ROUTE 66 Road Trip - ROUTE 66 RV Network

ROUTE 66 Road Trip
By Kimber Williams
Everything seems
bigger in the Lone Star
State, including the
endless possibilities for
outdoor exploration.
A visit to the heart
of Texas Hill Country
will plant you amid an
amazing constellation
of state parks and
recreation areas that
form a vast natural
loop — a crown of
sorts, studded with
destinations ripe
for adventure.
From lazy rivers that
snake through quiet
limestone canyons
to natural waterfalls, hiking trails set
among gently rolling woodlands, and a
breathtaking climb up
an “enchanted” rock,
Hill Country beckons
RVers with its vivid
personality, broad vistas and rustic charm.
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DEEP IN THE
HEART OF TEXAS
Texas Hill Country is rich in rolling scenery
and a spectacular concentration of state parks
Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Long popular with snowbirders,
the parks offer year-round camping
and mostly mild weather, especially in fall, winter and spring.
Even a visit during the heat of
high summer can be tempered by
a welcome dip in clear, spring-fed
rivers and lakes.
The important thing to know
is that Texas is a lot like its much
heralded cuisine, with flavors
big, bold and satisfying. It is a
place populated with unforgettable
characters and, indeed, a rugged
landscape carved with character
to spare. It doesn’t take long to
develop an appetite for Texas, a
craving that will simply keep you
coming back for more.
Guadelupe River
State Park
The morning music of canyon
wrens and warblers echoes against
the limestone bluffs that tower
above the slow-moving Guadelupe
River — as peaceful a place as
you’ll ever find.
This is considered one of the
most scenic stretches of river in
all of Texas, languid waters lolling
against canyon walls stained by
time and giant bald cypress trees,
which guard the riverbank like
twisted sentinels.
It’s also one of the state’s most
popular rivers, a spring-fed marvel that carves a langorous fourmile path through Guadelupe State
Park, hastened only by a series of
four natural rapids. The stream will
Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
T
here is surely no
other place quite like
Texas Hill Country —
a wide-open landscape
as gnarled and weathered as an
old fence post, as sprawling and
colorful as a soul-stirring sunset.
Hill Country is a land of layers, stretching from West Texas
east to Austin, the state capital, and from the Colorado River
southward to San Antonio. It’s
a region known for an endless
canopy of oak and juniper trees,
prickly-pear cactus patches, rugged rocks, and sparkling lakes
and rivers. Spring brings an
explosion of wildflowers to these
distinctive rolling hills, but with
a temperate climate you’ll find
green here year-round.
The best part? There’s no shortage of state parks and recreation
areas out of which to base your
adventures, and San Antonio sits at
the epicenter of the action.
Texas boasts several dozen state
parks within a 100-mile radius of
San Antonio. But to narrow the
search, we focus on a convenient
loop of Texas state parks just north
of San Antonio and west of Austin.
Without exception, they are all
affordable camping options that
offer pleasant, mostly uncrowded
sites and plenty of amenities. A
few are designed for day use only,
but if you base yourself at any of
these parks you’re an easy drive
from the rest — and even the dayuse parks are well worth the drive.
Guadelupe River State Park features
campsites set amid thick vegetation
— which lends privacy — and the
liquid appeal of a slow-moving river,
a refreshing retreat on a hot day.
ultimately flow some 250 miles
before spilling into the Gulf of
Mexico. Here, it commands attention as the park’s most outstanding
natural feature.
The park is located about 30
minutes north of downtown San
Antonio just off Texas Highway
46, which can be reached from I35, I-10 or U.S. 281. The entrance
is located on Park Road 31 and
well marked. From there, enjoy the
pleasant three-mile drive to the park
gate, which is locked each evening.
(far left, inset) Prickly pear cactus and longhorn cattle are sure-fire signs that you’re in
Texas. (left) Hiking trails cut through rocky outcroppings, plenty of campsites and a full
range of water sports make Inks Lake State Park popular throughout the year.
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Bald cypress trees and towering canyon walls frame Guadelupe River as it slides through Guadelupe River State Park. At Inks Lake State Park, it’s hard to find
a campsite that doesn’t offer a view of the water. A series of low-water dams creates popular swimming areas along the spring-fed river at Blanco State Park.
