Bastrop State Park Campground

Good facilities at this site.  The restrooms and showers are first rate.  We stayed here just one night.  The front office and check in process is excellent.  The campsites have water and ample shade.  Not much to see in this camp but good as a stopover or local weekend camping.  It’s close to Austin Texas about 25 minutes.     The have some good moderate hiking trails and some interesting historical sites.  The have a children’s playground and a nice swimming pool.  The trees here are being replanted and restored.  The views are not the greatest and some of the sites are near a highway.  

Good local campsite 

Bastrop State Park has excellent facilities including hot showers, indoor sinks and toilets in modern, clean, and well maintained facilities, managed trails, and a pool! It can be a little noisy around the campground, and there is road noise as well from the highway. It's not really a "Nature Experience" but it is easy, clean, and fun. If you are a hardened backpacker you might want to go to a county park, but if you want to introduce your kids or partner to camping, this is the spot.

You can reserve a campsite online, but plan ahead! They sell out. Also, if you are going during the summer months, beware! Texas heat in the summer can be dangerous. Best months are spring and fall.

Fun for the Whole Family and a Great Beginner Campground

geocaching gem

Bastrop state park is awesome! So cool how this patch of pine trees are in central Texas and can give you the feel of being in the mountains. A lot of the park is still damaged from the fire but seeing the new pine trees grow is very encouraging and beautiful in its own way. There's also a playground which was great for our little ones. 

Pines!

It's sad what happened here to the trees in the fire and the lake when the dam burst, but this park is resilient. Please support it by visiting. You can now also walk the old closed golf course. There are little log cabins for rent. I used to live nearby.

Fires and floods

I actually would rate this campground 3.5 stars, because it is better than average and getting better every year.

In 2011 a forest fire swept through this park and devastated over 90% of the piney woods. The park is still recovering.

However, something that has never changed about this location is that Bastrop State Park offers multiple camping options and great opportunities for family fun.

The park has car camping, walk-in camping, RV camping and even cabin camping/glamping. One of my favorite activities when visiting this park is to drive the scenic and winding tree lined road between Bastrop State Park and nearby Buescher State Park.

There are recreational activities for kids such as a playground, swimming pool, fishing, geocaching and hiking trails. Many of the facilities underwent a remodel and now offer restrooms with modern sinks, showers and toilet stalls.

There are sections of the park where one can see the devastation cause by the forest fire. It is a humbling experience for both children and adults to see the burnt but recovering forrest. There are also sections of the park where one can still stand under some of the old growth majestic pine trees. The walk-in sites are surrounded by forrest. The RV site has some of the tallest trees still standing. One caveat about the RV site is that you can hear the auto traffic from the nearby highway.

The park office has a small store and sells camping necessities and souvenirs. The town of Bastrop is nearby where you can find supermarkets, stores and restaurants so you're never too far from supplies.

Based on my recent visit to this park, I think that it still offers a variety of camping options, family fun and possibly an eco lesson for all of us.

Bastrop State Park + Camping Options + Family Fun + Eco Lesson

Cabin staff are available as well as tent campgrounds. Trails are pretty. Beware of snakes, the poisonous kind we saw almost everyday.

Short trip out of the city 

Bastrop would be a great place for youth groups or family reunions. It has a little for everyone and is conveniently located about thirty minutes from Lockhart where you can get, in my opinion, some of the best BBQ in Texas. This state park has tent, group, RV, group cabin w/ barracks, cabins (some are wheelchair accessible), and a dining hall (also wheelchair accessible).

There is a swimming pool that is run by the local YMCA that is open during the summer, plus a huge playground that has disability swing set, which makes this park a 5 STAR for me. Some of the building were burned down in a fire six years ago and have since been replaced, so the bathroom and other facilities are brand spankin new!

