Breaking Away
For a refreshing spring break, say good-bye to beach-party madness and spend some time with nature.
Washington-On-The-Brazos State Historical Park is called the birthplace of Texas because of this modest building, Independence Hall.
Photograph by Elisa Bock
DURING SPRING BREAK, THE GULF COAST resort town of South Padre becomes similar to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Anything goes and often does. The beach is crowded with college students (some high school kids make the trek too) geared up for the biggest party of the year. Not surprisingly, the smell of beer masks the Gulf's salty breeze and the music blaring from boomboxes drowns out the sound of crashing waves. While some favor the partying on the beach, I prefer to avoid the inebriated masses. I jump in my car with some friends, a tent, a sleeping bag, and a backpack to cleave to Mother Nature for a few days of peace and quiet. There's nothing like the sunset, some fresh air, and my journal to rejuvenate my soul for another round of deadlines and exams.
Whether you like to backpack, rock climb, camp, or commune, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) (www.tpwd.state.tx.us) has the places and the facilities you need. With 122 parks, natural areas, and historical sites, TPW offers more than 600,000 acres for Texans to enjoy. Check out the free Park Information Guide (www.tpwd.state.tx.us), which provides a camper or visitor with everything he needs to know about any state park in Texas. Here is where to go to challenge your outdoor sensibilities for a week or a weekend.
ENCHANTED ROCK STATE NATURAL AREA
If you want adventure (and don't have time to drive to Big Bend), this is the park for you. Designed for the more rugged individual, Enchanted Rock, which is eighteen miles north of Fredricksburg on Ranch Road 965, offers hiking trails in addition to one of the more challenging rock climbing adventures in Texas. You'll find that the four-mile hiking trek that circles the Rock is not a walk in the park, but it's definitely worth the extra effort because of the breathtaking view. Perched atop the pink granite dome, you stand 425 feet above the ground, and on a sunny day, Little Sandy Creek, a small stream at the south side of the base of the Rock, catches the clouds' reflections, putting the sky at your feet. Rising from the rocky land like a sleeping turtle, the Rock has inherited a magical quality over the course of history. The Tonkawa Indians believed it was the dwelling of ghosts and thought they could hear the spirits' fires crackling and groaning. While geology has dismissed the legend (the disturbing noises are the sounds of the Rock cooling after being heated by the sun), this natural area has a spell that draws you in with its rough beauty and magnificence.
Naturally, such splendor makes this a very popular state park in any season, so TPW encourages you to arrive before 10 a.m., at which time you can usually get a campsite for the night, or make reservations (it frequently closes on the weekends and during spring break because it reaches capacity). The park is open to daytime visitors from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily ($5 per adult per day, senior citizens $3 per person, children 12 and under free). To camp, reservations are recommended (call 512-389-8900); no RVs or motorized-vehicle camping allowed. Campers with reservations can get in before or after the hours listed above. Tent site fees are $9 per night with an eight-person limit. Camping facilities, including restrooms with showers, are available. Campers need to bring their own firewood. Backpackers may only use designated camping areas ($7 per night with a four-person limit). Rock climbers are required to check in at the headquarters. For more information, call 915/247-3903 or log on to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/enchantd/.
LAKE MINERAL WELLS STATE PARK AND TRAILWAY
This is my favorite state park because there is so much and so little to do. If you want to be rugged and rough, you can hike and rock climb until your muscles ache and your skin is sunburned. The climbs vary in difficulty, so both a novice like myself and experts like my best friend and her husband can be challenged (we sometimes resort to cursing when we find our contorted bodies in positions we never even thought possible, especially at eight hundred feet in the air). Just remember when you are at the top and your nose touches the carabiner to make your favorite animal noise. Fellow rock climbers will get a kick out of it.
If you have had enough of mountain man antics, pitch a tent and relax near the cool waves of Lake Mineral Wells. At an outfitter shop, you can rent a paddleboat or a canoe and do some exploring—or my favorite activity, revel in the surrounding scenery while soaking in some rays and catching up on some reading. Besides the lake, the park is known for its blossoming wildflowers every spring. Enjoy fields of Indian paintbrush, bluebonnets, Mexican Hats, and morning glories.
The park, which is located four miles east of the town of Mineral Wells, is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ($3 entrance fee per person daily, senior citizens $1 per person, children 12 and under free). Note: The office doesn't open until 8 a.m., so if you intend to rock climb and get there early to explore, you'll have to return to the office to register. RVs and motorized camping welcome. Only eight people are allowed at one campsite, and there are restrooms with showers. No ground fires allowed; you can build fires in designated areas. There is an extra camping fee of $6 for primitive sites, $8 for water only, $11 for water and electricity, or $20 for screened shelters (great for large groups). The park usually reaches capacity on weekends beginning in March through November, so reservations are recommended. Don't worry about the park being too crowded, though. There is enough acreage, 3,282.5 acres to be exact, to go around. Rock climbers and rappelers are required to check in at the headquarters. For more information, call 940/328-1171 or log on to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/lakemine/"
RUSK AND PALESTINE STATE PARKS AND THE TEXAS STATE RAILROAD STATE HISTORICAL PARK
While the Rusk and Palestine state parks offer the traditional camping and fishing experience, the real reason to travel out to the Piney Woods is for the turn-of-the-century Texas State Railroad depots located in each park. Don't get me wrong. The parks are beautiful, but the sight of a steam-powered train was enough to make me forget about my natural surroundings and focus on the steel and smoke—at least for a little while.
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