More New Braunfels TX Adventures - Landa Park

As I mentioned, New Braunfels has a lot to offer.  One of the best natural attractions is Landa Park owned by the city of New Braunfels.  The land was purchased by Joseph Landa way back in 1859.  His son Harry opened the park as a tourist park in 1898 and it was finally purchased by the city in 1936 at the urging of citizens.

The park is lovely and large (196 acres) with many beautiful shade trees.  It contains the Comal River which was featured on Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not news column a few years ago as the world's shortest river.

The source of the Comal River is Comal Springs, the largest springs in Texas.  The springs gush from underground limestone springs throughout the park area.  These springs are prehistoric.  In 1691, Spanish explorers found a large concentration of Indians at Comal Springs.

It is a little difficult to tell in the photo but the springs were gushing into the river all along this hillside area.

Near the springs, you'll find the Panther Canyon Nature trail.  It's a beautiful natural area but you do need to keep the weather in mind as heavy rains can cause this area to flood rapidly.  Bikes and motor vehicles are prohibited on the trail.

If take the kids on a hike, they may want to cool off a little by wading in this area.  This area is set aside for wading as the springs area is off-limits for wading.  While you cannot picnic in this small area, there are many picnic tables and grills available for barbecuing throughout the rest of the park.

Only the ducks can swim in this area.

A short walk on the paths around the park will lead you to this Dance Slab complete with a stage.

Further along the river away from the protected springs, I saw these birds enjoying the water and you can just see the toobers further along.  This area is famous for toobing as they call it here both on the Comal River and on the nearby Guadalupe river which also runs through New Braunfels.  More on that later.

In this poster, you can see some of the highlights of the 76 year old park.

The Chaste Tree had beautiful purple blooms on it.

If you get tired of walking in the park, you can also take a train ride.  The train runs daily along a mile and a half track that winds through the park.

You can also rent a paddle boat or canoe.

If you were around on the right weekend, you could have a moonlit date on the lake complete with food as well.  Sounds like a fun idea doesn't it?

Archeologists have traced Indian settlements in this immediate area to 13,000 years ago.  This Founders Oak Tree was a seedling in the 1700's.  Early settlers told stories of how the Indians would leave messages for those coming later by weighing down the young trees branches to point in the direction they were going.  This huge tree is getting a little support these days and you can see how it is pointing off in one direction.

There is plenty to help you keep cool here in the park.  The Aquatics Complex features two very different pool areas.

One pool is a natural spring-fed pool complete with a couple of water slides, playground equipment, some tables, and lots of shade.

There is also a huge Olympic size swimming pool.

You'll also find statues telling about early settlers as well as informational plaques along the park's walkways.  Covered pavillions with picnic tables can be reserved for large groups.

There is also ample nature to observe as you walk around.  Your pets are also welcome on leashes and you will find pet stations with bags stationed around the park as well as lots of trash cans.

Just in case this isn't enough to keep you busy, you will also find tennis, miniature golf as well as a challenging 18-hole golf course.  This is a park that everyone can enjoy.  But, stay tuned, there is more coming.