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Colorado Bend State Park
Box 118
Bend, TX 76824
325/628-3240
The boat ramp is closed due to low water.
History: Colorado Bend State Park, a 5328.3-acre facility, is located west of Lampasas in San Saba and Lampasas counties. The park site was purchased partly in 1984, with the balance acquired in 1987; the park was subsequently opened in 1987.
The park is located on the Colorado River at the former sites of the Gorman and Lemons Ranches above Lake Buchanan.
Activities: The park currently offers the outdoor enthusiast access to primitive camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, paddling, birding and wildlife viewing, and guided tours of caves and waterfalls. The park has 26 miles of multi-use trails (hiking and mountain biking) and 4 miles of trail designated as hiking only. When river levels are normal (call for current conditions) paddlers can travel upstream as well as down to explore or access the park by river. When Lake Buchanan is near normal levels, the river is navigable from the park's boat ramp all the way to the lake, approximately 10 miles. In this area the river is characterized by slow moving water through the beautiful canyon lands of the Colorado, hazards include frequent low water levels and seasonal flood debris.
Tours:
Gorman Falls Tours: experience the unique beauty of this jewel of the hill country on a guided tour on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. The tour lasts about two hours and includes a 1 ½ mile round trip hike. Reservations are not taken for this tour. Gorman Falls is also accessible without a guide along the Gorman Falls Trail, a 3 mile round trip hike over rugged terrain.
Crawling Cave Tours: Explore what lies beneath the canyon lands of Colorado Bend. An experienced guide will lead you on a speleo-adventure through caves where you crawl, slide, and climb through small spaces and into large chambers. Be prepared to get dirty and maybe even soaked.
Due to various hazards in the caves such as low oxygen levels and poisonous gases and the fact that caves are non-renewable natural resources, all caves in the park are closed except by guided tour or special permit. Reservations are highly recommended for the cave tours due to the limited number of people which can be taken on any given tour. Contact the park (325/628-3240) to make reservations and check questionable weather conditions. Substantial footwear is recommended for all tours Check the Calendar for tour fees.
- Gorman Falls Tours - 2 p.m. Saturday (weather permitting).
- Crawling Cave Tours - 1 p.m. Saturday (resource and weather permitting)
Gorman Cave closed by TPWD Executive Order Number 10-005.
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department closed Gorman Cave to public access on July
29th, 2010 in accordance with the Department's White Nose Syndrome Action
Plan. Walking cave tours of Gorman Cave have been discontinued. The closure
was initiated to protect the habitat of a large colony of cave myotis bats
(Myotis velifer) in response to the threat of White Nose Syndrome reaching
Texas.
White Nose Syndrome affects hibernating bat species and so far is associated with the death of over one million bats. White Nose Syndrome was first discovered in New York State in 2006 and is spreading throughout the U.S. at an alarming rate; it has now been detected in western Oklahoma in cave myotis. There is so much about this wildlife crisis that is still unknown. In an attempt to protect the bats from accidental introduction of the pathogen by humans and to decrease disturbance to the colony TPWD is closing Gorman Cave and closely monitoring the bat population.
Still interested in Caving? Do you want to explore a wild cave? We invite you to participate in one of our weekly guided crawling tours (listed above) of other caves in the park that do not support sensitive bat colonies, call for details and reservations.
For information on volunteer opportunities at Colorado Bend State Park contact the park or go to the Friends of Colorado Bend website.
Area Attractions: Close by attractions include Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Fort Hood, and Lower Colorado River Authority parks.
Watch
YouTube video of the Park.- Check the Calendar for events and access restrictions scheduled within the next 3 months.
- More Information on outdoor activities from the Experience Texas page.
The main camping area offers drive-up sites (with picnic tables, fire rings with cooking grills, a lantern post, potable water in the area); riverbank tent sites (with picnic tables, fire rings with cooking grills, a lantern post, and potable water in the area); composting toilets, a fish-cleaning table, and a boat ramp.
There are also 2 back pack areas where you must carry everything you need and pack out absolutely all equipment and trash. No ground fires are allowed in backpacking areas (Bring containerized fuel to cook; nearest gas station is 35 miles away). The River Back Pack Area is about 1 mile from a compost toilet and 1.3 miles from a water faucet. The Windmill Back Pack Area is about 6 miles from a compost toilet and water faucet. Ground fires are also prohibited everywhere in the park except in designated fire rings in the main camping area.
There are also two group camping areas:
Live Oak Group Area (up to 24 people) where you can drive
to the site with picnic tables, a lantern holder, a large fire ring, and water
& compost toilet in area.
River Group Area (up to 48 people) where you can drive within
75 yards of the site with picnic tables, a lantern holder, a large fire ring,
and water & composting toilet within 1/4 mile.
- Fees
- Map
of Park
(PDF 128.8 KB)
Check
availability/make reservations for Colorado Bend S.P.
You can also make e-mail reservations,
fax reservations or phone
reservations.
Natural Features: Birders can enjoy viewing some of 155 species of birds found in the park, including specialties such as golden-cheeked warblers, black-capped vireos, and bald eagles. Gorman Falls is an impressive, 60-foot-high waterfall located on the western bank of the Colorado River on the northern end of the park. The Gorman Falls Area includes a portion of Gorman Creek and Gorman Spring which feeds Gorman Falls. The falls' travertine formations and associated lush vegetation are very scenic. Small travertine dams have formed quiet pools of clear water which support a variety of aquatic communities including one of the purest strains of our state fish, the Guadalupe Bass. The formations and habitat are very fragile so no swimming, wading, climbing or fishing is allowed on/in Gorman Falls, Creek, or Spring. Spicewood Springs Creek flows through a deep canyon on the southern end of the park providing spring fed swimming holes and small waterfall along its course.
Elevation: 1025 Ft. above sea level
Weather: January average is 46.2, July average is 85.9. First/last
freeze: November 20 / March 11.
Schedule: Open 7 days a week year-round, except for Public Hunts (which are held during the week) - Call or Check the Calendar for events and access restrictions scheduled within the next 3 months. Busy Season: Spring White Bass Run.
Directions: The park is west of Lampasas, southeast of San
Saba. From the intersection of US Highways 281 and 183 in Lampasas, take FM
580 west 24 miles to Bend and follow the signs 4 miles to the park entrance.
From San Saba, take US Highway 190 about 4 miles to FM 580 and follow the
signs 13 miles to Bend; follow the signs 4 miles to the park entrance (2 miles
of dirt road). The headquarters and main camping are 6 miles past the entrance
on the dirt road (unmarked County Road 442). (Access road subject to flooding.)
Note: No Gasoline Service in Bend.
Latitude (degrees, minutes, seconds) N: 31° 01' 22.40"
Longitude (degrees, minutes, second) W: 98° 26' 32.67"
Current conditions including, fire bans & water levels, can vary from day to day. For more details, contact the park.
