This Peaceful City Park in Texas Is Your One-Stop Day Trip for Fishing, Games, and More

Make a fishing trip out of a city park, with a fishing pier, a boat dock, and barbecue grills.

Tucked inside the Hill Country town of Boerne, Texas, this city park packs a surprising amount of outdoor adventure into a single day.

One of the most popular features of the park is the lake itself. Changing colors with Texas sunsets, it’s a pretty backdrop for engagement photos, a night out with the kids in nature, or a walk with your spouse to talk about the day.

It’s a top recreation area for the city’s residents, as well as travelers passing through. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from kayaks to picnic tables to a butterfly garden.

What to expect

Dogs are allowed at Boerne Park, so bring them along for the ride! Public restrooms are available on site, too.

Picnic tables at the park make for a pleasant day outdoors with the family or to celebrate a birthday. Set up food on the tables, and watch the kids run around in the park’s grassy areas.

The park also has barbecue grills where you can cook for a group of friends or coworkers.

If you’re bringing a boat, hitch it to your trailer before heading out and launch it at the park’s boat dock. Go out on the lake for peaceful views or a fishing afternoon. You’ll need a fishing license here.

There’s a fishing pier, too, where you and the kids can sit and fish for a while.

Something unique about this park is their butterfly garden. There’s nothing like letting the kids check out a small bit of nature in the middle of such a large park. It’s seasonal, but worth checking out.

The park is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week. Saturday tends to be the park’s busiest day, followed by Sunday.

Boerne Park is open every day of the year, but access is limited sometimes because of weather (e.g., floods, fires, etc.) or the city’s events. On the city’s Boerne Park page, there’s a link on the right-hand sidebar for Park Access. Select that to find current hours for the boat ramp and vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

City residents don’t have to pay an entrance fee, but if you’re traveling from outside city limits, the fee is $10 Monday through Thursday, $15 Friday through Sunday, and $20 on holidays. This entrance fee (or lack thereof for residents) counts as your parking pass, too.

How do gate attendants know if you’re a Boerne resident? They’ll ask you for proof of residency, which means either your city property tax receipt or your most recent utility bill listing garbage as a service you pay for.

Do non-residents get any discounts? Seniors 65 years and older, active and retired members of the military, and people with disabilities pay $5, a discounted rate that applies to all days of the week and holidays. Veterans with disabilities can enter the park for free.

If you want to make visits to Boerne Park a regular thing, tell the attendant you’d like to sign up for a season pass. Make sure to specify whether you’re a resident or a non-resident.

Residents get two free parking passes per household, in the form of windshield stickers. This is one way to not have to bring proof of residency with you every time you come to the park.

If you need more than two stickers, bring a copy of your car insurance as proof of the number of vehicles in your household. Additional stickers cost $25 each.

Non-residents can buy their first season pass sticker for $125 and $25 each for additional stickers. Seniors, active and retired military members, and people with disabilities get a discounted season pass sticker for $75, with additional stickers at $25 each.

Boerne Park is home to 100 acres of forest, with more than 100 acres of water. The curfew is 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day, so be respectful of quiet hours.

Attendants are on duty at the main entrance from March 1 to October 31 each year. There’s a controlled-access gate with an admissions booth as you drive up.

To navigate through the park, turn from Upper Cibolo Creek Road onto a short road that becomes a loop around the park. The first thing you’ll come across is the overflow parking lot that has two entrances.

Trailer parking is on the far side of the loop, so follow it around until you see the right signs.

Around the loop you’ll also discover a playground, a pavilion, restrooms, a volleyball area, a boat ramp, the lake, fire rings, picnic tables, barbecue grills with covers, a beach, and a disc golf course.

Note, however, that when the park issues a county-wide burn ban, ground fires are not allowed in the park.

Note that lake levels fluctuate — the lake holds up to 42 feet at full capacity, but dropped to around 29 feet last year, which can affect boat access and swimming conditions.

