Colorado Bend State Park
Bend, Texas

Download a Park Map (PDF) - courtesy of TPWD

Located along 6 miles of Colorado River frontage, 5,328-acre Colorado Bend State Park is one of the lesser-developed state parks. Future development is planned for this picturesque park, but visitors will find many recreation opportunities are already available, such as primitive camping, fishing, swimming, picnicking, bicycling (Upper Gorman Creek Trail and River Trail only), and wildlife observation. When the water levels permit, boaters and paddlers can access 23,060-acre Lake Buchanan from the park's boat ramp on the Colorado River. Approximately 12 miles of trails are available for hiking and backpacking. Wildlife includes white-tail deer, Guadalupe bass, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, numerous song birds, armadillos, and squirrels.

One of the park's many gems is 60-foot high Gorman Falls which is accessible by tour only. The Gorman Falls tour is held on Saturdays and Sundays year-round and is available on a first come, first-served basis. Tours begin at 10 AM and 2 PM on Saturdays and 10 AM on Sundays.

Approximately 150 wild caves are located on the park property, several of which are accessible via "cave walking and cave crawling tours". Call the park for more information.

Park Rating Explanation of Symbols
Campsites/Overnight Facilities
Leashed Pets Permitted?	YES
Picnic Areas/Playgrounds
Solitude
Trail System
Water Recreation
Wildlife
Ratings are based on a scale of 0 to 4.

Shannon's Notebook

Bluffs on the Colorado River

Copyright © Justin W. Moore
See more photos at OutdoorPhoto.com

The unimproved road to the park is rough, consisting mainly of a washboard surface; however, standard passenger vehicles can navigate the road except during periods of flooding. Since some sections of the road pass through unfenced range land, visitors may occasionally encounter cattle ambling along the roadside. Justin and I have hiked along the Colorado River and a portion of the 2.7 mile Spicewood Springs Trail, a route which affords beautiful views of the river, steep bluffs, and sparkling streams. We hiked in mid-March and the park was literally crawling with armadillos.
For more information, read our trip report:

Weekend at Colorado Bend

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Location

Colorado Bend State Park is located approximately ten miles north of Lake Buchanan. The park is reachable by traveling from U.S. Highway 281 east to F.M. 580 for 13 miles to Bend, Texas. The entrance road to the park is a 4 mile unimproved road which may require travel via four-wheel-drive vehicle in wet weather. The entrance road passes through some unfenced private land, including some that is used for cattle grazing, so maintain a reasonable speed.
Map of Park's Location

For GPS Users: N 31° 3.65' W 098° 27.80' (WGS84/NAD83)
Convert to another coordinate sytem or map datum (Courtesy of Jeeep.com)

Hours

Open 7 days a week year-round from 8 AM to 10 PM for day use activities. A maximum of 300 vehicles are permitted in the park.

Check for restricted park access before any trip. When controlled public hunts are in progress, general access is not permitted.

Fees

A park entrance fee is charged per day -- $3 per person for adults 13 years of age and older. (Texas residents age 65 or older pay only $2 per person.)

Campsite and other facility fees are in addition to the park entrance fee. The Gorman Falls Tour fee is $4 per person for adults 13 years of age and older, and $2 per person for children 6 to 12 years of age; children under the age of 6 are free.

Note: Learn about the $60 Texas State Parks Pass which exempts passholders, and the passengers in their vehicle, from the entrance fees at all Texas State Parks.

Reservations

Reserve Now for campsites and other park facilities.

Reservations can also be made by calling TPWD's Central Reservation System at (512)389-8900 from 9 AM to 8 PM Monday through Friday, 9 AM to noon on Saturdays.

Events

Consult TPWD's Park Events Calendar for information on upcoming events at this park.

Weather

Volunteer Opportunities

Contact the Friends of Colorado Bend State Park, the officially recognized non-profit support group of Colorado Bend State Park, at P.O. Box 118, Bend, TX 76824.