Colorado Bend State Park Spring

Colorado Bend State Park, in the Hill Country of Texas near Lampasas, encompasses a dramatic section of the Colorado River canyon where natural spring water seeps from limestone formations along the canyon walls, creating travertine waterfall formations and crystal-clear swimming holes fed by calcium and bicarbonate mineral waters from the ancient Ellenburger karst aquifer. The natural springs of Colorado Bend feed Gorman Falls — one of Texas's most spectacular and remotely situated waterfalls, reached by a rugged trail through cedar-juniper savanna and rewarding hikers with a 70-foot cascade of mossy travertine — alongside numerous natural swimming pools carved into the riverbed below. The pristine fishing for native Texas bass species in the limestone creek systems, the cave systems along the canyon walls accessible by guided tours, and the exceptional stargazing above this remote Hill Country canyon create a wilderness thermal spring experience of considerable natural beauty and ecological richness.