We camped here spontaneously one weekend in February. The good: the trails are lovely! There are many miles and different terrains to explore. I love the pine trees and views from some of the trails. The campground is lovely as well. Very clean. Spaces are large. People are respectful. But... A big con is the traffic noise at night! We stayed in the Copperas Creek Camping Area, which is quite close to the road, so we expected some noise. But it was intense both noise. A loud, long crash woke me up in the middle of the night, with a second crash crashing into the debris from the first one. That whole incident kept me up for 2 hours. I don't know if the other campgrounds in the park are any better. The park is nestled in a populated area so I doubt it. But the trails and area are beautiful!! So I would definitely recommend for hiking!! Not so much tent camping... (maybe it's better in an RV?). read more

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This is a lovely park! But beware- it's pretty exposed so bring plenty of sunscreen and water! The park is really beautiful with a lot of different trails and the longest one being over 8mi. I came out here with a group- most of ours first time. We enjoyed the smell of the tall pines, some bridges and steps and switchbacks. The overviews left some to be desired as they overlooked the highway. Overall the park is clean and beautiful and we didn't see many people which made it better! I can't wait to go back and tackle the 8mi trail! read more

We stopped by Bastrop State Park on a whim while driving to Austin, and it ended up being a great decision. It's less than a 2-hour drive from Houston and under an hour from Austin, which makes it an easy add to a road trip. I especially appreciated that the entrance is right off Highway 71, so you're not wasting a bunch of time driving deep into back roads just to get to the park. We visited on a beautiful Saturday in January -- sunny and in the 50s, basically perfect hiking weather. While there are plenty of trees throughout the park, many of the trails are fairly exposed, so you get a lot of sun. Definitely bring sunscreen, even in cooler weather. The trails are wide and well-maintained, with sand and rocks laid down in many areas, making them easy to walk. The terrain is nicely hilly but nothing too difficult (we did about 4 miles total). One thing to note: trail signage is a bit limited, and it would be easy to get turned around and know where to turn. Thankfully, I had decent cell reception (T-Mobile) and was able to use Google Maps to track where we were. Parking was easy, the staff were friendly, and the landscape was beautiful. We used our Texas State Parks annual pass, which saved us the $15 entrance fee, and the entry process was quick and simple. The line of cars trying to get in was only 2. I'd love to come back in the spring when everything is blooming. Overall, a great stop if you want scenic views, manageable trails, and a convenient location. Highly recommend if you're on your way to Houston or Austin. There's also a Buccees just a few miles away! read more

Bastrop State Park - Bastrop State Park - Parks Near Me - Bastrop, Texas

Bastrop State Park Reflections It's close enough to the city that you don't feel lost in the middle of nowhere, but it still has that true park feel. The trails are a mix--some are very short, and then there's a long one if you want more of a challenge. Most are moderate, though not heavily shaded, so you're pretty exposed to the sun. What really stood out to me were the towering pine trees. Along the way you'll see endless pine cones scattered across the ground, and those tall trees reaching into the sky. I fell in love with their height--something about standing among them feels grounding and awe-inspiring. read more

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Absolutely beautiful state park!! After work, I hiked the Three Army Trails towards the beginning of the park. The trails (Lake Mina, Blacksmith Spur, Stonemasons Course, Carpenter Crossing, and Co. 1811) on the right side of the entrance have less elevation and are flat. The trails on the left have slopes and one has switch backs. There's signs around indicating that it may not be suitable for wheelchair bound individuals. I would agree because there are dips and climbs on Co. 1805 and O' 9 Loop trails. All paths are concrete paved. To complete all trails on Three Army is 4.5 miles. It's marked easy on trail map. I hiked 4.6 miles, 10,482 steps total to include parking lot. I saw some wildlife and gorgeous tall yellow flowers: Maximilian sunflower which is a perennial. I'm not sure if it's a Texas native, but nonetheless they really bring out the beauty of the surrounding area. The park sits off of a busy street so occasionally I heard some traffic, but not too much. On my second day, during my lunch break, I didn't do any hiking, but I drove around the park to view campsites and to see how this park connects to Buescher. The campsites are fairly close together as well as the RV sites. The restrooms are close by the sites. The entrance to Buescher is farther towards the back of the park. It's possible you can walk it, but it is abit of a distance and I'd suggest biking it. The park headquarters was closed each time I came, but I spoke with one of the park rangers at the ranger post. She was very kind and helpful. She even admired my "Rockhound" earrings that I got from Houston Gem and Mineral show many years ago. I had a ton of fun at Bastrop State Park! The park is similar to the city of Bastrop: rustic and laid-back. I'll be back to camp and hike the rest of the park. read more