The entrance fee is $6 per day
per person 13 and older. If you’re
spending a bit of time in the area,
you might consider investing in a
$60 Texas State Parks Pass, which
grants unlimited entry to over 100
state parks and sites for a full year.
Learn more at www.tpwd.state.
tx.us/parkpass.
Here’s a great discovery: An
entrance fee paid to any Texas State
Park will get you into any other
state park for free the same day.
Since parks in this area aren’t too
far apart, that’s a great bargain.
Guadelupe River State Park
covers a little over 1,900 acres,
including a real gem: the Honey
Creek State Natural Area. This
protected area is only open
on Saturdays — or by special arrangement — for
guided ecological walks
along the shaded banks of
Honey Creek. Tours emphasize the region’s history,
flora and fauna. To reach
it, enter through the state
park gate.
The park also recently
opened a 5.3-mile equestrian trail that is also open to
mountain biking.
Camping is offered in two
areas. Turkey Sink Camping
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Area has 40 sites with electric and
water hookups. Sites feature a picnic table and fire ring or grill at $18
a night or $108 per week. Cedar
Sage Camping Area has 37 sites
with water hookups, picnic table,
and fire ring or grill at $14 a night
or $84 a week. Showers, restrooms
and dump stations are centrally
located in each area. For information, call (830) 438-2656.
During a recent visit, we were
impressed to find campsites that
felt spacious and private, with
thick, leafy barriers — even in
February. The park is remote, with
a good separation between campgrounds and recreational areas,
great for stargazing and solitude.
Anglers test their luck around Devil’s Waterhole
at Inks Lake State Park.
“It’s nice here, in that you
don’t feel crowded,” said Susan
Gaidys, of Houston, who was
camping with her husband, Al, in
their pop-up trailer. “We’re not big
RV park people; the state parks
are more for us.”
“This is only our second time
here,” she added. “We don’t come
often because it’s so far away from
everything — but there are times
when that’s a wonderful thing.”
Her only caution: “You don’t
want to be here during cicada season,” she chuckled, adding that the
buzzing drone from the bugs may
drive you away. The park is probably best known for the four miles of
attractive river frontage that frame
the park’s picnic area and playground. Here, you’ll find more
day visitors, who stop to enjoy
a lunch at water’s edge, a cooling dip, a hike, or a chance to
dip a line. The river is also a
popular destination for tubing;
put-in and take-out spots are
provided for float trips.
The Guadelupe River is
deceptively serene. Below
the tranquil surface lurk deep
holes and an uneven bottom.
Be aware that many rivers
in Texas Hill Country are
vulnerable to flash floods.
Fishing bobbers and debris dangling high in the branches of nearby giant bald cypress trees remind
you of just how far the sleepy
Guadelupe River can surge.
There is plenty of parking at
the picnic area, enough to accommodate the largest diesel pusher,
so think about stopping in even if
you don’t plan to spend the night.
If you’re coming in from the
east, consider stopping at the
H.E.B. store located just west
of U.S. 281 on Texas Highway
46. You’ll find an amazing selection of fresh produce, meats and
organic foods.
Blanco State Park
Amble north on U.S. 281 and
you’re truly in the heart of Texas
Hill Country — a rolling horizon of
hills and live oak trees, spiny yucca
and sprawling grassland. Here,
towns thin out and the region’s rugged terrain shines through.
Tucked in the midst of this is one
of Texas’ smallest state parks and
one of the more urban offerings in
our journey. At just over 100 acres,
Blanco State Park is located on the
southern edge of the tiny town of
Blanco — just four blocks from the
town square, in fact.
If you’re coming from the
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south, take the well-marked turn
and keep veering left. The park
entrance just off U.S. 281 comes
so quickly, just beyond the river
bridge, that visitors frequently
miss it and may drive for miles
before realizing their mistake.
Blanco State Park hugs a mile
of the spring-fed Blanco River,
a focus for anglers, swimmers
and boating. Originally used as a
campsite for early explorers and
settlers, the park opened in 1934
and still retains original stone
architecture built by the Civilian
Conservation Corps.
