On October 3, 2026, Texas Parks and Wildlife posted that only the higher-elevation trails at Hill Country State Natural Area were open. The Hermit's Shack and Butterfly Springs sites were closed. The park, 10600 Bandera Creek Road, also falls into a fixed run of closures between now and late January. Each closure shuts the park to everyone but permitted hunters, and every one of them covers a block of weekdays. The two special-event weekends TPWD has posted, Oct. 23–25 and Jan. 8–10, both run Friday through Sunday. A Tuesday morning ride usually feels like the easy choice here. For the next four months it takes more planning than a Saturday does.
The Five Closures, Day by Day
TPWD's alert page lists the closures as running from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Every window starts on a Sunday or Monday night, so the days you lose fall on weekdays.
| Closure window posted by TPWD | Full days closed | Hunt held | Park reopens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 p.m. Nov. 8 to 6 a.m. Nov. 12, 2026 | Mon. Nov. 9 to Wed. Nov. 11 | Adult hunt | Thursday, 6 a.m. |
| 10 p.m. Nov. 22 to 6 a.m. Nov. 26, 2026 | Mon. Nov. 23 to Wed. Nov. 25 | Youth hunt | Thanksgiving morning, 6 a.m. |
| 10 p.m. Dec. 6 to 6 a.m. Dec. 10, 2026 | Mon. Dec. 7 to Wed. Dec. 9 | Adult hunt | Thursday, 6 a.m. |
| 10 p.m. Dec. 20 to 6 a.m. Dec. 24, 2026 | Mon. Dec. 21 to Wed. Dec. 23 | Youth hunt | Christmas Eve morning, 6 a.m. |
| 10 p.m. Jan. 18 to 6 a.m. Jan. 22, 2027 | Tue. Jan. 19 to Thu. Jan. 21 | Adult hunt | Friday, 6 a.m. |
That adds up to fifteen full weekdays. The closures leave every weekend between November and January open. Two of them end just before a holiday. The gates reopen at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving and at 6 a.m. on Christmas Eve, so a holiday morning hike is still possible. The weekdays right before each holiday are closed.
Why the Hunts Fall Midweek, and Who Is Out There
The closures exist for drawn public hunts. TPWD's 2026–27 state park hunt schedule lists two Special Permit hunts at Hill Country. One is an adult Gun Deer Antlerless/Spike hunt. The other is a Youth Gun Deer Either Sex hunt. The adult hunts run Nov. 9–11, Dec. 7–9 and Jan. 19–21. The youth hunts run Nov. 23–25 and Dec. 21–23. The schedule alternates, so youth weeks fall between the adult weeks.
The agency's area pages list white-tailed deer and feral hogs for both hunt groups. The bag limits also mention exotic mammals. In practice, a hiker who parks at headquarters on a closure day will find the park open only to people holding a hunt permit. The closure starts at 10 p.m. the night before, so a Sunday evening ride on Nov. 8 or Dec. 6 needs to be finished well before dark.
The Weekend That Fills Up Before the Closures Start
Before the first hunt, the park has one crowded weekend. Tejas Trails holds the Cactus Rose Endurance Trail Race at the natural area Oct. 23–25, 2026. The Group Lodge serves as the event hub. The race offers 5-, 25-, 50- and 100-mile distances, along with 5- and 25-mile rucks and a 1-mile youth race. Registration is capped at 500 runners. Tejas describes a 25-mile main loop with about 2,500 feet of elevation change per lap, plus a 5-mile shortcut toward Boyles. That much distance means runners will be on a large share of the trail system at once. TPWD's alert says to expect busy trails and limited parking on those dates. The same warning applies to a second special-event weekend, Jan. 8–10, 2027.
Most weekends also run into capacity limits. TPWD recommends reserving a day pass ahead of time because this park often fills up. An advance reservation guarantees entry, while walk-up passes are sold only if any remain. With the hunts closing weekdays and race weekend taking Oct. 23–25, the open days left in late fall are Thursdays, Fridays and any weekend you have reserved.
The Closure With No Date: Rain
TPWD can't post the third kind of closure in advance. The park's status notes that trails may close after rain. The park map says trails and backcountry sites can close after wet weather to protect the resource. The October 3 notice limits riders and hikers to the "higher elevation trails." It doesn't say which trails those are, so the trail descriptions are the best guide.
TPWD describes some routes as low-lying:
- Bandera Creek Trail follows a seasonal creek.
- Wilderness Trail winds along valleys.
- West Verde Creek campsites sit right along the creek.
Other routes are described as higher ground:
- West Peak has a steep climb.
- Ice Cream Hill has steep, rocky grades.
- The Scenic Overlook sits on one of the area's highest peaks.
- Comanche Bluff is on top of a limestone bluff.
These descriptions are clues to where the ground drains faster. They don't tell you what is open. TPWD's map says its trail locations are for reference only and suggests asking for a detailed trail map. The fastest way to check is to call the park at 830-796-4413. The office is staffed from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. A July 26 note on the alert page said the entire park was open. The October 3 status replaced it.
What a Lost Day Costs, and What Doesn't Change
With fewer open days, a few rules matter more:
- Entry. The fee is $6 a day for visitors 13 and older. Children 12 and under get in free.
- The annual pass. A Texas State Parks Pass costs $70 a year. It covers the holder and guests who come with them, and holders can reserve day passes at no charge. It doesn't get you past a capacity limit, so pass holders still need to reserve.
- Shared trails. Hikers, bikers and horseback riders share every listed trail. Bikers yield to hikers, and everyone yields to horses. E-bikes aren't allowed on park trails, and TPWD recommends helmets for biking and riding.
- Horses. Each horse needs proof of a negative Coggins test from the past 12 months on VS Form 10-11. The day-use equestrian area by headquarters has a water trough, hitching posts and a flush toilet. The arena is by reservation only.
- Cooking. A burn ban has been in effect since Aug. 28, 2026. Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited, and containerized stoves such as propane are allowed for cooking only.
Town Picks Up the Hunting-Season Calendar
Bandera's own schedule follows the same season. The Bandera County Fair runs Oct. 8–10 at Mansfield Park on TX-16, with a ranch rodeo, carnival, live music and vendors. The Frontier Times Museum at 510 13th St. holds its fourth annual Moonshine & Moon Pies Bash on Friday, Oct. 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. The Hungry Hustle, Bandera Brewery and MishMash are on the list of participants.
The weekend before the first hunt closure belongs to hunters in town too. The 11th Street Cowboy Bar at 307 11th St. hosts Hunter's Weekend Nov. 5–7. The Bandera County Chamber of Commerce holds its 65th Annual Buckfest Dinner & Dance on Friday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Antler Oaks Lodge, 3862 Hwy 16 North, with the Wade Lowrie Band. Arthur Nagel Community Clinic's 12th annual Cork & Fork follows on Nov. 14 at The Farm Country Club, 347 Pue Road. The museum's sixth annual Dressed Flea Market & Print Sale runs Thursday and Friday, Nov. 19–20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those are two weekdays when the park is open, a few days before the youth hunt closes it Nov. 23–25.
If your weekday hike happens to land on Nov. 9, Dec. 7 or Jan. 19, the trails are closed until 6 a.m. Thursday, or Friday in the January week.
Life in Bandera runs on the same calendar this park does, with hunting season, race weekends and rain-closed creek trails. Samantha Zamora works across these Hill Country towns and knows how closely the outdoors shapes daily routines here. If you're thinking about acreage near the natural area or a home within easy reach of its trailheads, schedule a free consultation and we'll talk through the details that matter to you.
