We ended up at Seminole Canyon State Park quite by accident. There was nothing nearby we wanted to visit. My daughter Elizabeth simply wanted to be somewhere Dark Sky friendly after months in the Austin area. I wanted to be away from people and not in a parking lot RV park. My expectations were low. It’s a state park and has only a few sites in the desert quite literally in the middle of nowhere.
Getting There Is Half the Fun
The first challenge was getting Catnip there in the first place. The nearest charger is in Ozona, TX, and the drive from Ozona to Seminole Canyon State Park is beautiful but winding and full of bumps and dips that come up quite suddenly. This drive should not be missed. I usually have at least a time warp of my drives, but I forgot to hit record on my The winds were kicking pretty hard, but since the road is so winding and bumpy you’re not going to be going fast enough to worry too much about range.
As we arrived at the visitor’s center, Catnip began telling me that we were leaving the range of all known chargers. The messages kept popping up with such frequency that we joked that she must be having a panic attack. Since we have long had the proper adapters to charge at RV parks, I wasn’t worried, but the car didn’t know any of this. Important note: This route has many flood crossings, so check conditions to make sure you’ll be able to use it.
On the way to Medina Lake, I traveled a route different from our RV because it would save the dually 100 miles (and roughly that amount in fuel). I tried another route that would very likely have been doable without the bike rack but was an abysmal failure with it. This was because there had been a storm all day the previous day and I was worried about taking the route to Ozona.
I went east on 90 to 277 and then 377 to the Junction supercharger. After being held up by border patrol deciding to question me about my trip due to my lack of a front license plate, my car told me I was 12% short of the supercharger. Oops. Slowing down wasn’t going to do the trick, so I searched for nearby RV parks and found exactly ONE on 377. I called and asked about charging my car there, and the gentleman at Gonzales RV Park told me to go ahead and that site 3 had power on. I arrive and it’s essentially an RV storage lot with power and sewer. My behind was saved by the kindness of a stranger and I am eternally grateful. This is why my Tesla road trip gear post is so important. You have to be ready for surprises.
The Campground
We make it to the campground, and it immediately exceeded all expectations. It’s at the top of a hill with beautiful views all around. The sites aren’t crowded together, and each site has a covered concrete pad with a picnic table that’s usually placed to make the most of what nature has to offer. There are 50-, 30-, and 20-amp power options and water at each site, but there is no sewer just a dump station across from the well-maintained, very clean bath house. This is a Dark Sky friendly park, so they ask you to turn off your camping lights at sundown so everyone can enjoy the night sky with as little light pollution as possible.
Our site was one of the longest and also faces away from all of the other sites. When we walked out of our RV, all we saw was nature. We had a clearing large enough not only for the covered picnic table but also all 5 of our chairs and ottomans, a propane fire pit, and also the regular fire pit that went unused because of the burn ban. Even the few nights that we had other people in the park we felt completely alone.
Don’t be put off by what our family refers to as murder bushes on that makeshift trail leading to that area; there’s plenty of room to walk to the back of the RV and a wide, safe path to that seating area. I was just entranced with this photo and thought it showed just how much space you get for $20 a night or $120 a week. As you can see in the cover photo, we had room for a 43-foot 5th wheel, a dually, and our Tesla. This park would be a steal at twice the price.
I caution you to stay on the roads here even when turning around. There are plants here with spikes that would eat tires for breakfast and laughingly belch afterwards.This park would be a steal at twice the price. Comstock isn’t far away but has a single gas pump and a single diesel pump. I wouldn’t want to try to find a replacement tire out here.
Connectivity
T-Mobile is the only cellular provider that works well out here. The signal was marginal to okay on our family’s iPhones but phenomenal on our Androids and the T-Mobile Home Internet device. Verizon does not work at all here, and one camper said they had email/browsing connection on their devices and 2 others said they had nothing.
In addition, we have Starlink and it screamed out here. I’ve had speed tests approaching 300 down. None of the sites seem like they would have obstructions. It did struggle even in the light downpours that happened a few times while we were here, which surprised me because usually we are unaffected by mild to moderate showers.