Most notably, the river is guided
by a series of low-water dams,
which create popular swimming
areas of varying depths. Anglers
can hook rainbow trout, perch,
catfish and bass; tube, canoe and
kayak rentals are available on-site.
Because of the park’s proximity to town, it feels a bit like a
glorified city park. Noise levels
and public access are heavier
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(clockwise, upper left) Barb and Larry Stuber, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, enjoy Blanco
State Park for the small town serenity. Visitors from Austin, Texas,
check out the limestone formations at Pedernales Falls State Park. Kayaks and
canoes are good choices for exploring the gentle Blanco River.
than at more far-flung state parks.
But die-hard fans love the park’s
quaint charm, paved roadways
for bicycling, and riverside picnic tables. A 3/4-mile nature trail
parallels the river; a guidebook is
available at the park store.
Campsites are also tucked more
closely together than at other state
park locations on our trek, with
less vegetation for privacy. But
that is no deterrent to enthusiastic
campers who flock there from
across the country.
“For 21 years, we went to Big
Bend National Park for the hik-
Don’t forget
• Sunscreen, hat and other sun
protectants
• Bottled water
• Sturdy hiking boots
• A camera to capture spring
wildflowers
• Geology guidebook
ing,” said Elaine M. Brown, of
Indianola, Iowa, who was camping at the park in late February
with her husband, Harold. “We’d
stopped here before in the spring
on the way home, but never
stayed long because you had to
have reservations,” she recalled.
This year, Blanco State Park
became a destination in itself.
“We got a county map to go
sightseeing because the scenery
around here is beautiful,” Harold
said. “I just like the green [landscape] and mild temperature. I
don’t like flat land much, so this
suits me.”
To the Browns, the park offers
the best of all worlds — easy
access to stores in town as well
as rural exploration. Their campsite offered plenty of room for
their 38-foot Dutch Star diesel
pusher, and the price was right,
they said.
Entrance fees to the park
are $4 a day for those 13 and
older. The park offers a dozen
campsites with electric and water
hookups at $17 a night, $102 a
week or $225 a month, and 17
campsites with electric, water and
sewer hookups at $20 per night,
$120 a week or $300 a month.
A handful of screened shelters
are also available. Reservations are
strongly recommended. For more
(top to bottom) The Sauer-Beckmann
Living History Farm recreates turnof-the-century farm life in Texas Hill
Country at the Lyndon B. Johnson State
Park and Historic Site. Stroll LBJ’s boyhood home, just across the street from
the Lyndon B. Johnson Visitor Center
in Johnson City.
Photo courtesy of Texas Tourism.
Pedernales Falls
State Park
Gigantic limestone slabs tilt like
tumbled playing cards to form the
spectacular spillway for Pedernales
Falls, the scenic focal point at
Pedernales Falls State Park. Formed
300 million years ago, the limestone
spillway creates a series of gradual
steps for the fickle Pedernales River,
which can shift from a gentle stream
to a raging torrent during a flash
flood. Photographs posted at the
trailhead of a hiking path leading
to a scenic overlook of the falls
show how quickly the transformation can occur, from a trickle to a
wall of roaring water in less than
five minutes. Visitors are cautioned
to be aware of sudden changes in
water flow or muddiness and to be
prepared to evacuate immediately.
Although the falls and the first
three miles of the river are closed to
swimming, wading and tubing, you’ll
find plenty of room for splashing
downstream, including a designated
swimming area and beach.
But this park offers much more
than water. More than 20 miles of
meandering trails cut through this
gentle, rolling landscape, passing
through lovely vistas sprinkled with
oak and juniper, pecan, elm, sycamore and walnut trees.
Hike up Wolf Mountain. Stroll
the wooded hills in search of the
threatened golden-cheeked warbler,
which nests at the park. Bring a
sketch pad and pastel chalks and
capture the memorable views. Grab
your bike and take a spin on wellpaved roadways. Though the park
isn’t really popular for fishing,
anglers say catfishing is good after
the river rises.
