The South Llano River State Park Near Junction, Texas

Just south of Junction, Texas there is a 524-acre Texas State Park that rests against the South Llano River. Donated by Walter Buck to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1977, the State Park was open to the public in 1990 and offers water, woods and wildlife.

The facilities at the South Llano River State Park include 50 multi-use campsites with water and electrical hook-ups, a dump station, a park store, restrooms and showers. There are additional walk-in campsites that are no more than a 70-yard walk from the parking area. There is plenty of shade at the campsites and they all have barbeque grills and fire pits available.

The campsites are within walking distance of the 2 miles of river frontage within the state park. Tubes can be rented from the park store to float on the river. There are 4 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails within the park including Fawn Trail, a moderate 3-mile loop.

Visitors to the South Llano River State Park should not overlook the adjoining Walter Buck Wildlife Management Area. This is 2,155 acres of pure Texas Hill Country with an additional 16 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails and 18 blinds for wildlife viewing.

Wildlife Viewing

The bottomland of the South Llano River State Park is home to one of the largest and oldest Rio Grande turkey roosts in Texas. Observation blinds are set up throughout the bottomland for park visitors to hide in to try to catch a glimpse of these awesome birds. The turkey roosting area is closed to visitors from October to March. The blinds are available to see turkeys moving in and out of the roosting area. The State Park and Wildlife Management Area are also home to whitetail deer, javelin, fox, wood duck, beaver, bobcat and several exotic animals such as Axis Deer, Black Buck Antelope and Fallow Deer.

River Rafting

The LlanoRiver is one of Central Texas' favorite kayaking and rafting rivers. The South Llano River is calmer than the North Llano River and more suited for tubing and beginning river rafters. The state park rents tubes and there are several guide services in Junction that will provide guided rafting and kayaking trips, rental equipment, or shuttle services. If you float the entire 2 miles of river within the park, it is a ¾-mile hike back to camp.

Junction is a small town with some very good barbeque restaurants to try if you get tired of cooking in camp. The South Llano River State Park has a professional staff that is Texas friendly and has many activities for visitors to enjoy from viewing exotic and unique wildlife to whitewater rafting. The South Llano River State Park is another one of Texas' treasures.

Resources

South Llano River State Park Website
Walter Buck Wildlife Management Area Website