Lake Bastrop North Shore Park

Reserved 157 days prior to arrival. 

PRO 

Site 65 area on trailer door side extra large. 

Wide open view of Lake Bastrop. 

Small park with 10 campsites and one is for the camp host. 

Campsite had a picnic table that could be moved! 

Campsite had smoker grill, charcoal grill and grilling grate on fire ring. 

Campsite lantern post. 

Asphalt pad surrounded by crushed granite. I

ndividual room toilet, sink and shower. 

Trash barrels at every other campsite. 

Lots of birds. 

CON

$6 reservation fee for self-reserved via website. 

Campsites are being reutilized for GLAT units. 

Site 65 campsite asphalt pad slopes towards lake causing difficulties to level front to back. 

Absolutely NO shade site 65. 

No privacy from site-to-site. 

Site 65 sewer connection was inches from next site's picnic table! 

Not dark sky friendly. Nice view of power plant especially at night. Large strings of lights at 5 permanent Airstream sites burning overnight, even when unoccupied. Illuminated the entire campground! 

4 private toilet/shower rooms for 15 campsites and 10 GLAT units. There were lines of people waiting...

No camp host.

No wildlife sightings.

Some highway noise and approach pattern to Austin IAP.

No firewood for sale.

2 bar AT&T.

We spent 2 nights here in the tent sites a couple weeks ago. We loved it.

There are 8 tent-only sites at the north end of the park - there is a short trail by the restrooms that lead to them. Upsides are that they are removed from most of the park's bustle, so it's easier to relax and enjoy your time "in the woods". The restrooms and shower facility are a ~200-300 ft walk, depending on which site you choose. Each site has a grill, picnic table and fire ring. The sites are not particularly level, but we were able to get two tents on the site with minimal issues. The tent area also has a community grill and fire pit that would make it a great candidate for a group camping event.

There is a small floating dock where you can fish or launch a kayak (remember, you can't park close so you'll have to carry the boat in...good for kayaks, bad for canoes). There is ample room at the park's main launch to put in larger canoes or kayaks without carrying them as far.

The park amenities are fine - swimming area, fishing pier, and fairly clean showers/restrooms. Also, there is a Bucee's 5-10 minutes away for those last-minute needs/forgotten supplies!

All in all, a good weekend, and a good spot to camp!

It's HOT in Texas during the summer. During our outing the temperatures reached 105F, but we were having so much fun that it really didn't matter. We decided to spend National Hammock Day near some water and shade at Lake Bastrop South Shore Park.

The campground made a mistake with my reservation, but ended up correcting it and allowing me and my crew to stay for free. Points right there for great customer service!

I think that we had one of the best campsites in the entire park at campsite #37. Campsites #35 and #36 are also excellent sites. All three of these sites are close to the water, near a restroom and steps away from a trailhead. Our campsite had ample room for 6 people with capacity for up to 8 people. With temperatures reaching 105F+ we were thankful that the site was surrounded by trees for shade. Not only were there an abundance of trees for shade, but there were enough trees for all of us to set up our hammocks. On a hot day, nothing beats hanging out in a hammock while a breeze flows around you. During the hottest part of the day we played games of Kubb and Fricket at the campsite. In the evening we went for a night hike and swim. This park is perfect if you enjoy swimming, canoeing, boating, floating or fishing.

This campground has undergone a number of updates to their facilities so the cabins, bathrooms, picnic area, boat dock and other areas look great.

Ranger Review of Nature's Coffee Kettle

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I am provided products to test. For this outing I was provided some coffee by Nature's Coffee Kettle.

I'll be honest, I'm not much of a coffee drinker. However, when organizing a camping trip I've found it helpful to bring coffee for those that do drink it. Nothing can kill the vibe of a great camping trip more than a coffee drinker without their morning coffee fix.

Not being a coffee drinker, I don't even have a traditional coffee kettle in my camping kit. I typically bring instant coffee, boil water in a pot and serve it in a cup. So the all-in-one solution by Nature's Cofffee Kettle was perfect.

Nature's Coffee Kettle kits include a mylar kettle for brewing and your choice of a variety of coffee flavors - Colombian, Guatemalan, Sumatran, Brazilian, French Roast, etc. They even offer tea and hot chocolate. On this occasion we were just car camping, but the kettle is lightweight and portable which might make it useful for backpacking.