The vast sweep of open, undisturbed terrain and quiet, well-buffered camping spots make this park
Photo courtesy of Texas Tourism.
information, call (830) 833-4333. A
well-maintained restroom and shower house serves the campsites, which
feature asphalt pads. A dump station
is conveniently located.
Barb and Larry Stuber, of
Winnipeg, Manitoba, like the park
for its sense of small town serenity
— their Topaz Touring Edition fifthwheel trailer overlooked a bucolic
farm field this year. This marks the
fourth winter they’ve come to Texas,
and they can’t say enough about its
state parks.
“We like that it’s quiet here and
patrolled regularly, and it’s easy
to take day trips into San Marcos
or over to Marble Falls,” Larry
explained.
YOGI BEAR and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Hanna-Barbera.
(s07)
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Inks Lake
State Park
Massive chunks of pink granite
outcroppings and a sparkling high
country lake define Inks Lake
State Park, the northernmost point
on our trek.
At 803 acres, Inks Lake is
actually one of the smaller lakes
created by dams that the Lower
Colorado River Authority constructed in central Texas. But with
its clear water, scenic vistas, wellmarked hiking trails, a nine-hole
golf course, and towering granite
hills, the park is extremely popular year-round — especially on
weekends.
The 1,200-acre park hugs the
shoreline along a peninsula that
juts into Inks Lake. Even the drive
in is a feast for the eyes — a lovely contrast of pastel rocks, green
cedar and live oak woodlands,
and wide blue skies reflected in
the lake itself.
To reach the park, take Texas
Highway 29 west out of Burnet
for nine miles, turning onto Park
Road 4 for about three miles.
ROUTE 66
Regional ROUTE 66
RV Network® Dealers
Hayes RV Center
5009 Judson Rd.
Longview, TX 75605
(903) 663-3488
Pharr RV’s
320 N. Loop 289
Lubbock, TX 79403
(806) 765-6068
RV Outlet Mall
4500 S. IH 35/Exit 259
Georgetown, TX 78627
(512) 930-4922
14
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Vol. 3 / No. 2
Toppers’
Camping Center
17930 Northwest Fwy.
Houston, TX 76117
(713) 896-8441
United RV Center
5100 Airport Fwy.
Ft. Worth, TX 76117
(817) 834-7141
A colorful bit of folk art rises above the street in downtown Johnson City.
Photo courtesy of Texas Tourism.
cially
in warm Beebe
weather. Lapriore
delightful surprise.
By
Elaine
The park lies due east of
“We go to all the state parks,
Johnson City, boyhood home of but this is the first time we’ve
former U.S. President Lyndon come here — I thought it was
Baines Johnson, and a color- solely a day-use park,” admitted
ful little berg in itself. To reach Joe Anderson, who was camping
Pedernales Falls State Park from with wife Kathy and son Cody in
U.S. 281, head east on County their tiny TAB trailer.
Road 2766 (also called FM 2766,
“We love the privacy and we’re
or Farm-to-Market Road) and fol- avid hikers, so for us, it’s perfect.”
low the well-marked signs. From
If you tire of the scenery,
Austin, follow U.S. 290 to County Pedernales Falls State Park also
Road 3232 and head north.
makes a good base for regional
You’re in genuine cowboy sightseeing.
country now, and all signs point
Nine miles to the west in
to it, from grazing livestock — Johnson City, you can find good
which can range from longhorns Mexican food, lively watering holes,
to llamas — to the occasional cat- quaint shops, and history galore. Be
tle guard grates on the roadways. sure to stop by the General Store
White-tailed deer, wild turkey, on U.S. 281 and sample locally
raccoons, quail and long-legged famous Whittington’s Jerky. You’ll
heron are native to the area, and also find several private RV parks
often easy to spot.
in the immediate vicinity that cater
Stop at the entrance to absorb the to “wintering Texans.”
layout of the park — once the Circle
Be sure to visit the LBJ Visitor
Bar Ranch — which stretches across Center near downtown Johnson
some 5,217 acres. Entrance fees are City to learn more about “the last
$5 per day, per person 13 and older of the frontier presidents.” Further
for day visitors and $3 a day for west, off U.S. 290, is the Lyndon
overnight guests. For information, B. Johnson State Park and Historic
call (830) 868-7304.