Things to Do
Hiking
This is a small park with beautiful scenic overlooks. It’s become a family joke that if there is a pile of rocks, we’ll photograph it. There’s a lot to see per square mile here. Our hike was to the Presa Canyon overlook. I’ll admit up front that we started too late in the August heat and that combined with picking the wrong trail back led to me having to call the ranger when my right leg just had no more to give. Luckily the ranger here was very kind and told me they’d rather pick us up a little early than too late. As you can see from the small sampling of photos along the trail, it has a very high payoff per mile. Those without disabilities should have no problem with this trail. The only downside is that there are no shade shelters along this route.
We were also lucky enough to go on the Windmill Nature Trail and visit not only a spring that has attracted human inhabitants since prehistoric times. It’s only half a mile, but it’s a pretty trail especially for those with small children. You can also see the Maker of Peace bronze statue by Bill Worrell.
Biking
A few days later Nadine and I decided to take our bikes out one morning and went all of the way to the Panther Cave overlook. It was my first longish ride on my new Trek Powerfly 9 eMTB and a good test of just how much the assist would be able to compensate for my disabilities. It was a rousing success. Even coming back on the long grades I was able to adjust the level of difficulty with the assist where I had to work still but it was still doable.
We were disappointed to find out that you can’t actually find the panther and other pictographs without binoculars, but the view of the Rio Grande and the shade at the overlook were much appreciated. How is it that being 2 people out in nature makes deep conversation so easy? We had several hours of good bonding time and it did our relationship a world of good.
Pictographs
The only way to get a good view of the Panther Cave pictographs is by private boat. As mentioned above, they recommend binoculars at the Panther Cave overlook, but even my camera’s long lens couldn’t reveal them even after zooming in on the photos back at home. That said, we were in no way disappointed in the view from the overlook.
The park rangers lead what they characterize as a fairly rugged hike to the Fate Bell Shelter. We didn’t go on it as we were concerned about my leg and Dean’s hip, but it is the main attraction of Seminole Canyon State Park. It is offered daily except for Monday and Tuesday and is $8 for 13+ and $5 for 5-12.
A second ranger-led hike is the Presa Day Hike and requires prior arrangement. It goes deep into Seminole and Presa Canyons to visit the site of more remote rock art. Understandably this all-day hike is a bit more expensive at $25 a person.
Having met the staff on several occasions, I really wish we had been able to go on the hikes with them. They are kind, courteous, and have seemingly endless knowledge of the history of Seminole Canyon whether it has to do with the rock art, the railroad, or the Army’s stopover point at the Seminole Watering Hole
Bats
I mention these along with my review of Seminole Canyon because Seminole Canyon is the nearest state water/electric camp site to these areas. I’m not afraid of being without hookups but being this far away from chargers, it makes Catnip happy to have some outlets that don’t rely on our solar setup. Truth be told, you can’t throw a rock in this area without hitting a state or national recreational area or park, and Seminole Canyon makes a great home base from which to explore it all.
Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area is reasonably close in Rocksprings, TX, and offers the opportunity to see 3 million bats leave the sinkhole on warm evenings. Access to this area is only by guided tour, and other options include birding and nature walks. Kickapoo Cavern State Park is even closer has its own bat flight at Stuart Bat Cave, and this one is not limited to guided tours. There are also cave tours, birding, and miles of hiking and biking trails.
Wrap Up
Summer heat makes Seminole Canyon State Park a beautiful ghost town, but that may be just what you’re looking for. Hiking and biking are doable if you get up early enough to be off the trail by 11 a.m. Camp hosts and rangers are simultaneously attentive and hands off. If you’re on the road and need to work, Starlink screams here and T-Mobile is good enough to work if you have a decent booster. With all of the beautiful scenery and the ability to be remote while still having a town with Walmart and Home Depot less than 40 miles away, Seminole Canyon State Park is a great place for a reset. Finally, if you have a Tesla (or maybe another fun to drive car) the drive in from Ozona is beautiful and fun as long as you’re watching for the sudden bumps.
