Blanco State Park

The Blanco River runs shallow and clear through this stretch of the Hill Country, and the park — just over 100 acres — sits right inside the city of Blanco. Fishing, paddling, swimming, and picnicking along the river are the draws. The river itself is prone to flash flooding; in May 2015, it rose more than 30 feet in under three hours during catastrophic regional flooding. The park stays open regardless — that's Hill Country hydrology, and locals know it.