Site, where you can visit an authenFor our money, this park offered tic working frontier farm that demsome of the best campsites — attrac- onstrates the dress and lifestyle of
tive, well-spaced and lushly wooded typical Hill Country farm life at the
—within easy walking distance of turn of the century.
both the river and scenic overlooks.
Bus tours are offered along
Showers, restrooms and a dump sta- the Pedernales River and onto the
tion are available. The park offers LBJ Ranch and LBJ birthplace.
69 campsites with electric and water The park is also noted for an
hookups at $20 a night.
explosion of spring wildflowers,
To the Anderson family, of so don’t forget a camera.
Photo courtesy of Texas Tourism.
an enormous hit with visitors. Cibolo, Texas, Pedernales State
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Reservations are a must, espe- Park campground proved a
Cut through layers of limestone by
underground streams, Longhorn
Cavern State Park offers guided
tours through the natural cave system,
hiking and picnic sites. Paddle boats,
canoes and kayaks can be rented
on-site at Inks Lake State Park.
You can also take County Road
1431 west out of Marble Falls to
County Road 2342, then north on
Park Road 4. Either way, stop in
Burnet or Marble Falls to fill up
on gas and groceries.
While campsites at the lake are
abundant, they tend to be more
open, with less vegetation and
privacy. The upside? There probably isn’t a campsite available that
doesn’t afford a decent view of the
lake. In fact, many will place you
quite close to the lake front.
The park offers 50 campsites
with water hookups for $12 a
night and 137 paved campsites
with electric and water hookups at
$18 a night. All are equipped with
picnic tables, fire rings and lantern
standards. For information, call
(512) 793-2223.
Though no sites offer sewer
hookups, a dump station is easily
accessible. Visitors can choose
from no less than eight restroom/
shower houses throughout the
park. Because of heavy weekend
day use, you may want to reconsider a lake front campsite if you
seek to escape noise and congestion and desire more shade.
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and an amphitheater that plays host
grounds that we saw on this trip, educational and historical lectures.
By Elaine Beebe Lapriore
two lighted fishing piers, with a
Boating and fishing are popuscreened-in fish-cleaning station, lar at Inks Lake, where anglers
It’s hard to resist a hike up the rocky hillside at Enchanted Rock State
Park, a spectacular attraction steeped in mystical lore just north of
Fredericksburg.
Good Eats, Great Sites:
• World-class, cowboy-style barbecue at Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Q,
505 West Dallas St., Llano.
• Watch eagles from aboard the Vanishing Texas River Cruise, west of
Burnet on the eastern shore of Lake Buchanan.
• Enjoy hand-made tamales at Tamale King, 15405 E. State Hwy. 29,
Buchanan Dam.
• Take a canoe tour of Devil’s Waterhole or rent a kayak and explore it
yourself at Inks Lake State Park.
• Follow an underground guided tour of Longhorn Cavern State Park,
then climb the observation tower to catch a glimpse of the curious
Falkenstein Castle.
• Float in an inner tube down the Guadelupe River at Guadelupe River
State Park.
• Indulge in Gulf Coast seafood with Cajun flair at Llaneaux Seafood
House, 102 Legion Dr., Llano.
• Take a National Park Service guided bus tour along the Pedernales
River and on to the LBJ Ranch, Johnson City.
• Enjoy an evening of fine dining (Thursday-Saturday), a homestyle supper
(Sunday through Wednesday) or a rib-sticking breakfast (any day)
at the acclaimed Silver K Cafe, in the Old Lumber Yard complex,
209 E. Main St., Johnson City.
• Cool off with a river swim at Pedernales State Park or Blanco State Park.
• Quench your thirst at the award-winning Fredericksburg Brewing
Company, said to be the oldest brew pub in Texas.
• Load up on provisions at the Wal-Mart Supercenter, at Marble Falls, or
the HEB grocery store, in Burnet.
(For more information on Texas Hill Country, check
www.hill-countryvisitor.com/ or www.texashillcountry.com.)
