Park information ● Hikes ● Campgrounds ● History
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San Angelo Park Information
An excellent Texas State Park, San Angelo State Park is located in its namesake – the town of San Angelo in West Texas. 4 hours from Dallas & 3.5 hours from Austin.
We found ourselves visiting San Angelo State Park in February of 2019 as a stopping point along the road to Big Bend National Park. As avid Texan campers, we know that most Texas State Parks are dependable as far as safe campsites, clean bathrooms, amenities, and hiking trails go. San Angelo State Park did not disappoint.
One night is not enough time to fully enjoy a Texas State Park. Two nights at the park allowed us time to unpack, unwind, hike, and fish. A visitor could easily spend another day at the park as the trails and activates are abundant.
San Angelo State Park is so extensive (7,677 acres!) that it is essentially separated into 2 sections. These areas are connected but only by foot-trail. Each section has its own entrance and facilities with the North Unit being the less populated of the two. When visiting in the cold winter months, we found the entirety of San Angelo State Park to be sparsely populated, feeling as if we had the park to ourselves.
O.C. Fisher Lake is the main attraction of the South Unit of San Angelo State Park. For boaters, there are two boat ramps in this area of the park. For day-visitors, there are two picnic spots on the lake, Lakeview Day Use Area and Isabel Harte Multi-Use Area.
The campsite we stayed at was located in the Bald Eagle Camping Area in the North Unit. This campground was pretty empty in the middle of the week in February, except for two fellow campers, a large herd of white tail deer, and fish in the river.
Supposedly San Angelo State Park is also home to about 13 bison but we weren’t lucky enough to see them. When driving and hiking the South section of the park, we thought we had spotted a few bison and became very excited… only to realize (after many minutes of staring and conversing) that they were metal cut-outs of bison.
San Angelo State Park is also home to the Official Texas State Longhorn Herd. These bovine have played an important role in the History of Texas and are symbolically recognized as the large mammal symbol of Texas.
As this region is dry and desert-like, you wouldn’t want to visit in the heat of summer. If you do find yourself visiting during the hot summer months, be prepared with lots of water… more than you think you will need. Some of the trails are fun but don’t have much shade leaving hikers exposed to the elements.
If you plan on continuing on into West Texas to visit Big Bend National Park or Big Bend State Park, it’s important to note that San Angelo was also the last significant town for a long time. Stock up on whatever you might need here.
Hiking San Angelo State Park
Opportunities to hike at San Angelo State Park are extensive with 7 trails in the North Unit of the park and 7 trails in the South Unit. Over 50 miles of multi-use trails!
Unlike National Parks in the United States, all the trails at San Angelo State Park are dog friendly!
With only 2 nights and 3 days at San Angelo State Park we did not have enough time to sample all the trails but the ones we did hike, we really enjoyed!
In the South Unit, we completed the Pott’s Trail System. This hike was great because there were many viewpoints. With the flatness of West Texas featured in San Angelo State Park, even a slight gain in elevation allows you to see for miles.
In the North Unit we completed the Dinosaur Trail System and Shady Trail. The Dinosaur Trail was a little disappointing because we expected to see more signs of dinos but it was a good trail. The Shady Trail was named appropriately and provided a respite from the Texas sun.
In winter, the weather was prefect. You could hike and work up a sweat, even wear shorts. I wouldn’t want to be completing these hikes in the summer due to the extreme Texas heat. However , if you find yourself hiking San Angelo State Park in the summer, bring lots of water.
Link to the North Unit Trails Map: https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4506_0166e.pdf
Link to the South Unit Trails Map: https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4506_0166g.pdf
Camping in San Angelo State Park
Campsite at the Bald Eagle Campground at San Angelo State Park
Overnight opportunities in San Angelo State Park include campsites, rustic log cabins, and a group bunkhouse.
There are two options for group camping, the North Concho and Dry Creek. North Concho has water and electricity but Dry Creek can hold the largest group (80 people!).
For individual and family camping, there are five options. 71 sites with water and electricity divided between the Red Arroyo, Bald Eagle, and Chaparral campgrounds. In the River Bend Camping area there are 10 hike-to tent-camping sites with water in the area. There are also 33 primitive drive-up sites scattered in 3 campgrounds, Red Arroyo, Bald Eagle, and Isabel Hart.
Equestrian visitors are welcome at San Angelo State Park! The park offers a 10 campsites with pens in the North Concho area. Should this campground be full, horses are welcome at some campsites in the Bald Eagle campground but no pens are offered, visitors are encouraged to bring their own portable pens.
History of San Angelo State Park
San Angelo State Park was not established until 1995 but by that time, the town and lake were well-established.
O.C. Fisher Lake was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1959 with the intention of controlling flooding of the North Concho River.
The town of San Angelo is even older. The area was habituated by Native Americans for almost 18,000 years! Much later, in the 1700s Spaniards explored this area of Texas but they did not have the intention of settling the area… just converting the locals to the Spaniard’s religion. It was not until German immigrants arrived in mid-1800s that the Concho River area became “settled”. In 1867 Fort Concho was built and breathed a new life into the area. The fort was established to protect migrants heading to California.
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