mother neff state park

We are experienced State Parks campers. First, the staff are wonderful, eager to help, and very knowledgeable. Second, and equally to the point, we will not return to this park for a couple of good reasons. The park is known for being the first State Park in Texas. Mother Neff donated 6 acres, her neighbor Mr. Smith donated 3.5 acres, and the small park functioned as a community meeting ground for many years. When Roosevelt created the CCC Mother Neff's son, Governor Neff, bought and donated the required 250 acres necessary to have the CCC come and work and be stationed on the park grounds. The CCC did a magnificent job (as usual) and created a couple of really beautiful spots including a pavilion, and the Rock Water Lookout Tower. This is a fun quick weekend place but not a spot for multi-night campers.We visited in February, 2015, on a good weekend between bouts of rain and cold for the most part. We stayed in one of the new camp sites. They are well made, have almost no privacy from each other, and it is a mixed bag. PROS: New fire rings, limestone seating, hooks for food/lamps, metal tables, water/electric, and separate tent pad. CONS: NEXT TO A HIGHWAY. As we lay in our tent, staring up at the night sky, we listened to cars whizzing by, non-stop. We heard planes overhead, but not to the extent of the traffic on the road. It was clear that the camp sites were placed close to the nearest road for cost effectiveness and shorter access to electric and water, but someone in the number crunching business missed the point of CAMPING! PROS: The bathrooms are beautiful with tile backdrops and cosmetic embellishments. The showers are equally nice. There is a heater, a motion light system, and upgrades on every corner. CON: However, there are NO SOAP DISPENSERS. Campers like to wash their hands with soap. Another oversight that needs to be fixed.CONS: Entering the park, as you concentrate on the road, you miss the entrance from either direction as it is set back from the trees. There are large white limestone markers, but we kept missing it as we came and went because there is not a standard brown park sign on the road in advance of the entrance. Also, The map for the park is without mileage markers and indicators so its hard to know if a trail is .20 miles, or 2.0 miles. (you get the idea). Also, there is little signage in the park about the trails, distances, and mile markers. Someone seems to have skimped on informational markers and spent all the extra money on cosmetic upgrades to the bathrooms and visitor's center instead?!CON? The park that we were allowed to see and roam through is limited as a large majority (most of it) is under improvement. We looked for any signs of wildlife at all, and did not see any except birds, and those were limited. It could be the time of year (most likely) as we did see signs of the neighbors with their deer feeders and blinds up and functional. CON? We did visit the pavilion and saw the trees piled into the river by the bridge that will kill anyone who attempts to navigate it. Seriously. It will kill. They tell you this. There was no easy access to the water, as they tell you on the map, and it is not a venue for boaters, fishers, or swimmers. It is a place with water, that may or may not be pretty based on the season. That's it.PRO & CON: We enjoyed the rock water tower and lookout, but it is hidden to the point that it is easier to access from the road outside the park than walk through. At the time it was constructed the trees must have been much smaller, as now there is nothing to "lookout" onto except the tops of the trees that are almost equal to the tower itself. There are no major land marks or formations nearby that make the view remarkable in any way. The tower itself is quite a feat of the CCC though, and appreciating it makes the trip worth it.CON: There is a birding blind that is in sad shape with empty feeders, broken water feature, and debris (no, not intentional debris) from the trees. It looks like a boy scout group created the simple blind, and it was left behind with no one to tend to it. Needs love. Birders will not enjoy this blind.PROS: We enjoyed the overhang/cave. This has been there for thousands of years, the CCC put stairs down to it, it is a short visit worth doing. We enjoyed the open space by the pavilion, and there is ample room to bike, take short drive, and walk. NEARBY: The park is close to Waco and we scooted into town and went 20 minutes away to Buzzard Billy's for dinner, the Texas Ranger Museum and Foundation, and the Dr. Pepper Museum. The museums deserve about two hours total, each. Walmart is 17 miles away for those last minute OOPSIES.We will likely not return as the number of CONS far outweigh the PROS. We commend the staff for their excellent service and wish other campers well. This first park in the State Park program seems to be more like a personal investment of Governor Neff at the time and has since been maintained as a matter of keeping up the "first state park", rather than a true jewel of resources and offerings in and for the State of Texas and our citizens.