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regularly snag bass, catfish, crappie, shad and blue gill. Two fishing piers and the towering granite
rocks around Devil’s Waterhole,
a scenic cove at the easternmost
flank of the lake, are popular
perches for fishing.
Diving from the tall rocks
around Devil’s Waterhole is a traditional summertime activity, but
park rangers stress that it is dangerous, as underwater hazards exist
in the lake and no lifeguards are
posted on duty. Canoe tours are
offered of the area through park
headquarters, where you can also
rent canoes, kayaks and paddle
boats on an hourly or daily basis.
The region is noted for its wildlife, including bald eagles — especially November through March
— armadillos, great blue herons,
and the white-tail deer that wander
freely among the campgrounds.
The area is fun to explore on
foot, and color-coded hiking trails
can help you on your way. Pick
up maps and directions at the park
headquarters, or hop in your car
and see even more.
If you return to Park Road 4 and
head south, you’ll reach Longhorn
Cavern State Park, a natural underground cave carved over thousands
of years by water and limestone
bedrock and one of the few riverformed caverns in Texas. Daily
tours are offered every day of the
week for about $10 a person, or $6
for children ages 2 to12.
Prefer a daylight hike? Grab
a guide sheet and wander the
Backbone Ridge Trail, an easy
one and a half hour stroll. Be sure
to take time to climb the observation tower, built by CCC workers
in the 1930s, for a breathtaking
view, complete with a startling
peek at a distant castle, which
juts up amid the rolling oak-juniper hill country like a fantastic
mirage.
A private residence developed by Texas businessman Terry
Young, the structure was built from
original architectural drawings of
a never-completed castle commissioned by King Ludwig, II, of
Bavaria. Though Young and his
wife, Kim, live there, it is opened
to the public for weddings.
For more impressive views
of rugged limestone bluffs and
waterfalls, consider taking the
Vanishing Texas River Cruise on
nearby Lake Buchanan, where you
can observe one of the largest colonies of bald eagles that migrate
to Texas from mid-November
through mid-March. You can also
catch a colorful eruption of spring
wildflowers April through June.
For more information, call (800)
728-8735 or visit www.vtrc.com.
Enchanted Rock
State Natural Area
Tonkawa Indians believed that
ghost fires flickered at the top
of this magnificent granite dome,
which towers 425 feet above Big
Sandy Creek — a mystical lore
heightened by stories that you
could hear the rock “crying,” with
creaks and groans.
Today, geologists credit those
sound effects to the rock’s expansion during hot days and contraction on cool nights. In fact,
Enchanted Rock truly is a natural
wonder, one of the largest batholiths — underground rock formations uncovered by erosions — in
the United States. Covering some
640 acres, the pink granite dome
can be seen for miles, a clear centerpiece of the park.
In effect, this rock is to Texas
what Ayers Rock is to Australia —
big, beautiful and not to be missed.
Though humans have visited
the region for over 11,000 years,
the area won designation as a
Photo courtesy of Texas Tourism.
Other amenities include one
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Trip
of the better picnic
area/playto musical
performances as well as
Rock climbing is permitted at
Enchanted Rock, but check in at park
headquarters for a list of established
routes and climbing rules.
National Natural Landmark in
1970 and opened as a public park
in 1984. Unfortunately, only tent
camping and primitive backpacking are allowed — that means no
RVs or even pop-up trailers.
But that shouldn’t stop you
from making a point to visit, especially if you’re already in the
area, and close to many other RV
camping options. Be aware that
Enchanted Rock often reaches full
parking capacity on weekends and
can sometimes close as early as 11
a.m., generally reopening around
5 p.m. To be safe, call ahead at
(325) 247-3903.
Enchanted Rock State Natural
Area covers over 1,643 acres of
mesquite grassland and scattered
oak groves about 18 miles north
of Fredericksburg. To reach it, take
Texas Highway 16 south of Llano,
veering west on Ranch Road 965.
The drive in can be an adventure.
Watch for grazing cattle, who have
free run of the road.