The kit functions in the following manner. The kettle is a mylar bag with a steeping section and a containing section. The coffee comes in bags similar to a tea bag. Each coffee bag can prepare 4 cups of coffee. You place the coffee bag inside the top of the included mylar kettle. You then pour a small amount of hot water into the top of the steeping section of the kettle to moisten the coffee bag. Once the coffee bag is moist, you pour the additional hot water into the top of the mylar kettle. The hot water steeps the coffee and flows into the lower containing section of the kettle. You can seal the mylar bag to allow the coffee to brew a bit more. If the first steeping does not create a strong enough coffee for your taste you can pass the coffee through the kettle a second time.

The kit comes with directions printed on the side of the kettle. The directions are easy enough to follow. My first attempt at brewing the coffee was a little awkward. However, my second attempt went much smoother.

Not even being a coffee drinker, I could tell that the taste of the coffee was better than instant coffee. I'm not sure how it might compare to coffee shop coffee. My friend Susan is a daily coffee drinker and has been known to leave a campground for a nearby town in search of good coffee. She tried the coffee and said that it was actually pretty good. So I'll take her word for it. Keep up the good vibes!

We started off the morning with coffee and a nice breakfast. The rest of the day went swimmingly.

Another possible benefit of the kit, that I only thought about after our trip, is that we could have prepared the coffee at our campsite, but carried the kettle and coffee to a scenic overlook to enjoy it. Think of the possibilities!

The pros of this kit include: 1. Portability 2. Lightweight 3. Convenience 4. Flavor

The only cons that I could think of regarding this product are the following: 1. The mylar coffee kettle did not stand up on its own, so I had to hold one corner while pouring in the hot water. 2. The kettle and bags only serve 4 cups. Many people drink 2 cups in the morning, so multiple brews might be required. 3. The refill bags of coffee seemed a bit pricey for this non-coffee drinker. Perhaps a coffee connoisseur might be able to taste and see the value of this fresh brew coffee kit more than I.

Overall, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to try the Nature's Coffee Kettle kit. If you are a serious coffee drinker this kit might work perfect for you.

Lake Bastrop North Shore Park Park is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority. There’s a office at the entrance were one can pay your admission fee. Or if you arrive late, there is a self paying station that’s available 24 hours 7 days a week. At the small office one may buy ice, drinks and souveniers.

This campground has a number of sites for RVs with full hook ups. There is a sewage dump station in the center of the park. Also, there are traditional car camping spots with drive up parking spaces, picnic tables, fire rings, grills and water and electrical hook-ups. There are restroom facilities are scattered throughout the park. At the far end of the park there are campgrounds for primitive camping. These have more basic amenities - there is an open space, community fire pit, community grill and some picnic tables.

Not too far from the primitive campground there is a trail that leads to a nice view of Lake Bastrop. There’s also a community space in the center of the park which has, picnic tables, a fishing pier, open water access and an area that is roped off for swimming.

This park is distinguished from the Lake Bastrop South Shore Park because it tends to attract campers with more basic needs. I would say that there are fewer families, less crowds and more peace and quiet.

I found the staff to be nice and friendly.

This campground is located a short distance away from the city of Austin, Texas. The park is managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). At the entrance there is an office where you can pay your admission fee and it has a small store where you can pick up supplies. If you arrive late, there is an after hour station to pay your fee which accepts cash or a credit card.

This park has car and RV campsites. There are no primitive sites. There is a campground called the Lake Bastrop North Shore Park located 15 minutes away with primitive sites.

The campsites are all very similar. There is an area to park your car and it will fit a small or midsize RV. There are water and electrical hook-ups which make it very convenient. There are typically plenty of trees for shade. Each site has a picnic table for dining, a grill for outdoor cooking, a pole to hang food or trash and there is a fire ring for a campfire. Of course they also have pad sites where you can place a tent. The pad sites will fit anywhere from a two man tent up to an eight man tent. In addition to the campsites there are a number of small cabins which can hold up to four people. The cabins have some basic amenities and the restrooms are nearby. Most of the campsites and cabins are only a short walk to the lake shore where you can catch a sweet view of Lake Bastrop.

There is limited hiking with one trail that runs along the lakeshore for about 6 miles. The main attraction of this park is living the lake life. Near the campsites one can launch a canoe or kayak. But there is also a boat ramp and boat dock where you can launch larger sized watercraft. If you don’t have your own watercraft you can rent a canoe or kayak from the office and pick it up near the boat dock. It is possible to fish from a boat or the shore. There are a number of community spaces which are great for picnicking. There is a sand volleyball court. And there’s a special area of the lake that has been roped-off and is designated for swimming.

I think that the only possible downside about this park might be that there are always lots of families and energetic kids running around. If you’re seeking peace and quiet this might not be your place. If you are seeking some fun activities, this place is great.

I think that the Lake Bastrop South Shore Park is a 5 star campground for all of the facilities, amenities and considering that the staff are friendly.