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Did a day trip here and took the scenic overlook hike. Instead of a loop we ended up doing an out and back as there are no maps on the trail. We found out before we left the park that the trails are color coded. Not knowing this, seeing all the different colored arrows scared us to turn back before lost with no breakcrumbs... ;) Next time we will take the map! Gorgeous views! Pretty trail! Parts were fine sand, like a beach! Lots to explore! read more

I like the walking trails here. If I lived closer, I would probably want to walk them every day. Lots of great camping available. Though we didn't camp, we only hiked. The cabins look like they would be nice to stay in, especially since I'm not a tent gal. Lots of exploring on the trails and in the woods to be had. Makes for a nice day trip. read more

Beautiful park with nice hiking trails and lots of trees! We had a great 3 day camping trip here and used the trails daily. It is like you are in a forest. You can get lost in nature. A lot of the sites are pull throughs as well as full hook ups which is nice . Lol We will definitely camp here again! read more

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Just did a camping retreat here with a group of about 30 others. The group barracks facilities are wonderful. If you're hosting a big group, highly recommend! Each cabin has private rooms and dorm style rooms, as well as a communal shower, bathroom, and hallway sink area. Not to mentioned the surrounding area is just beautiful to look at. Then there's the group hall which has a commercial kitchen as well as a group meeting room. I had a great time using these facilities, and they were also so clean and well taken care of. As for the park itself - I had been here years ago in the 20-teens & everything was still pretty charred and dead from the 2011 fire, it was pretty sad. I hadn't been back since and wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised! The trees are growing back and it's starting to look great again! I definitely would like to return more often now that the forest is starting to come back to life. read more

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On the way home from Austin, I stopped here to check out the scenery and get some much needed steps in. Once you get past the confusing entrance and booths, there's a lot to explore here with the multitude of paths and campsites. Some trees, plenty of dirt paths, rocks, and hay-grass surround the area making a satisfying hike. It's great for hiking due to the steepness of the trails. If you're looking more for flatland, better find another park. Apparently there was a fire in 2011 which explains the lack of trees. While it's hurt the landscape, I'm not gonna fault the rating of the park due to the unfortunate events of Mother Nature and people who refuse to believe in environmental safety precautions. read more

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Beautiful park with lots of trees and well-maintained hiking trails--perfect for a camping trip. They offer full hookup pull-through sites, electric/water sites, tent sites, and cabins, providing plenty of options. We've camped here several times, and it's always a nice, relaxing stay. The trails are a joy to hike, and the entire park is just a peaceful escape. Highly recommend! read more

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Love this park. They recreated the old golf course into an awesome walking path. Perfect for teaching your kiddos how to ride bikes. The staff are always helpful and friendly. The facilities are clean and the playground area is always a hit with the kids. I bought an annual park pass because of this park. read more

Bastrop State Park - Walking path (old golf course) - Parks Near Me - Bastrop, Texas

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Bastrop State park is located about an hour and a half north east of San Antonio. I started on the Lost Pines Loop and finished with the Scenic Overlook Trail. I recommend this if you have time, but be prepared for roughly six miles of hiking. The trails are well marked so I didn't have to worry about getting lost. On these trails you'll find points of interest like Fehr's Overlook and Historic Water Fountains. Bastrop State Park is a nice place to visit without going far from San Antonio. Having been raised in Alabama, I loved seeing pine trees during this hike since pine trees are not something you see as much in this area. read more