The park is an excellent place
to stretch your legs and expand
your lungs. Stroll the flatlands
along Big Sandy Creek, which is
Where to Stay:
• Blanco State Park, south edge of Blanco (830) 833-4333
• Canyon of the Eagles Lodge and Nature Park, Hwy. 2341, NE.,
Lake Buchanan, Burnet (800) 977-0081
• Fredericksburg KOA, 5681 U.S. Hwy. 290 E. Fredericksburg
(830) 997-4796
• Guadelupe River State Park, eight miles west of U.S. 281 on Texas Hwy. 46,
three miles on Park Rd. 31, (830) 438-2656
• Inks Lake State Park, nine miles west of Burnet off Texas Hwy. 29 on
Park Rd. 4, (512) 793-2223
• Llano RV River Park, at the Llano River and U.S. Hwy. 87, (866) 640-9696
• Miller Creek RV Park, 5618 U.S. Hwy. 281 S., Johnson City
(830) 868-2655
• Pedernales Falls State Park, nine miles east of Johnson City on County Rd. 2766,
(830) 868-7304
• Rio Vista Resort, 234 Rio Vista Dr., Kingsland (325) 388-6331
• River View RV Park, Hwy. 281, Marble Falls (830) 693-3910
• Road Runner RV Park, 501 U.S. Hwy. 281-290 S., Johnson City (830) 868-7449
• Sunset Point on Lake LBJ, 2322 N. Wirtz Dam Rd., Marble Falls (830) 798-8199
To make reservations at any Texas State Park, call (512) 389-8900.
rich in bird life, pack a picnic and
enjoy the view, or follow eight
miles of hiking trails that lace the
park property.
It’s hard to resist a climb to the
top of Enchanted Rock, which can
be reached by a relatively quick,
though steep, trail or a longer, but
slightly less rigorous trek. (Note:
Bikes are not permitted on hiking
trails.) Wear sturdy, rubber-soled
hiking shoes, a hat and plan to
carry water. The climb is challenging, but doable, even for children
and fit seniors. And the panoramic
view from the top is extraordinary. Once you return, grab a cold
glass of lemonade at a refreshment
kiosk, conveniently located by the
restrooms at the trailhead.
The area is also open to technical and rock climbing, but climbers
must check in at park headquarters
for a list of over 45 established
route maps and climbing rules;
bolts and pitons are not allowed.
Another bonus: Due to its isolated location, Enchanted Rock
State Natural Area is noted for
splendid, clear night skies with
minimal light pollution — perfect
for stargazing.
On your way out, consider
swinging south into charming
Fredericksburg, a charming, bustling town with a pronounced
German-American heritage. Grab
some home-cooked Bavarian fare,
browse antique stores or duck
into the Fredericksburg Brewing
Company for a beer and a hot
pretzel. You’ve earned it. 
ALWAYS ASK FOR MOR.
MOR/ryde Pin Box
®
Provides more “travel”
resulting in a smoother,
nearly jerk-free towing
experience.
MOR/ryde RE System
®
MORE RVS FEATURE MOR/RYDE®
THAN ANY OTHER TOW-SYSTEM ON THE ROAD…
BECAUSE PEOPLE DEMAND PERFORMANCE.
But don’t just take our word for it. Take it from one of the thousands of RV
owners who make MOR/ryde the most requested system on the market …
MOR/ryde®
4
EquaFlex®
E-Z Flex®
Stock
3
2
1
1
“We had tried the TrailAir® Center Point and TrailAir® Pin Box but had both a rough ride in
the truck and in the 5VER. We sought out help with little resolve. Now we are very happy and
have a smooth ride in both the truck and the 5VER with the MOR/ryde package. In the future
we will go MOR/ryde all the way!”
1.5
2
FORCE (G)
MOR IS BETTER.
-N. Crenshaw
TO REQUEST A FREE BROCHURE, VISIT US AT WWW.MORRYDE.COM.
SUSPENSION TRAVEL (Inches)
Offers 30% improvement
in dampening road shock,
providing smoother towing
and better trailer protection.
SMOOTHING OUT THE ROUGH SPOTS.
Studies show that MOR/ryde products
consistently outperform competing products,
offering more “travel” (non-impact movement)
than other tow-systems.
17
Scenic Route
Vol. 3 / No. 2