I’ve made the drive out to West Texas from San Antonio about half a dozen times over the past few years, but I only discovered the beauty of Amistad National Recreation Area this past spring. Previously, I always took the short route out to Marfa (which is 5 1/2 hours instead of 6), but I heard the longer route was supposed to be more scenic. And it was indeed.
As I was planning my road trip, I used the Roadtrippers app to look for pit stops along the way. And I was pleasantly surprised to see that I could bring my National Park passport and make a stop at Amistad, which is just under 3 hours from San Antonio, and about 20 minutes from Del Rio.
Amistad National Recreation Area is home to the US portion of the International Amistad Reservoir, and is frequented for its water-based recreation, camping, hiking, and rock art viewing. And it has some of the bluest waters (especially for Texas) that I’ve ever seen!
The first time I stopped through, I went to the visitor’s center to get the scoop on the best spot to see on a short visit (and get my passport stamped!). I’d brought a lunch with me, and was looking for the best place to take in the view. The park ranger recommended that enter in at Diablo East and stop at one of the picnic tables overlooking Governor’s Landing (you can find it on the park map here). I was delighted to see how blue the water was as I was driving out, and found a great place to park and picnic. And I couldn’t resist following a nearby path to get a close up view of the water.
It was hot as heck when I was traveling out in June, and it was so tempting to bust out my suit for a swim, but I still had a long leg of driving ahead. I probably spent about an hour out there on my first visit, and now I make sure to stop each time I’m passing through to soak up the view. I’ll have to plan a trip just for swimming out there soon.
Have you ever made it out to Amistad National Recreation Area? What are your favorite National Parks in Texas? Do you have a National Park passport yet? If not, check out my guide on how to Up Your Game with a National Park Passport.
Check out these other related posts while you’re at it, too!
Where to Stay and What To Do: Alpine, Texas
How to Take Great Travel Photos with Your Phone
Free Admission for Dogs (and Humans) on National Public Lands Day 2018 (from my other site Dog Friendly San Antonio)