Palmetto State Park Campground

The park itself is why we stopped here. The camping is fine. This was the only state park within an hour that had availability on a weekend without advanced reservation.

Pros: The park is beautiful. The trails are nice flat and easy. Very picturesque.

Cons: it is further than other parks if you are trying to be close to San Antonio, Austin, or even Lockhart. Each camping spot is pretty wide open and you can see several neighbors. Not incredibly private like some of the other state parks.

Really enjoyed our stay here. It was such a neat nature mix with the dwarf palms everywhere. Lots of trails to hike and bike. Even went running down the main road one morning, which was quite the trek. Small campground, I think there is only 19 spots and we were #19. Clean showers with good water pressure. In the middle of the night and early that morning I smelt a sulfur smell which later on the camp host said it was due to the boils in the area. They let off a certain smell when it gets around a certain cold temperature. It did dissipate as the morning went on. Camp host was very nice and informative about the trails as well. Heard lots of wildlife; however, we weren't sure what type of animals they were. Went in to Lockhart (about 30 min) to try the bbq because it is the bbq capital of Texas. We would've liked to stay here longer but spots were not available when we checked to extend our stay.

There was an area that you could drive to and launch kayaks or a boat but we did not do this while we were here.

We were here in mid March for two nights. This park has 2 separate campgrounds, on with water and electric and full hookups and one with water only. These were our first nights to camp without electricity so we stayed in the water only sites.

This campground had beautiful easy paths. This is one of the most uniquely beautiful parks we have visited.

Here is a link to a video of this park:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zYwmKxr3Dw

Would have given 5 stars but did have issues with electricity. Found our plug burnt at end of stay. Neighbors next to us site 11 had water pressure issues. With that being said it was a beautiful park with the best trails. Would love to go back but afraid because of voltage issues.

Stayed here the middle of December '19 and truly enjoyed the small park atmosphere in the thickly wooded surroundings with an abundance of trail hiking opportunities, as well as the resort like facilities that were very well maintained. The park is simply a very beautiful park to stroll through no matter which trail you should choose, and a very quiet park in which to camp. The city of Gonzales is a short drive for any in town needs/desires and also contains some historical stops that I advise favorably. The site, #3, was level and spacious, emphasis on both. Some others near the end of the loop on the outside were sloped. Definitely will return here.

We camped here for 3 nights with reservations made 151 days prior to arriving.
19 RV sites in the RV camping loop with sites "inside" the loop fairly close to one another. Outside loop sites had nice distance between sites. No vegetation between sites to shield from neighbors.
Park headquarters check-in is in the village of Ottine. There are no security gates.
Quiet campground - no road noise. A distant train whistle from time to time. Coyotes howled every night. The only wildlife we saw were squirrels.
Narrow roadway from FM 2091 to RV campground.
Water had a sulfur smell.
The toilet/shower facility was VERY clean. This facility is not only utilized by the 19 campsites but also day users of the trails and CCC pavilion. So a lot of traffic thru this facility, especially on weekends. This speaks volumes of the camp hosts who we saw cleaning frequently.
Shady campsites are narrow, fairly level asphalt pads with trees near the edges causing creative parking for those with slide-outs. We were unable to deploy our awning due to the number of close trees.

Ice and firewood for sale at camp host site.
Eight different trails available within this park. Longest 1.25 miles. Very good condition. Crushed granite and boardwalks.
Beautiful CCC constructed pavilion with a terrific view of the San Marcos River from the back patio.
Never saw a park ranger drive through the RV campground during our stay.

Clean, well kept. Great space for families. Trails are relatively short, but shaded and nicely kept. This isn’t a park you go to for wilderness experiences. It is a great space to relax, enjoy some easy nature walks, the river, and just get away. Firewood for sale in the campground. Sites are mostly level with good tree coverage, but unless you’re on the end of the loop (like me!) not very spaced out. Appreciated having a fire pit and stand up grill.

Palmetto State Park is a small and beautiful campground. We were surprised by how much we all liked the park. And yes I read the reviews, and yes everyone seems to really enjoy this park, but I was sure that with it being so small, that we'd likely run out of things to keep the kids (and myself) interested. Well, sure enough, the manicured trails, the diverse and prehistoric vibe of the flora, the river, the lake, the wildlife and the scenery kept everyone loving the park. We stayed for 4 nights and it was not nearly long enough. We are really looking forward to getting back to Palmetto SP in the future.

And as an FYI for the Mountain Bikers - this park didn't have anything technical or challenging. It's all beginner level trails. But they are beautiful, well maintained, and easy to ride. Not an MTB destination by any means, but still worth the trip. You'll be able to get several laps in without breaking a sweat, but you'll certainly have a smile on your face. Also, the Seguin MTB skills park is close enough, that you can stay at Palmetto SP and go visit the MTB skills park if you want to get your mtb fix in.

This is a very nice, green, and shady park!

It offers camping, picnicking, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, playgrounds, and boating. For boating, you can launch your own, or rent a kayak through Paddle EZ.

The park has many trails available for hikers and bikers. It also has structures that were built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and an informative and scenic interpretive trail.
There are a wide range of accommodations ranging from tent sites with water only, RV sites with water and electric, 1 full hookup RV site, and 1 mini-cabin. Some sites are very level, while others have a slope. Water and electric supplies are good, although the water does smell like sulfur. On the technology side, we received a few over-the-air TV stations, from Austin and San Antonio, but they were weak. Also got decent cell phone service from Verizon.

The park was quiet and peaceful, and it's sites are very shady to help keep you cool.

This nature-obsessed family couldn’t ask for much more. Large, pretty campsites with gorgeous stargazing, owls calling, coyotes howling, armadillos scavenging, leaf cutter ants harvesting, dwarf palmetto fanning out all around. Tons of hiking within walking distance of our site, clean bathrooms, friendly park hosts. We can’t wait for our next visit!