Best Cabin Camping near Blanco, TX

A camping cabin at Inks Lake State Park was our ‘home base’ while checking out some nearby attractions, mainly Lornhorn Cavern State Park. What a cool place that is! So many tours of the caverns and great things to see. We enjoyed our lakeside cabin at Inks Lake. Things were somewhat rustic but well maintained plus the draw of a cabin for us, airconditioning! We spend a day kayaking (rentals available) and another day checking out Devil’s Waterhole and some waterfalls. Great experience :)

Pulled off the highway for the night and stumbled across this gem. The sites are level, and the grounds are beautiful. A bit pricey, but it’s a vacation destination, not a rest stop. Pools, hot tubs, game room, craft room, this place has it all. The staff were extremely friendly at check in and the security seems to be good. We will stop here longer on our way back north.

This was our very 1st RV park. It set the tone for all our spots moving forward. Clean bathrooms, clean pool/hot tub, clean laundry, well stocked store, gated community, great walking trail around a big lake and near big long horn cows. Met some big white neighbor dogs on the trail, but they kept their distance. Seems like the middle of nowhere, but it's really close to Austin, lockhart, Circuit of the America's. We stayed a week. Will stay again.

Such a nice place to park and relax! Ten dog park is huge, grounds immaculate, pool, hot tub, laundry and showers are incredibly well kept and best of all the staff!! They are hands on helpful, super social and always driving around the grounds to see how your morning is or if you could use a hand. They know your name and genuinely take an interest!

Such a refreshing pleasure!!! I would highly recommend a stay here! You’ll love it!! And it’s easy to drive in and out!

What a fun place to stay! Cheryl at the front desk made you feel welcomed and check in was a breeze! We were staying with 2 other couples, who shared a"buddy site" which was pretty cool!(never seen that before) We had a great time! It was a bit on the cool and rainy side but fun none the less. Sites were full hook up and pretty level. We had trees near us but there are many that did not. It held various sizes of rigs so make sure you indicate that when you call to reserve your site. They will do their best to accommodate! Oh, they also have cabins if you need extra room for guests to stay in if you don't have room in your rig! There is a lake for swimming, fishing and boating of all kinds. They have a pool with hot tub. Frisbee golf. Large dog area and many more amenities. Check them out on their website! Have Fun, we sure did!(Only draw back was they had no fire pits and if you brought your own, it has to raised off the ground. We have one that folds up and sits on the ground. Most places allowed this but they did not.)

This park has been open for just over a year. They are adding amenities, but for what is there right now, it was a bit pricey. Yes, I'm sure the pricing was upped due to Mardi Gras weekend. It will be nice when tables and grills/fire rings are added for each site, but right now, it's basic full-hookups and not much more. 

Check In: 3p Check Out: 12 p 

Length of Stay: 3 Nights

💲 Cost per night $59 (price will be $75/night for Mardi Gras weekend 2023)

Discounts: Good Sam 10%

📝 Site#38 Notes:

• Water
• Max amp: 50 Sewer
• Wifi
• Site Pad: level, gravel, long (it was a back-in site, but it's been upgraded and is super long pull-through)
• Utilities were close to the front. Parked camper and pulled the truck behind it instead
• Close to neighbors, but room enough for tables and such (if you brought them)
• No privacy between sites

👍🏻 Pros:

• Overflow parking nearby if needed
• Close to the river
• Big area to walk dogs or kids to play by the river (watch for sticker burrs in some areas)

👎🏻 Cons:

• Front row closest to the road- a little road noise
• No tables, fire rings or grills at campsites
• No shade trees
• No wind brake

📝 Park Notes:

• River access - but it's pretty low right now. Won't be kayaking or even tubing anytime soon
• Some deer in the park
• Cabins
• Some large fire rings on the outskirts of park, but not at sites
• 3 miles into Bandera - close but nice to get away during big event weekends
• There was a food truck on site, but it wasn't open this weekend

In process of being built:

• Great Lodge (should be ready by March) - Office, Store, Restrooms/Showers
• Zipline
• Yurts
• Amphitheater
• Pool/Hot Tub

Campground Review

This was my first time to Jellystone Hill Country, and my family had a wonderful time.  We will be returning in the near future for sure!  Luckily for us, they do have a very detailed website that addresses a lot of the questions and concerns one might have.  So in this review, I will do my best to give insight to the aspects that may not be clear on their website.  

