San Gabriel is a large park with playgrounds and lots of hiking trails.

San Gabriel Park is a 180-acre recreation area in Georgetown, Texas. The park is nestled between the two arms of the San Gabriel River and is a local favorite.  

This gem of a park really does have something for everyone. Parents of little ones will be happy to know that there are several playground areas spread throughout the park, including the impressive Creative Playscape.

If you have an additional adult on hand to keep an eye on the kids, many of the playgrounds are adjacent to adult exercise areas so Mom and Dad can get in a workout while the kids play! (Additional exercise areas are also located along the San Gabriel Park Loop, but we’ll get to that in a minute!)

The playgrounds are appropriate for kids of all ages and feature a wide variety of unique play equipment including spaces for climbing, sliding, swinging and more. There’s even a totally awesome double-sided swing that we’ve never seen at any other playground we’ve visited! Playground surfaces vary from solid rubber to mulch as does the type of equipment. We recommend bringing a lunch and spending a day exploring all of them! (A printable park map can be found here.)

If you’ve got older kids that want to take advantage of other recreational opportunities, the park also features a 9-hole disc golf course, baseball/softball fields, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, a skate park, tennis and pickleball courts, and soccer fields!

If you can drag the kids away from the play equipment, the park is also home to the San Gabriel Park loop, a 1.6 mile, crushed granite hike and bike trail that circles the perimeter of the park. Following this trail will take you past all of the playgrounds in the park as well as the adult exercise stations. If you’re in the mood for an even longer hike or ride, San Gabriel Park is the perfect home base. From here, you can access 4 additional trails of varying lengths and amenities:

-The San Gabriel River Trail is a .5 mile concrete trail that runs from San Gabriel Park to the Katy Crossing neighborhood.

-The South San Gabriel Trail is a 2-mile concrete trail that follows the river from San Gabriel Park to 17th street and provides access to Blue Hole Park and Chautauque Park. The first mile of this trail from the McMaster Athletic Complex to Blue Hole Park is lighted.

-The Pickett Trail is a .5-mile section of rustic trail that runs adjacent to the South San Gabriel Trail. The trail features natural scenery and outcroppings to provide a more challenging hiking experience.

-The Randy Morrow Trail is the longest trail at 5.5 miles and starts at San Gabriel Park and ends at Booty’s Road Park. The section of the trail from San Gabriel Park, through Rivery Park and ending at Chandler Park is lit for early morning or evening exercise.

All trails are open during normal park hours with the lighted sections having extended hours of 5:00 AM-10:00 PM.  A printable trail map that provides an excellent overview of the trail system is available here.

If boating is more your speed, visitors can also access the San Gabriel Paddling trail from the park. The 18-mile waterway trail runs from Liberty Hill to Georgetown.

Bathrooms and water fountains are located throughout the park. In addition to the 200-year old oak trees that dot the park, covered picnic pavilions are available for shade.