun, you can use them to have kids sit on and eat)
  • Packed lunches, snacks and lots of drinks (TIP: NO alcoholic beverages are allowed in Texas State Parks)
  • Chairs for the adults
  • Some kind of open-sided tent or cover, especially for the young kids (NO standard camping tents are allowed to be set  up down by the water)
  • Water toys for kids – buckets, nets, balls, plastic boats, kick boards, tubes, blow-up rafts, life jackets (if it makes you feel more comfortable with younger children)
  • Dry clothes to change into before you leave (TIP: There are bathrooms nearby where you park)

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Other Things To Know

  • You can bring your dog, as long as they stay on a leash.
  • There is a new Children’s Discovery Center just off the main parking lot area. This is a FREE, interactive place to allow your kids to have hands on experiences with items found in the park. (TIP: It is air-conditioned so it’s a great place to visit when you need a break from the heat.)
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 Maybe it’s the great outdoors, but we always leave this place so happy, re-connected as a family and in disbelief that it is so close to San Antonio.

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Have you had a chance to play at Guadalupe State Park?

Megan
Megan is a serious bargain shopper, Boxer loving, research junkie kinda gal. Chances are she can tell you the best item to buy from everything from a baby monitor to a dishwasher. She claims to be the blogger on the team that will never win an award for being an eloquent writer. In fact, she prides herself in graduating from Texas A&M University (’02) without ever having to write a paper! San Antonio born and raised, Megan learned early in life to always learn from others and she enjoys sharing helpful tips she encounters while navigating this ‘kid chapter’ of life. The three little people that gave her the title of mom and thus the inspiration to get out and explore our city, from a child’s perspective, are Carter (2006), Addie (2008) and Delaney (2013). She’ll admit, the third one has been WAY more work than they ever expected but they wouldn’t have it any other way. Her motto now is “What ever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” right?! Megan has a serious to-do list addiction which one day may need intervention; for now, this aliment allows her to accomplish the many balls she has the energy to juggle. She may be an outlier to some but loves working outside the home and is grateful for her working-mom-friendly company and career in sales, which gives her the best of both worlds. Although, Megan will be the first to tell you, without her ridiculously amazing husband and hands-on-dad, Blake, she wouldn’t be able to do any of it. Like most women, half the time she feels like she has it all together and the other part, she’s treading water trying not to drown. But as of now, she wouldn’t change a thing.

4 COMMENTS

  1. This looks great, and for someone who didn’t grow up in SA, this is one of those gems I might not have otherwise known about! Thanks for all the tips!!!

  2. Great post! We were there last weekend. One thing people might want to know is that a burn ban (including charcoal fires) currently is in effect. Good to know if you are planning a picnic that otherwise would include grilling.

  3. Thanks for all the tips Megan!! I have been wanting to know more about state parks in our area (WITH WATER!!!! A must for the summer!).

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