[upbeat music]
- Guadalupe River State Park
and Honey Creek State Natural Area.
We're located really close to San Antonio,
we're really close to Austin.
It's in this like, really cool little like, triangle
in the Texas Hill Country.
What we're known for, honestly, is the river.
We actually have about four miles of river frontage
on the Guadalupe River State Park side,
and on our Bauer Unit side,
our Northern portion across the river.
Saturdays and Sundays, we're packed with folks on the river.
There's an area where you can swim.
It's actually deep.
It's kind of over my head.
[water splashes]
Then there's an area where it's perfect for kids.
Most of our river is not even but knee deep.
- Good job.
- BARRETT: You can kayak, you can inner tube.
You can swim, you can fish.
I mean, whatever.
- GIRL: Got one!
- DAD: Hold him up to the camera.
[fish flopping]
- Uh oh.
- We have about 2,000 acres of the park itself,
and then about 2,000 acres all
at Honey Creek State Natural Area,
which is really special as well.
It's estimated that the creek in that area
looks a lot like it did a few hundred years ago
when the German settlers were here, which is really unusual.
It's very fragile, it's pristine,
and that's why you can only
visit Honey Creek State Natural Area with a guided program.
You can't just go on your own and explore
like you can with the park.
- BARRETT: One of my favorite portions
of Guadalupe River State Park is gonna be in the Bauer Unit,
and it's on the northern portion of the park.
It's kind of like this little hidden gem still
that not a ton of people have figured out about.
[upbeat music]
- ROB: We've probably ridden here a dozen times or so.
The crowds are pretty, pretty, pretty manageable,
especially during the week cause it's a little bit
out of the way, and it's got a varied terrain,
so it's good place to start a person, there's some easy stuff,
and then there's some more challenging stuff as well.
I've forgotten how chunky it is in here.
All that chunky goodness.
[upbeat music]
- HOLLY: Of course the Discovery Center,
that's not the nature of the park,
but that's where we share the nature of the park
with families, and it's really unique.
It's great for families, but not just for kids.
It's kinda self-led, so we have someone there to guide you.
There's really cool hands-on displays.
Push a button and see this slide out
or push this button and listen to a frog chirp.
And then we have countertop displays like bird nests,
and animal bones, maybe animal furs,
depending, we switch em out so it keeps it new and fresh.
Is this anybody's first time in the park?
- BIRDER: Yeah. - Really?
- BIRDER: This is the first time I've been here.
- Yay! I'm so glad!
Today we're going to do birding with the ranger.
We're gonna walk to the bird blind which is where
we put out bird seed and there's water for the birds,
and it's awesome place to see the wild birds.
Oh, there's a painted bunting.
It's like a rainbow bird.
He's at the tube feeder.
And the cardinal's there too.
Oh, so pretty.
Have you seen one before?
Isn't it gorgeous?
The cardinal's like, I'm pretty too.
Our prize bird is the golden cheeked warbler
which is endangered.
It's a true Texas native.
It only nests in the Hill Country.
Only place in the world.
Oh, where'd it go?
He'll be back.
They eat bugs, so they're not gonna come to the bird seed,
but they come to the fountain as you can see.
- What I would like to invite people to do is
to come visit their Texas state park.
Bring your inner tube,
bring your kayak, bring your mountain bike,
bring your shoes, your running gear, whatever,
and enjoy an entire day.
Get here early, stay late,
and have a great day.