Day Trips: Goliad State Park & Historic Site, Goliad
Spanish colonial mission site offers a historical outdoor experience
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., March 7, 2025
Goliad State Park and Historic Site mixes Texas history with the lushness of the forest along the San Antonio River for a multifaceted getaway.
The centerpiece of the park is the reconstructed Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga. Whether you’re spending the night at the park or not, the mission and its museums are worth a visit.
The Spanish began colonizing the area as early as 1685 to deter the French in Louisiana. Mission Espíritu Santo was built around 1749. Besides ministering to the Indigenous people, the mission was the first large cattle ranch in the Texas.
The chapel had been abandoned for more than 100 years when the Civilian Conservation Corps began reconstruction in 1935. The current mission complex shows the church as it might have looked in 1783. Former workshops now house a gallery of artifacts found at the site.
The state park on the outskirts of Goliad offers fishing from the riverbank or a pier (no fishing license needed), a 6.6-mile river paddling trail, and hiking trails. One 2.5-mile hiking and biking trail goes from the quaint downtown to the Presidio La Bahía on the opposite side of the river.
Of the four camping areas, the Karankawa campground is the nicest with full hookups for RVs, five screened shelters, restrooms, and plenty of shade. The Jacales Camping Area isn’t much more than a parking lot with campsites around the perimeter suitable for tents and RVs. Two areas near the river are reserved for tents.
The multiple historic sites in the area add interesting side trips to the little park on the river.
Goliad State Park and Historic Site is about 2.5 hours southeast of Austin. Each year on April 16 in the Mission Epíritu Santo, the setting sun shines through a window illuminating the figure of Jesus on the chapel’s altar for a few brief minutes.
1,745th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
