Guadalupe River State Park

Four miles of river frontage give the Guadalupe room to work — swimming, tubing, fishing, paddling, all of it available along a stretch the park shares with live oaks and bald cypress. Step back from the water and you find hike and bike trails, camping, and a separate primitive unit for those who want the Hill Country without the crowd. A short drive from both San Antonio and Austin, this is the river the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry once patrolled, keeping mail routes open and settlements alive in country that didn't give anything away easily.