Colorado Bend Foliage

— It is fall in Texas. So, the search for fall foliage is on all over the state. In Central Texas in the Hill Country, many state parks are flooded with people trying to capture colors in a state park or another. Just earlier this November, some friends and I went to Garner SP, where I had previously experienced a lot of fall color in previous years. This year, however, we were there just at the beginning of the fall foliage display. In fact, that week was instrumental in setting the tone around the Austin area. There was a major cold front back then. Once that happens, it’s just a matter of 7-10 days before colors tend to peak. So, I planned an outing to Colorado Bend SP, just about an hour and a half from Austin.

When folks think of Colorado Bend SP, Gorman Falls is a must-see place, especially if there has been some rain. This time, however, in addition to visiting the falls, I also wanted to discover new trails I had not done before. Spending three days in the park allowed me ample time to do just that. Although several places in the park displayed fall foliage, two particular areas were noteworthy. One was the Spicewood Springs trail. The other was a trail I had seen every single time I did the Gorman Falls trail: the Tie Slide trail. So, having read the park information about the expansive views of the Colorado River from an overlook 200 feet (61 meters) above the river, we decided to check it out. The trail was really nice and very shaded. Again, there were sections with plenty of rocks. We had to watch every single step. At the end of the trail, when we arrive at the overlook deck — it is called Rusty’s Roost — we are blessed with gorgeous views of the Colorado River. We admired the beauty of the Hill Country and the changing colors of the trees along the river. Just around that bend is the location of Gorman Falls.

This was the last hike we did at this three-day trip to the park. Although we had great moments at the park, I was glad we were able to close our visit with such a magnificent view. With the Sun low in the west, the colors of the river and trees were accentuated by the setting Sun.