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This review is for the hiking trails and scenery only. Since the catastrophic wildfires of 2011, this park has been left decimated. There are a few small areas that still have some of the tall pines, but most of the park looks like a nuclear wasteland. It's a sad site to see. Volunteers and TPWD employees have planted hundreds of thousands of loblolly pines, and although many of them are already 15-20 feet tall, it's still not quite the same, and probably won't be for another generation or more. Unfortunately, the lake no longer exists since the dam collapsed due to flooding in 2015. I took the following trails to get to the Lost Pines Loop (which was listed as "challenging" on the trail map): Farkleberry Spur to Scenic Overlook Trail, to Lost Pines Trail, and back again for a total of 7.5 miles. The Lost Pines Trail was hardly challenging. There were a few inclines, but the trails aren't rocky, or hard to hike on at all. Mostly made up of packed sand, with a few loose rocks, and a couple of short areas that had deep sand, making it a little difficult to walk in, but not too bad. When you get to the end of the Lost Pines Trail, you will have to walk about a quarter of a mile along a paved road to reconnect with the trail. It's well marked though, so follow the signs. Instead of trail markers with the trail names on them, they are marked by colors that coordinate with the colors on the trail map - get a trail map and bring it with you. Since the fires, there are several detours on the Lost Pines Trail. If you are using a phone app to track your trail via GPS, it may appear you are no longer on the trail. But trust the trails, don't trust the app. You'll get on track again and be heading the right direction soon. It's difficult to get lost out here. There are a couple of scenic overlooks, and structures built by the CCC back in the 1930s. They are marked on the trail map, so keep an eye out for them. The camping sites are still beautiful and boast tall loblolly pines that survived the fire. In the camping and day use area, they have bathrooms with showers that are very modern and very clean. Pull through spots for RVs, so you don't have to back in or back out. There's also a nice swimming pool in the day use area. All in all, it's not a bad hike - just expect to be in the sun for most of it - and don't expect a lot of challenge. read more

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Cabins built in the 1933. I rented a cabin for 3 nights. Mis leading information. 1. No Bastrop Lake, dried up, no campfires, even with personal pit or charcoal, cabin we rented had 2- fireplaces,not allowed to use them,no furniture just three beds, kitchen had only about a 25 watt light. Extremely dark. About a foot between front of toilet and wall/window. Tight. Look from inside out of cabins on corners you can see daylight in corners. The second day we had a ticket on our windshield from park ranger for not having pass! When the lady at the gate gave us a Texas parks pass and told on us to put it on dash. In 4 days we never saw any wildlife in the park anywhere except for the mice in our cabin,lizards, large Beatles and the squirrels . We were charged $61.00 in Hotel tax's. $5.00 per person per day. And the daily entrance for 4 days. And price for cabin rentals. When we booked the cabin in advanced we were charged full amount on our credit card. That minute. Over $500.00+. And a $75.00 cancellation fee,if you change your mind .. read more

This state park is pretty nice! I really enjoyed my visit here and hope to make it a family tradition. I didn't know it was so close to my home. There is a lot to do and see. Great hiking trails. You can camp out a night or through the week here. They do not offer a military discount unless you're 60% or more disabled veteran. They even have a pool, showers, etc read more

This park is pretty neat. It's clean, spacious, and beautiful. My family and I arrived approximately at 10am on a Saturday for a day at the lake. We rented canoes and a paddleboard. There was several grills and picnics to choose from. Limited shade but if you are concern for the sun bring your own Canopy . I didn't get a chance to explore the trails cause I was at the lake most of the day. They also have cabins here. I will definitely be bringing my family from out of state next time. read more