CABINS

We stayed in a Cindy Bear cabin, number 6 specifically.  What a fabulous cabin.  It had everything we needed and had plenty of space for our family of 5.  I love that the “master bedroom” is on the opposite side of the cabin from the bunk room.  Makes the space feel larger.  The kitchen has a full size fridge/freezer, microwave (huge, modern microwave), coffee maker, toaster, and plug-in 2 burner stove.  NO oven so skip the frozen pizzas.  You will need to bring ALL your own linens, including sheets, blankets, TOWELS, and dish rags.  There was a small bottle of dish soap on the sink for us, but no sponges or rags.  There was also plenty of plates, bowls, cups, silverware, etc. but the pots were somewhat old and had lost their non-stick properties.  I would throw a frying pan into your luggage if you plan to make pancakes during your stay.  (Actual items vary by cabin, so another cabin may have a very nice frying pan, who knows?).  I literally didn’t see a single spider or fly in the cabin the whole time we were there, which is a miracle considering all the buggy cabins I’ve stayed in over the years.  What a clean and pleasant experience.

GOLF CARTS

We rented a golf cart during our stay.  While they are cute and fun to buzz around in, the park really isn’t big enough to warrant one, unless you are staying in a cabin or site very far from the action.  When booking, there is an option to choose your specific site for a $15 fee.  My advice is to pay the $15 and choose a site close to the Hill Country Hall and the waterpark, and save the $62 a day on the golf cart.  We stayed RIGHT next to the HCH and had no noise problems whatsoever.   

ACTIVITIES

Each weekend they have planned activities for the kiddos.  Most of these activities occur on Saturday.  Our weekend was Carnival Games and Halloween.  The carnival was cute little games set up for the kids to play with candy as prizes. I would say the optimal age for that carnival was between 4 and 7 years old.  In the evening they had a costume contest (we won best group!) and trick or treating around the park.  The kids had a blast.  Check their website before your trip to see the calendar of events.

WATER AMENITIES

Wow!  If you and your kids love to play in the water, this is the place for you.  Their outdoor complex includes: one standard rectangular pool, one very shallow splash pad with several water spouts and a tiny kids slide, which flows into a deeper (3 foot) pool, and a large kids water play center that includes two decently large kids slides, high pressure water cannons, and lots of stairs to climb around.  We were so impressed by the sheer square footage of fun and how a whole family could be happy in this one place for hours.  Also, plenty of seating for mom to relax ;).  Here you can find their concession stand, that serves fairly priced hot food and Blue Bell ice cream.  

If the sun is not your scene, no fret!  They have an INDOOR pool too!  The water is the perfect temperature, and has a connected hot tub for soaking.  Perfect for mom and dad to relax in the hot tub and keep a close eye on the kids swimming.  

STORE

If you forgot anything, or have the unexpected occur (like my husband having a stomach ache), the store is there with items you may need.  They also sell tons of souvenir items if you want to adorn your entire house (or RV) with Yogi Bear paraphernalia.

Overall, I can’t say enough good about this place.  The staff is friendly, the cabins clean and roomy, the activities sweet and age-appropriate, and the water park out of this world.  We are already planning our next trip back!

(My family and I were given a discount in exchange for this review, but these opinions are my own and no way affected by the discount)

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - here I am testing the MH2 Headlamp by Ledlenser ( http://www.ledlenserusa.com/mh2-505.html#start=3 )

One night, my daughter noticed a “cave” (read: drain pipe under a bridge) that she wanted to explore.  Sure that there would be dangerous critters in said cave, we strapped the MH2 on her and followed close behind.  Well if there were any critters, we would have seen them for sure!  

The lamp was bright and strong and showed exactly where you needed it to shine.  You can simply twist the lens in the front, and the beam can change from focused to broad.  It also can shine red light, or flash, both of which would be very useful in an emergency.  The headband is also wide and comfortable.  The adjustable strap made it easy to transition between my daughter, all the way to my husband in a second.  Both could wear the light comfortably.   I recommend this headlamp for anyone looking for a low-price hands-free lighting option.

First primitive camping trip and was lucky to get the last camping spot available for a holiday weekend. The area of the state park where the primitive camping is is very quiet, about 2 miles walk away from the RV and cabin camping. So not much traffic near our spot. The site was cleared well and had several areas to choose from to put up our 2 person tent. We were near a compost restroom, which I always prefer if available. It was amazingly clean and well maintained (except for the trash can, which didn’t have a lid— critters enjoyed some midnight snacks. We ended up storing it inside the restroom itself on night two to save us the noise).

Our third camping stay at one of our favorite Hill Country state parks alongside the beautiful Blanco River. Reservations for a FHU site made 88 days prior to arriving and with a Texas State Park Pass, it cost us$17.25/nightly. Nice and shady campground with a shelter over the campsite picnic table. Level gravel site. Campsites are packed in closely without any privacy from neighbors. Due to this, sadly we witnessed some crazy camper behavior…tent campers cutting tree branches from their campsite for a campfire and another campsite permitting their toddler to run naked most of the daylight hours who defecated throughout their campsite repeatedly. One lane bridge across the Blanco River to the campground. There is no controlled access after hours. Some road noise from US Highway 281. We never saw a camp host or ranger in the campground during our stay. One toilet/shower facility serves 29 campsites PLUS day users swimming at the dam. Facilities were in fairly clean condition. Upon check-in, we were issued a code to the shower stall. It took up to a dozen attempts with the code to gain access. Toilet paper in the women’s toilet was scarce this weekend, so much so, women were going into the men’s toilet and taking it from there. We took advantage of the no-fee entrance and toured both Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site and the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, approximately 22 miles from Blanco State Park. Even with COVID19 closures of some buildings and displays, we took over 3 hours for this experience. Great shady picnic areas at LBJ State Park.

