Description of the Park and Natural Area
The State Park and State Natural area encompasses 4,699 acres in the Texas Hill Country on the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau. Straddling the boundary between Kendall and Comal counties, the Park and State Natural Area lie about 35 miles north of San Antonio and 30 miles northwest of New Braunfels.
The Guadalupe River divides the State Park into a northern section, known as the Bauer unit, containing 661 acres, and a southern section of 1,227 acres. The north section has 2.9 miles of river frontage, the south section 1.2 miles. The north section was acquired in 1974-1975, the south section in 1975. The Park opened to the public in 1983.
The State Natural Area contains 2,761 acres, bisected by Honey Creek, an approximately 2-mile long permanent stream. The area was acquired in 1985 and 1988. Due to the fragility and relatively pristine nature of the area, access is restricted to guided interpretive hikes and other supervised events and activities.
Annual Monarch and Friends Pollinator Fiesta March 30, 2024
The fiesta was a huge success, with nearly 350 visitors, many of them children. There were displays on beekeeping, butterflies, native plants and bats, and a tour of our wonderful habiscape. Park Ranger Jessica Bergner was on hand at the Discovery Center with displays and interpretation of the Park’s many plants and animals. Twelve volunteer organizations participated, lining the trail near the Discovery Center and Day-Use area with fun booths and activities.
This was a great way to get children excited about the natural world. Joyce Doyle, one of the visitors (and a member of the Friends of Guadalupe/Honey Creek) put it very well in an e-mail:
My three grandchildren loved the festival: the face painting was some of the best I’ve seen. The girls (7 and 4) loved all the arts and crafts and were able to tell me about the life cycle of the butterfly. The 9-year-old boy was able to give 5 new things he’d learned about pollinators (admittedly, I had promised him a surprise if he did), but they visited all the tables on the list. Bats and butterflies seemed to be the favorites though all the tables looked wonderfully inviting. Thanks to all the volunteers from all the organizations who took part. – Joyce Doyle
Thanks to the park staff, volunteers, and Friends of Guadalupe/Honey Creek for all their efforts to make this event a success. A special shout out to park interpreter Jessica Bergner and Friends members Charleen Moore and Doug Starasinic. Their efforts were what made this event a success!