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I have to say... pretty unimpressed with Bastrop State Park. I didn't go onto the trailheads for a hike. I just stopped in to explore and walk around with my pup. However I will say the restrooms were clean and amazing. Also air conditioned! There literally wasn't much to the park... no ponds that connect, rivers or any beautiful scenery. I wasn wondering how people were camping in tents here and why with it being so hot with no natural water to cool them off? Oh well.. glad atleast had the chance to stop by. $5 to enter and they take cash. Cool place to BBQ or hang with your kids since they do have a nice playground for them. Altogether I spent $5 to use a very nice air conditioned bathroom haha read more

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We had a very relaxing peaceful camping trip. We had the best campsite against the woods and trail entrance. The restrooms and showers are very clean! Park checkin staff are informative about the park. We enjoyed the trails! Pack water and snacks for them. Dog friendly and kids friendly trails. Have good shoes on you. If you like the peace and look at the night sky to see stars...this is it. Only downfall the park is still growing its greenery back from the fires. And I am used to wildlife, there were no critters whatsoever. I recommend for a small starter park. read more

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Visited for the first time since the fires in 2011. The park is nothing like it used to be but it is coming along. I do wish the golf course was still at the park. I will forever miss it. The entry is $5 per person or $70 for annual pass that can be used at any state park. The campsites looked very clean. Some day I hope to stay in one of the cabins. A nice day hanging with the family. Staff is very friendly. read more

Beautiful park and the trees that were planted after the fires are starting to grow. The swimming pool here is great and there's a small lake bordered by cabins for rent that makes for good fishing. The park is peaceful and full of nature. We were fortunate enough to visit the park several times before the fires and the pine trees were 30 ft tall maybe and abundant. Tragically, the fires took quite a bit of the trees and new ones were planted within a year of the fires but are still growing. read more

Bastrop State Park - Scenery - Parks Near Me - Bastrop, Texas

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I'm unimpressed with the reviewers who have rated this lowly because of the results of the fires 10 years ago. There is not much shade so wear sunscreen and put on sunglasses and explore what our naturals look like after a catastrophic fire. There are not lakes or rivers to swim in so kit you the Colorado river after. This park is rated five because it displays the power and destructive force behind fire. It allows you to grow with it, introducing your young children to it now and then experience reintroducing it to them 15 years from now to see the changes. Chill out on the low scores and just know what you're getting into. We had a blast, especially learning about the things in the park found after the fires. read more

The park is beautiful. The pine trees are young due to the fire but it still is a nice place to visit. We rented the historic cabin that was built in the 1930's. It was a nice little cabin, but be warned. It's a three bedroom with only one air conditioner unit in the main room that's located in the center of the cabin. It's not strong enough to cool the whole place during the summer. The location of the unit is a bit odd too. It's low near the floor and pushed to air flow down towards the floor. That's not the best location and direction for a unit. We visit during mid June so it was warm and humid inside. Bring some extra fans to help cool the place. The ac filter was very dirty too. We had to clean it off. The kitchen and restroom are very small but they work. Be careful walking around because the floors and steps are not level. Very rugged construction. We noticed that some of the other cabins around us had units on the outside, so you might have better ac in there. We stayed in #6. We did enjoy the hiking trails with our boys. I would visit the park again during cooler weather because Texas heat don't mess around. Another plus is the park public restrooms. They were nice compared to other parks. The staff seems to do a great job keeping it clean. The pool was great and had plenty of life guards. Nice playground for the kids. Beautiful park! Town isn't too far from the park either. Great if you need to restock on supplies or if you forget to pack something. One negative thing I had to say was about the staff at the entrance. Not the warmest people. My wife got some attitude for arriving at 4:15. They close the office at 4:30. We drove from San Antonio and hit some traffic on the way. Sorry other people had accidents on the road and caused backups. I get it, it's Friday and you want to go home. We all feel that, but you are the first face we see at the park. Driving out here is a task already. Don't add to it. We had family join us the next day and they mentioned cold reception as well. Someone is due for some retraining for customer service. read more