I'm always on the lookout for new campgrounds nearby my town. It's nice to have a few places to escape to for a quick day or weekend trip. I searched on thedyrt.com for campgrounds nearby and noticed a group of listings near Lake Travis in an area called Hudson Bend. I decided to check them out.

If you are looking for a short, mid or long-term place to RV camp or cabin camp near Lake Travis on the Hudson Bend penisula this might be your best option.

The facilities are modern, clean and offer many amenities. And the people that I talked to that were staying at the park seemed to be friendly and happy with their choice of facilities.

At the entrance there is an office that is open during typical business hours 9-5. Next to the office there was a small pool and courtyard. And next to the pool was a group meeting room.

The park offered a variety of options from short, mid and long-term stays. One gentleman that I met and talked to said that he was a snowbird and had stayed at the park for the past four years every summer. This appeared to be the norm.

There are RV sites that offer back-in parking and drive-through parking. There are also little multi-color cabins that can be rented. The grounds looked like they were well taken care of. There was some open green space and what appeared to be a fenced dog walking area. Each of the RV sites offered a picnic table and electric and water hookups.

The only downside to this RV park was that it was not located directly on the shore of the lake. To access the lake one must drive down the road and visit the marina. Also, the park is rather large, so some might feel there is a lack of privacy. I wouldn't say that this park has great access to nature, it is more of a modern RV park.

Overall, if you're a mid to long term vacationer you might really enjoy this site. If you're looking for access to nature, you might look elsewhere.

Living Waters on Lake Travis is a lakeside venue for romantic getaways, yoga retreats, weddings, songwriting retreats, family reunions, work retreats and glamping (glamorous camping). You can rent one structure for a personal getaway or rent them all for a group event.

I attended a special event at this venue. There are various whimsical houses, cabins, yurts and tents in which to stay. There is an open lawn for group gatherings, a covered gazebo for outdoor yoga and a boathouse for lakeside activities. In addition there are amenities such as hammocks, lawn chairs, porches and tents in which to relax. The venue offers a variety of personal services such as massage, yoga, a private chef and watercraft rental. 

Whether you would like to be active or sedentary, Living Waters on Lake Travis might meet your needs.

We stayed in one of their air-conditioned glamping cabins. It was very nice and clean and the AC stayed very cold. They have private, lockable, full bathrooms right behind the cabins. The place is very pretty and the staff friendly. We loved tubing and kayaking the San Marcos River! It’s a great getaway!

This is a great get away from the city campground. It’s proximity to Fort Hood makes it convenient for a relaxing weekend with our soldier kids our grandkids. It’s a very clean campground with kayaks for rent. I have also enjoyed fishing. We stayed in our trailer while our kids and grandkids used one of the cabins.

This state park is a little outside of Austin near the airport. The park stays busy and it’s easy to see why– it’s really nice with waterfalls you can check out in the park and it isn’t far from the airport. We had a great stay here and will definitely check it out again if in the area. Although– watch the branches if you are in a bigger rig– we watched a guy hit one and mess up his roof. Also, if you will be camping in Texas State Parks a bit be sure to get the annual Texas State Parks pass– it will end up saving you a lot of money! Also, we went to a nearby market to buy what we thought was salsa(see pictures)– it definitely wasn’t and it was sooo spicy!!

This state park has it all. Tent, cabin, rv camping, kayaking, fishing, and swimming. The cabins are great. This state park has some if the nicest restroom/showers and everything is always clean.

Inks Lake SP

Visited with many friends here. BIG campground! I like how you have easy access to the lake from many of the camp sites. There’s also a boat ramp near the camp store with rentals available. The showerhouses were VERY nice! Modern, well maintained and HEATED! Yeah! There were a few showers that needed some adjustments, cold water only. Nice group picnic area near the cabins and the playground with food truck (wasn’t open when we visited). The Rangers had an interesting Cowboy Coffee demonstration there. The sites were separated into several loops, most convenient to the several different showerhouses. Some of the sites were more secluded then others but all were good size with picnic table and room for tents and possibly hammocks. Near the front gate/Ranger office there is an amphitheater for demonstrations/presentations and near the camp store there was a nice, covered picnic pavilion by reservation. Burnet, TX and Longhorn Cavern State Park are nearby.