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Guadalupe River State Park
3350 Park Rd 31About
The Guadalupe River, with banks lined by huge bald cypress trees, is the park's most outstanding natural feature. On its winding path through the park, the river courses over four natural rapids; and two steep limestone bluffs reflect its awesome erosive power. Trees in lower elevations and bottom lands include sycamore, elm, basswood, pecan, walnut, persimmon, willow, and hackberry. In the uplands away from the river, the limestone terrain is typical of the Edwards Plateau and has oak and juniper woodlands, with interspersed grasslands. One area of virgin Ashe juniper woodland provides the proper nesting habitat for the rare golden-cheeked warbler. In addition to numerous species of birds, the park supports a wide variety of wild animals including white-tailed deer, coyote, gray fox, skunk, raccoon, opossum, bobcat, and armadillo. Other smaller species abound, and efforts of wildlife observers are usually well-rewarded. Nearby attractions include Honey Creek State Natural Area and Blanco State Park; in San Antonio, the Casa Navarro State Historic Park and the Mission San Jose. The park has 4 miles of river frontage and is located in the middle of a 9-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River. Park visitors may enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including canoeing, fishing, swimming, tubing, picnicking, hiking, and camping. Opportunities also exist for less vigorous but more serene pursuits, such as bird watching and nature study. There is a two-hour guided interpretive tour of the adjacent Honey Creek State Natural Area. The tour emphasizing history, geology, flora, and fauna is given Saturday at 9:00 a.m.; call park to confirm. The park is located 30 miles north of San Antonio at the north end of Park Road 31. It may be reached by traveling west on State Highway 46, 8 miles west of the intersection of State Highway 46 and US Highway 281 or by traveling eastward on State Highway 46, 13 miles east of Boerne.
