Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is opening a new trailhead at Honey Creek State Natural Area on Aug. 8, welcoming visitors to a site previously open through guided access only, according to an Aug. 7 news release from the agency.
The opening marks the first phase of a multi-phase development for the natural area in Spring Branch, with a Public Use Plan informing what will take place in future phases, the agency said. The change gives Texans self-guided access to a Hill Country landscape that has long required a guide to visit.
The trailhead provides access to 3.5 miles of hiking trail in the southwestern portion of the park, with access hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the release. Visits are by reservation only through the TPWD website, the agency’s call center, or a QR code on site. The entrance is off Park Road 31, and gate codes are provided to visitors with reservations through their confirmation email. Trail maps are available online or in person at the adjacent Guadalupe River State Park headquarters.
The agency advised visitors to bring plenty of water, as no public refill station is available, though a restroom is located at the trailhead. The new trails explore the oak savannah that serves as the watershed of Honey Creek, while weekly guided hikes from Guadalupe River State Park remain the way to view the creek itself.
Honey Creek State Natural Area is part of the Guadalupe River State Park complex, with land acquired partially from the Texas Nature Conservancy in 1985, from a private individual in 1988, and a final parcel added in 2023, the release noted. The Public Use Plan covering the entire natural area was presented at public meetings in Bulverde and New Braunfels on July 22 and 23, and a post-meeting questionnaire remains open until Aug. 21 in both English and Spanish.