There are some great fishing spots along with some of my favorite hiking trails. My favorite trail is the scenic overlook trail which starts at the top of the lookout and travels 2 miles down through wildflowers and over streams. It is a shorter trail, but it is a more challenging one. Some of the longer trails have been closed since the fire and flood, but you can connect a few of the others to make for one good one. Everything is so colorful here.

The walk-in tent sites are some of my favorites. The have a wonderful look and feel to them. Very scenic and off on their own away from noise from other campers. Also don’t forget to take the 12 mile scenic drive over to Buesher State park, it is well worth it!

Great for all!

We didn’t camp here since we live so close by, but stopped on our way to Lake Somerville State Park. Driving by the camp sites they appeared nice and tucked between some (remaining) tall pine trees; you could definitely see your neighbor though. This park endured a huge forest fire about 9-10 years ago and you can still tell. Lots of charred and dead trees, but some new growth coming up underneath. We drove to the highest point and took a picture. That was about all we needed. Sort of underwhelming, but quaint.

State park in the middle of a town

Very clean restrooms and camp sites, nice trails, trails not very difficult. Perfect for a day trip from San Antonio, will be back. 

Day Pass

Campgrounds are far enough that you won't be bothered by noise. Park host maintain the restrooms and showers very clean. Good hiking trails with great views. Plenty of dumpsters to throw your trash bags. Each site comes with a picnic table, fire pit and an sand area to place your tent on so that you don't worry about removing rocks.

Clean campgrounds

We stayed in Bastorp state park in our little teardrop trailer. The folks at the check-in point were very friendly and helpful. The campsite we had full hookups and was well shaded. We spent two days there and took several long hikes. We really enjoyed the changes in elevation, terrain and views. The have numerous CCC buildings around the park and several in out of the way places along the trails. We really enjoyed our stay.

Nice park and well maintained trails 

The weather and the calendar aligned and there happened to be an open spot, so I took it, loaded up and headed out. 

Length of Stay: 2 Nights

Type of Park: State 

Check In: 2p Check Out: 12p

💲 Cost per night$25+$5 entry fee per person per day   
Discounts: Texas Parks Pass Total Cost$25

**📝 Site#24 Notes:**

Pull Thru  
Water  
Max amp: 50   
Sewer  
Grill  
Fire Ring w/Grate  
Hook for hanging lantern or other items  
Picnic Table: concrete Site Pad: level, asphalt, long enough for truck and trailer and extra space

👍🏻 Pros:  
• Full hookups  
• Overlooking hillside  
• No one was camping on one side of me  
• A little shade in the afternoon  
• A couple tall Loblolly Pines still stand at this site

👎🏻 Cons:  
• Because so many of the trees are missing, you hear more of the road noise from Highway 21 and 95  
• No privacy between spots  
• Spot is barely off main road

📝 Park Notes:  
• Restrooms  
• Showers  
• Dump Station  
• Munzees and Geocaches in the Park  
• Trails- some are pretty challenging, steep  
• Pool  
• Pavilion  
• Cabins  
• Structures built by CCC(Civilian Conservation Corps)  
• When you enter Bastrop or Buescher, You can drive or bike between the parks(11 miles@ 30 mph max), but I would not tow/drive an RV.

🐦 Wildlife:  
• Birds: Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Bluejays, Mockingbirds, Misc small birds

💜 Highlights of this trip:  
• Drove around this park and to Buescher State Park  
• Made a run through Buc-ee's  
•🍕 Neighbors Kitchen&amp; Yard- I definitely recommend the Pepperoni Rolls and the Prickly Pear Margarita! Great view overlooking the Colorado River. Live music sometimes.  
• Camping alone  
• Glad I went when I did. The very next day, a "controlled" burn got out of control and burned over 800 acres!

More info at my blog: https://www.denisevajdak.com/2022/01/mlk-weekend-camping.html

Last Minute Trip

went there just to hike a little but ended up discovering wildflowers has recently bloomed and greening!! we had to extend our hike just to see more wildflowers and wild raspberries that had grown right by the trail