We've camped here numerous times in the original, water-only camping section and have always enjoyed it, although the playscape was unwalkable and needed a decent drive to access. The new camping loop is pristine. Each site has decomposed granite surfacing and concrete drives. It's almost too nice for camping! The new rest room is gorgeous, and the coolest part is the dishwashing station on the exterior wall. At first I thought, meh, it's not worth walking the dirty dishes over from the campsite. But my kids wanted to, so we did, and I have to say it was nice not having to hunch over at the spigot at the site. The station is a long kitchen counter top with double SS sinks and a gooseneck faucet. Best part = hot water, which was very nice as the temp got cold Saturday night. Steaming hot, clean dishes, silly but nice. The trails from the new camping loop are not in yet, I watched several other people trying to find them like we had. Wanted to hike to the rock tower, but you just can't yet. You can walk to the playground though even though the trail isn't really there yet. My only sort of complaint is the campsites are the most expensive at any part we visit now, at $25/night. I realize how expensive the renovation must have been, and I really don't have an issue supporting the state parks. But when one doesn't need the sewer, and really doesn't NEED the electric, it's kind of expensive to spend $50 on a 2-night trip. The park hosts and HQ staff were very welcoming and nice. We will continue to camp here annually, and I definitely recommend.

This is a brand new camp ground with full hookups and facilities.It still has the natural trails. This campground would be ratred 10 of it was private.

I have been visiting this park since the mid eighties. After this recent MAJOR renovation, it is probably the best in its history! All the roads have been repaved. A brand new camping loop (all 50 Amp w/sewer!) has been built (it will open Jan 24th!) A beautiful new headquarters building was completed, up on higher ground, so it will never flood again. The new Hq has a rainwater recovery system and nice rock work. In doing this, they didn't abandon the wonderful CCC construction down in the river bottom. The hiking trails are still "a work in progress" but the park has acquired some additional land for expansion. Altogether a very promising upgrade.

Among the finest examples of construction done by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the mid 1930s. Named for Isabella Eleanor Neff, mother of Texas Governor Pat Neff, the seed of this park was six acres deeded to the state of Texas by Mrs. Neff in 1916. Through the efforts of Gov. Neff and others, this became to first official state park. One of Texas' best kept secrets until recent years, camping sites are few. Calling ahead for a spot is recommended.

This is a small out of the way park with some interesting history. There are some short trails for hikes and a bird blind for the birders. There were no campsites occupied when we visited. We would like to come back with our camper and spend a few days here. Not a lot to do but it looked like a great place to just kick back and relax.

We really enjoyed hiking at Mother Neff. We were hoping for a more dynamic cave but still it was a nice twist to the hike. The prairie trails are closed due to construction. However, there is still 4 miles of trails still open. Trails were slightly marked, just enough to know where to go but not so much that it detracted from the natural ambience. There was no water runoff from the Leon River. However, some of the limestone formations were beautiful. I would rate the trails as beginner trails.The park is like an outdoor aviary with all sorts of flying creatures. We came upon a Turkey Vulture roosting in the trees. After being startled, it was quite a site to behold as it launched out of the trees and flew off.Nice, quiet park that we plan to visit again.

This park had been on my radar to check out, but I was headed to another park. I saw the sign on the way and decided to see it and ended up spending the day here. I'm glad I did! To fully appreciate this park, one really should hike because of the suprising beauty of the terrain. It's an oasis. This park had trails that were very easy to navigate, well marked and maintained. It was cool and rainy on this day, but that only added to the appeal rather than dampening our enthusiasm. The Leon river was full and looked like it would be a very good fishing spot. I didn't see anywhere to swim, but that doesn't mean there aren't spots that would be suitable for that. I love the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) buildings and the history behind them; this park has a pavillion and tower built by the CCC that you can't help but appreciate. The view from the tower is really impressive! We didn't interact with park staff. We just used the self-pay system to pay the fee. We now have a state park pass, which is a must if one visits state parks often.

