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Gonzales, TX 78629
tourgonzales@gonzales.texas.gov
(830) 519-4448
www.gonzales.texas.gov/p/departments/tourgonzales
Touch Grass in Gonzales: A Weekend Guide to Texas's Most Underrated Outdoors Town
The city of Gonzales is sure to jog the memory of everyone who went to school in Texas. It’s the town where the Texas Revolution started and the rebel yell of “Come and Take It” waved wild in the sky. What they might not have taught you in school, however, is that Gonzales also happens to be one of the better cities in the state for a weekend outdoors.
That bold claim comes largely from the fact that the city boasts three distinct experiences, each among the best in their class. We’re talking about a “tropical oasis” state park, paddling trails on the famous Guadalupe River, and hunting ranches stocked with over 300 animals.
Wait, wait, we know it sounds good but don’t leave just yet! You have to read the rest of the article first!
Walk a Tropical Oasis at Palmetto State Park
Everyone knows Texas is huge and blessed with a variety pack of terrain. But from the piney woods in east Texas to the deserts of the west, you won’t find anything quite like Palmetto State Park. It’s 270 acres of what looks more like the swamps of Florida than Texas, due in no small part to the abundance of the park’s namesake, the dwarf palmettos. No, some eccentric rich guy from the 19th century didn’t plant them there; it’s actually due to the artesian well beneath the park that pushes warm groundwater to the surface and creates a subtropical ecosystem right in central Texas. Oh, Texas, will your wonders never cease?
The very same geological circumstances are what cause the park’s ephemeral swamp (“ephemeral,” in this case, referring to the swamp coming and going with the rainy season). If you visit during a wet spring, it’ll be like walking through a wetland. Come in the dry summer and it’s dryland under a lush, green canopy. Both experiences are worth the trip.
Beyond the hydrological surprises, the stonework of the Palmetto State Park deserves an equal amount of praise. The Civilian Conservation Corps, a public relief program part of Roosevelt’s New Deal, built the park’s refectory, water tower, and a network of trails and bridges in the 1930s. And that masonry has aged well—no shortcuts or cheap materials here. Take a walk through the park and you’ll be walking on Depression-era handiwork that’s far outlived the program that built it.
And let’s not forget about Oxbow Lake, which sits near the park’s center and is a designated hot spot on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. If you’re more into surf than turf, bring your fishing pole because they’re always biting.
Fish and Paddle the Guadalupe River in Gonzales
Not one, but two paddling trails run along the famous Guadalupe River through Gonzales County, and both carry names every Texan holds with reverence. There’s the Independence Paddling Trail and the Come and Take It Paddling Trail. Before you roll your eyes, these names aren’t gimmicks, as the river is where some of the Texas Revolution’s earliest moments actually happened. Paddling these stretches puts you on water that Texas history flowed through before pooling in the history books.
And the fishing? It doesn’t get much better. Where the river runs through Gonzales, it tends to be warmer and slower, making it prime real estate for largemouth bass, Guadalupe bass (the official state fish), catfish, and sunfish. Don’t let the summer heat scare you away either, as the river is liberally shaded by mature cypress, pecan, and sycamore trees.
The Hunt for the Perfect Hunting Spot is Over
Gonzales sits in the part of Texas where hunting isn’t a hobby so much as a regional pastime. It should come as no surprise then that the ranches around town are some of the better-stocked in the whole state. We could go on and on, but let’s look at two of the most notable ranches.
The first is MKT Ranch, which runs 360 acres and has more than 300 animals across a variety of species included, but not limited to, Red Stag, blackbuck, oryx, sitka, Texas Dall, aoudad, and Rio Grande turkey. If you want Thanksgiving dinner as fresh as possible, this is your place. Even better, the onsite lodging keeps you on the property between hunts and there’s even an in-house butcher that will cut up your meat for you. By the time you get home, you’re ready to grill.
Then there’s Lester Ranch, a family-owned ranch with a focus on whitetail. It’s where you’re going to get that old-school, steady pace of a Texas deer hunt. During the off-hours, the ranch also has stocked fishing ponds for winding down and reeling in.
And yes, both ranches take care of everything most traveling hunters need: licenses, processing, lodging, and any gear that fell out of the truck when you took that sharp turn into Buc-ee’s on the way over.
Plan Your Outdoor Weekend in Gonzales, TX
In Gonzales, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen have their pick of three experiences, none quite like the other, but all within driving distance of the same town square. Find the hike you least expected at Palmetto State Park, canoe down a historic river at the Guadalupe, and bring home the beef at one of the premium hunting ranches.
Come and take your next weekend vacation in Gonzales, TX. Or do we need to write it on a flag?
About the Author: Hunter Lanier is the head writer and content specialist for Tour Texas. When he isn’t writing about the many great places in the state of Texas, he's reviewing upcoming films on his YouTube channel, Feature Underground.
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Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 519-4448
www.gonzales.texas.gov/p/departments/tourgonzales