Love our State Park, especially since they've let the golf course go to wild and revitalized the old golf cart trails as walking trails, in addition to the off road hiking options. Make sure you are always looking ahead on any type of trails, because encountering a snake slithering across a trail is not uncommon. Great roads for biking (hills). They finally have the bridge fixed over the dam area for full circle access. Great camping and rv'ing spot, with cabins for rent as well. Call to inquire about the pool first, if that's important to you though. May have very limited hours due to shortage of lifeguard staff issues. read more

Having passed by this park numerous times on the drive to Austin from Houston, I was excited to come here to hike with the dog. Despite the wildfire decimating most of the older trees, the scenery is nice and interesting. The lack of tree cover compared to most other parks makes the hike very hot and UV laden. There is also a lack of streams and creeks compared to nearby parks in the hill country region so that makes it less interesting for me. The trails are very generic and tame and got a little uninteresting after mile 4. Would recommend something like Pedernales or somewhere in that area for better hikes and scenery. read more

It's clean...rangers are nice. Can't say much as I've only physically been in the park for a total of an hour. Lots of cabins and scenic views. read more

I'm not really sure I can accurately describe my experience here. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...oh wait, that's been used before. I came here for a trail race through the park put on by Trail Racing Over Texas (if you're a runner and you want a top notch race experience, do one of their races. Seriously y'all. No better outfit around, but that's a different review). I knew it would be hilly and it was a trail, but it's okay, I trained for it. Uh. Yeah. No. It was hilly and hard AF. It was also one of the best race experiences ever, even though I came in last. Yup. DFL, baby! You know what they call the last finisher? A finisher! The park itself is gorgeous, and yes, very very hilly with rocks and dirt and some grass and sand. The trees aren't back all the way of course, but there were riots of wildflowers (wait...do wildflowers riot? it seemed like a good word) and supposedly wildlife but all I saw were little lizards. But there was a lot of ferns and pretty shrubby greenery.The trails were gorgeous. They had just opened some of them up, so they weren't the clear trails like in a park, although you could see where they chainsawed through fallen trees over the trails, and man they were fun! If you want to come play on some trails, come here. It's only $5 to get in. I mean, that's such a bargain. They have camping and cabins, but I'm a wuss and stayed in a hotel. What can I say, I'm not ready for the camping thing yet. Baby steps. They start on a trail. The trails were pretty technical to me, but I'm a novice, so maybe they aren't that tough? They felt tough and a lot of them are deep sand, so you're running/walking through deep, soft sand which is hard. Lots of up and down and hills, and then a few flat spots. I looked back once at the top of a mountain (it felt like a mountain, dammit!) and was like wow, that's steep. You can take the girl out of Kansas but you can't take Kansas out of the girl, obviously. I would definitely recommend this place for anything....a race, a trail hike, camping, a day trip. Whatever. Do it. It's only $5 to get in, so if you don't like it you can leave. But if you don't like it, I don't know what's wrong with you because this place is freaking awesome. It was the worst of times, it was so much the best of times! read more

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We chose our home in part because it's close to this wonderful park. Consequently, we use our annual pass here routinely for birding, hiking, swimming, and nature explorations. We appreciate how the park is restoring wildlife habitat while honoring its historic uses. read more

Our only pool in town(unfortunately) and you have to make a reservation ridiculous! We've needed a community pool for years here.

We had a blast. Fish is great. Lots of shaded areas and plenty of trails. Designated swiming areas so kids dont get hooked by fisherman but you can also swim the river as well. Boating ramps available too. Blue gill, stripped bass, catfish, turtles, and more. Obviously beware of snakes and beware of your suroundings. Camping here is also a delight read more

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There's a scene in Fantasia 2000 where a Firebird spirit of destruction destroys a forest before the Spite of Spring returns growth to the land.* Even though I visited Bastrop State Park in the fall, Spring was slowly returning to the park out of the ashen aftermath of the 2011 wildfires. There's a shade of faith that accompanies seeing its recovery after the inconceivable magnitude of fire damage. Walking through Lost Pines Trail and Roosevelt's Cutoff, the initial sight of blackened trees in all directions was sombering. Once I realized many of the trees were intentionally left standing meant they were believed to have a chance of recovery, there was a great surge of hope for these survivors. Further along the trail, I began to see a fair amount of birds who have built new homes, bright green moss to pad the once roughened ground, mushrooms growing from the roots of black trunks, berries sprouting and many ant mounds. Life, in its fragile beginning stages, is taking hold here, and I can't wait to see it return in full bloom this Spring. *Fantasia 2000 scene here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ1lqjR-txI read more