This was our 2nd trip to Mother Neff for camping. We stayed in our travel trailer in the water/electric loop. We enjoy quiet parks. Our main goal for staying was to get the Texas State Park geocaches there. If you enjoy hiking, there are some interesting trails, with a bit of elevation, to enjoy. The trails were great for my almost 7 year old, and includes a cave-style overhang, tower built by the CCC, and bird watching area. They are adding a new welcome center and camping loop, to accommodate more campers and move a bit away from the Leon River, which is subject to flood from time to time. My only reason for four stars and not five is currently there is "through-traffic" from nearby residents and no true river access, as the bank is very high, and most of the bank is overgrown with high grasses. There is also no place for swimming, at least not what I would consider safe or enjoyable. I look forward to revisiting this park when the new area is completed in the prairie section of the park. This is a great park to visit in the cooler months or during the spring to view wildflowers.

Wasn't sure what to expect of Mother Neff Park since hadn't been back since the flood a while back but it seemed comfortably the same as always before, if not better. They had a special event today as part of National Trails Day, Explore Birding - featuring the Golden-cheeked Warbler, with breeding range confined to Texas. Only fee for this event was just the park entrance fee, which was very reasonable. We enjoyed the nice trails, well mapped and kept clean but still rough enough to be in nature. The Park Rangers were nice, educated and didn't mind to help in any matter. Even with no special events, I do intend to go back. The day use picnic areas, pavilion, and campsites looked nice. On the river, I suppose for fishing but didn't check that out today. Maybe biased and little nostalgic, but was married at this park over 26 years ago. Maybe a smaller park than most but nice. Look forward to when can go back.

We are beginning to spread out to visit the state parks in Texas. There were lots of people camping and RVing here, and we ran into a few of them on the trails. This park seems like it's out in the middle of no where, which we love, just to escape from cities. The cool thing was, I got a little turned around and asked Fort Hood if they knew what road it was located off of, they searched the internet and gave us a day pass because it would be shorter to cut through the base. We really had an adventure getting here, so you can imagine that it was a bit more fun than we thought it would be. If you come to Mother Neff, hike! It's very peaceful and invigorating. We plan on going back one day, when we are in the area, just to do the trails.

Went here for the day. The park rangers are very nice. The tower which is located behind the ranger station gives a birds eye view of the area. The wash pond was 4ft below its water line. The cave which is located on the hiking trail and next to a parking lot was shallow more like an ledge than a cave. They do have an old rustic hall of sorts. This park was the first state park in Texas. They offer camping for tent and campers. What was most remarkable was the hundreds of vultures we discovered roosting in the trees next to the camping sites. They were coming in as we were leaving quite a site to see so many flying around and purched in the trees.

Went when I was young.Had huge old shade trees. and nice hiking trails.went the other day and some of the floods have killed some of the big old trees but its still fun to go visit.The trails are still there and fun to hike.They are trying to open more rv spots and new headquarters for use even when it rains alot up the hill.Being its the oldest state park in Texas its still nice to drive out there to its peace and quiet.

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much on this one. It's a small park, large obvious draw into the park (like Enchanted Rock, or Dinosaur Tracks, or a Lake), they didn't even bother to man the pay station on Memorial Day...but I was in the area & wanted to check out their geocache. I was pleasantly surprised though. I spent over an hour hiking (more trails than I expected). Trails were plentiful, interconnected, with loops, & easy to follow & at multiple levels - hilly / rocky, flat wildflower tall grasslands, flatter wooded trails, etc. The trails would be muddy and slippery if wet, but depending on where you start (not at the cave), it could still be flat enough for a beginner to hike.I did not camp here, but it seemed like a nice, peaceful, pretty area. I also did not use restroom or picnic facilities, though I saw several families picnicking & it looked like a good idea.Also some cool historical significance to the park which always keeps things interesting. Multiple geocaches too, if that is of interest to you.

We visited this park on a rainy weekend. Our trip would have been more enjoyable if it hadn't rained. Mud everywhere. Made the bathrooms very dirty. Other than that, we liked the park rangers. Very nice and informative. Enjoyed learning about the history of the park.