The park’s trails follow three versions. There’s a Greater Dam trail, in red, that’s 5/8 of a mile one-way or 1 1/4 miles round-trip. The Lesser Dam trail, in yellow, is 3/8 of a mile one-way and 3/4 of a mile round-trip. And the last trail, in blue, is Walters Road at half a mile one-way and 1 mile round-trip.

Note that walking and hiking trails are unpaved. Wear good hiking boots!

Rules keep us safe

As is expected, all park visitors must follow the rules and guidelines listed on the city’s page and any posted signs around the park.

Alcohol isn’t allowed at the lake per the city’s rules, with fines up to $200.

All animals you bring with you to the park must be restrained at all times. For example, if you take your dog with you, make sure they’re on a leash!

You’re not allowed, and it is in fact unlawful, to scare, injure, or hurt any wild or native animal or bird in any public space.

Boats should be operated and equipped in line with the Texas Water Safety Act. Check the park’s page for more details about what you need to do and prepare before you go.

Combustion-type motors are only allowed for law enforcement officers, firefighters, maintenance workers, or other emergency services out on the lake.

Make sure your motor, battery, and other equipment are in good condition and repair and are securely attached to your boat before you set out. Keep in mind that skiing is not allowed on the lake.

Fires can only be lit for cooking or grilling food and must be within grills provided by the city. You can bring your own personal grill if it’s a self-contained, above-ground pit.

If your fire is winding down, stay and monitor it until you can extinguish the ashes. Don’t throw the ashes in trash cans, on the park’s grassy areas, or in the lake.

Vehicles aren’t permitted on top of the dam along the side of the loop around the park. Only city emergency or maintenance vehicles can be up there.

Any vehicle you take to the park has to be street-legal, and you can only ride it on developed or designated park roads and parking areas.

Texas fishing laws apply at Boerne Park, but be aware that trot lines, throw lines, and set lines aren’t permitted here.

Half of enjoying what’s there at the park is knowing what not to do while you’re at the park. Keep yourself and others safe!

Camping overnight isn’t allowed at Boerne Park. Exceptions to this are city programs or anything scheduled by the Parks and Recreation Department. No hunting or trapping is okay at the park.

Leave any glass drink containers at home because they’re not permitted within the park’s boundaries. Pack a picnic that’s easy to set up and clean up!

Steer clear of the Water Treatment Plant, both on land and on the water.

And if you’re swimming, don’t get within 50 feet of the boat ramp. Stay aware of your surroundings!

One note is that Boerne City Lake is a source of drinking water for city residents, so take care of the environment around you as you’re enjoying the lake’s views.

Beyond the lake, the park has plenty to keep everyone entertained — a covered playground, wide open grassy areas, an 18-hole disc golf course, and volleyball nets for a fun afternoon with friends or family.

WiFi is limited, so don’t expect to get a lot of work done while the kids blow off steam.

The park does have paved roads and parking lot areas, so you’ll be okay getting to where you need to go pretty easily.

There’s a bird observation blind, if you or the kids are into identifying different types of Texas birds.

One of the picnic tables with a barbecue grill is handicap-accessible.

If you have a big group meeting up, make a reservation for the covered pavilion that seats 75 people.

Sailing lessons and kayaks are available for a fee.

How do we get there? Plug Boerne City Lake Park into your Maps app.

Where: Boerne City Lake Park, 21 Upper Cibolo Creek Rd, Boerne, TX 78006

If it’s been a while since you went fishing and you miss it, or it’s time to go out into nature with the kids on a regular basis, this city park is a way for you to do it all, in one place.

Whether you like kayaking, identifying birds, or playing volleyball as the sun sets, Boerne Park is your chance to get the family or group of friends together, combining different hobbies with a central place to hang out.

As the sun rises over the water and the lake catches the light, Boerne City Lake Park has a way of making you want to come back.

Find them online at ci.boerne.tx.us, follow along on Facebook, and pull up directions on Google Maps before you head out — because a park this full of things to do deserves a little planning before you arrive.