Bastrop State Park - Out of the ashes grows life once again. - Parks Near Me - Bastrop, Texas

I am happy to report that Bastrop State Park has risen from the ashes of last years Labor Day wildfires! It looks a lot different with all the bare Pine Trees but thanks to all the recent rain the grass, flowers and wild ferns are growing and everything is green. Some areas look surreal with the new growth and bare wood but so beautiful and a reminder that nature is everlasting. For those who were living under a rock last September 96% of this 6613 acre park was destroyed in the fire. Pictures posted today were from the most devastated area 8 months later. read more

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6 Years ago we visited and it was pretty charred over due to a wild fire. Revisiting 6 years later it's incredible how much growth and change in the eco system there is! 3YO approved and very family oriented! Will visit again. 10/10 recommend! read more

Cabin area: no peace or privacy. Loss of the dense & tall forest (2011 fire) means no muffling of the nearby highways noise, plus loss of screening from open view if you want to sit on porches facing park lake area (in clear view of people on park road). Add to that the very loud construction noise of the park lake dam project (2015 fire & flood)...so birdsong and other natural sounds are only available in short timeframes in the cabin area. Lots of us folks been working for years to re-forest the loblolly pines, plus fund re-construction of a dam that is well made (original built during the Great Depression) for future generations. Please consider donating or contributing efforts to this one of a kind Texas State Park: visit, camp, hike and consider dropping a buck or more in the donation box in the office (8-4:30 daily) or remembering the park in your will. Like many Texas State Parks there is an official volunteer support organization called Friends of the Lost Pines (Bastrop & Buescher parks, which adjoin): friendsoflostpines@gmail.com or POBox 1714, Bastrop TX 78602, or Friends of the Lost Pines State Parks on Facebook. It may take 100 years without fire to restore the pine forest, but giving just a little bit of your time & resources is an act of hope and goodness that will benefit you and those you love now. Simple good karma for helping restore the balance with Mother Nature. read more

My family and I had a fun time. However, (and I know that the good people that work/maintain the park can't help this) about 80% of the park is still recovering from the fire a few years back. Also, we stayed at the "creekside campsite". The creek was more like a puddle and we could hear the freeway from our site. So if you're looking for a place to camp for no more than a day, I would recommend bastrop. One more thing that is very important! The employees are super friendly and the sites/bathrooms are very clean! read more

Bastrop State Park - My son caught his first fish at bastrop.state park. - Parks Near Me - Bastrop, Texas

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Great fishing, location and staff. Serious history here, you have to see the Refectory, historic building, ca 1850 that was the county townhall, to top it all it is for rent for meetings and such, has a full kitchen (shameless plug warning ANT DB is bringing the kitchen up to code)! The group barracks are newly modernized with a meeting space, cabins, wifi, full kitchen...! Personally recommended! read more

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Visited Bastrop State Park for a hike with my family and couldn't be more happy with the experience. We did the four mile loop and really enjoyed our time there. It's a little sad to see the effects of fire on the park, but there's new life popping up everywhere you look too. We will definitely return. Looks like a great place for a trail run. read more

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Love this state park. They have wonderful staff and great campsites, especially Copperas Cove. They have the best shower houses than any state park I've ever been too read more

Bastrop State Park - Parks Near Me - Bastrop, Texas

Lots of history. Lots or nature trails to get lost on and a great place to be one with nature. Swimming pool makes so many childhood memories read more

Although it's very beautiful and has amazing sight spots. But the "controlled burns" are always out of control. Roads are constantly blocked so you have to leave park and go to a different road to get around. They don't tell you when u enter if there are road closures. read more