Along the way to Laredo on Saturday, we marked our 4th state park of the trip off. Falcon State Park is located on the massive Falcon Reservoir created by a dam across the Rio Grande technically making it an “International Reservoir.” The border line runs parallel to either shoreline splitting the body of water in half between Texas and Mexico. The park is a decent size covered in numerous campsites with only one loop trail around them. So, for this visit, we would just check out the lake.

Much of Texas’ lake levels are suffering now in the extreme heat and drought, but this lake has evidence of YEARS of low level struggles. The boat ramp was a bewildering sight to see with its lengthy extension in an attempt to reach the receding lake years before and even that be in vain now.

While we were exploring, a truck pulling a boat drove up out of the brush on a dirt road that seemed to lead to the lake. At first glance, you would think the road is just a wide hiking/biking trail, but then we starting observing other vehicles along the shoreline and figured we’d give it shot, haha. We hopped back in the car and started down one of the dirt roads and found a labyrinth of trails in all directions. We just kept turning on roads that seemed to head down hill until we indeed hit a beach area along the lake. There were about a dozen cars parked with families swimming and BBQing and a number of trucks with boat trailers parked long the shore. Apparently folks have just made their own boat ramps utilizing the rocky parts of the shore. What was truly bizarre was when Nathan pulled up satellite and map images of our location and our car should’ve been under water!

The water actually looked pretty decent to us, so we indulged in wading around a bit; even Sally! So now we have all been in the Rio Grande…technically.

Another bewildering moment was looking across the lake and realizing that was Mexico over there! We saw cars driving across the dam where a border crossing checkpoint was located, but I wondered what stopped folks from just boating back and forth. I guess as long as you don’t set foot on the opposite shore, its all good. There were posted signs everywhere about illegal border crossing…but that’s just information.

This park is to date the most “lawless” and “unstructured” state park we’ve visited. Usually vehicles are restricted to pavement and “trailblazing” is forbidden by standard park guidelines. But, park signage and swim area amenities like life preservers had been relocated to the off grid areas in almost a “they’ll allow it” sort of way. We never felt unsafe, but it definitely weirded me out coming from what I expect in state parks.

Still, we were grateful for the quiet scenery and cool-off before arriving in the crazy town of Laredo for one more overnight stay ahead of visiting our 5th and final park of the trip on Sunday.

-Lindsay