Stick to the parks if you plan to visit Canyon Lake over the Memorial Day weekend.
Comal County Pct. 1 Commissioner Doug Leecock, who spearheaded the Canyon Lake Boat Ramps Community Alliance before his election in November 2024, today said Comal and Canyon parks are the best logistical bet for most people.
Due to severe drought, Canyon Lake is only 45% full. Pathways from parking areas at boat ramps down to receded shorelines are rocky, long and rough. There are no dumpsters or port-a-pots at most boat ramps.
Whether you want to picnic, splash, swim, fish or launch a non-motorized watercraft like a kayak, the two parks offer the quickest, easiest — and safest — way to get out on the lake.
“While water levels are lower than in previous summers, there’s still plenty of water in the lake for safe fun and recreation,” said Mike Dussere, general manager of the Water Oriented District of Comal County (WORD), which manages Comal Park on the south side of Canyon Lake and Canyon Park on the north side of the lake.
Amenities at both shoreline parks include hundreds of picnic sites with community charcoal grills, watercraft rentals and restrooms.
Canyon Park also features a volleyball court, soccer, tetherball, hammock station, playground, fishing pier and water bridge.
Comal Park’s list of amenities includes a playground with a swing set, a volleyball court, soccer goals, disc golf, a 1.2-mile walking trail, a sandbox/fossil dig, and a hammock station.
Boat ramps #3 and #4 are inside Comal Park, and Boat Ramp #18 is located in Canyon Park. All Canyon Lake boat ramps are closed to motorized vessels but can be used to launch kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and canoes.
Madrone Trail is inside Canyon Park. A guided hike is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 24.
Nature lovers also can visit the Madrone Trail Pollinator Garden, a 40,000-square-foot, butterfly-shaped, walk-through exhibit of native Texas plants and pollinators. Admission is free.
Both parks will close at capacity. To check their status in real time, visit the Facebook pages for Comal Park and Canyon Park.
Admission to each park is $5 per vehicle with a Comal County registration sticker and $20 per non-Comal County registered vehicle.
Memorial Day weekend hours are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with last entry at 6 p.m.
For complete information about the parks, visit wordcc.com and click on “Parks.”
