We camped here spontaneously one weekend in February. The good: the trails are lovely! There are…read moremany 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?).

We stopped by Bastrop State Park on a whim while driving to Austin, and it ended up being a great…read moredecision. 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!

We have lived in the area for a while now and we just love everything about McKinney Roughs!…read more First and foremost their hiking trails: they have a variety of trails for different levels and the views are spectacular. It's never super crowded, sometimes you may run into for horses if you're on horse-friendly trails and you can hike down to the Colorado River as well. The trails are pretty well maintained and marked. Summer camps: my son (7) has been attending their day summer camps for three years now and absolutely loves them! They are from 9-4 so very friendly for those parents working. There is also a bus that brings kids in from Austin as well. The price can't be beat as well. Each day he comes home telling me about what he learned and got to experience (most times I am jealous- like you got to go kayaking? Make and drink yaupon tea? What- how cool!) The camp counselors are extremely friendly and knowledgeable and treat the kids with kindness and respect. They also have a beautiful facility, overall. The grounds are clean and well-kept. McKinney Roughs is simply the best!

Love this place. I've been here for some events but also just to hike. I love that their trails can…read morehelp you practice some different skills. For instance, I was told by one of their staff that there is significant grading to help with elevation hikes. They are very helpful with any questions you have. Inside the main building where the small gift store is, there's a small nature area with some fish, snakes, fossils, and more. My kiddo loves looking at this section. Their Halloween event, Tricks, Treats, and Trails is also always a big hit with my family. They have a rock wall, paintball, archery, and other things to do. This was our second year and it was great!

This is an amazing park on the East Side of Buda. Located in the Green Meadows subdivision is this…read morehidden gem! There are two playgrounds that are designed to give a play area to children of all ages. The covered pavilion has picnic benches and is located between the playgrounds and the splash pad which gives you the best view of the entire park while your kids run around. The jewel of this park is the splash pad. I recommend bringing chairs and blankets to sit on as there are not any right near this area. The bathrooms are located right next to this spot which is great for changing your kids in. I suggest wearing water shoes if your kids will be running in and out of here, there are many "stickers" all around. I hope the city continues to bring more to the East Side of Buda. There are communities here that have been ignored but are thriving!

I took my kids here for a fun day in the sun but also in the water because it's so hot out. We had…read morea blast, myself included!

Great fun for the kids. Wasn't to crowded or ridiculously packed. It was nice and clean and wasn't…read morecrummy on parking either, one thing as parents when parking you dont want to take out stroller and all you need from a place far away or ridiculously crowded.

We had such a great afternoon at the park. The kids loved all of the great park installations. The…read morebathroom interior was super hot but it was fairly clean for being a public park bathroom. Also, great to have an onsite toilet.

This small park sits on a hill overlooking the Colorado river right next to Highway 71. Apart from…read morea playscape and the picnic tables, the real Jewel of this park is the entrance to the Riverwalk on the Colorado river. There are three parking spaces at the park, one of them being handicapped. The paved path along the Colorado river is complete with benches and picnic tables. This would be a very peaceful walk in the woods if it were not for the noise of the traffic on Highway 71. Eventually, this trail leads to fisherman's park. Definitely a park and trail worthy of exploring. Check out the photos included below.

For us, this was a great place to swim and walk our new dog. The water obstacle course was extra,…read morebut well worth it. Also a great place to have a picnic.

My family and I have gone to this park for years. It used to be clean and a safe place to go for…read morethe weekend or just for a fun afternoon at the lake. Lately the park has been filthy. Staff is nowhere to be seen. The bathrooms are dirty. My daughter went into the gift shop to purchase some fishing worms and they were all dead. The girl at the counter told her that dead worms were better than live worms because the smelled bad, but who wants to touch nasty, rotting worms? We had to go to the gas station down the road to buy minnows, which was out of the way and more expensive. People were drinking and partying loudly. It's no longer a nice quiet park to take your family to. The glamping tents have taken up too many camp spots which gives normal campers less spaces to rent. Management is trying to make this a park for rich yuppies and are forgetting the local folks make this park what it is. The water is too hot in the summer to swim. No playscape for small children, so small kids have nothing to do if the water is hot.

This is very good size park for people to walk, play, and fish! There are two large ponds and lots…read moreof parking! Great place for a picnic and take the kids to have some fun outdoors.

This park is a great place to walk your dog! Lots of walking trails, with areas along the way to…read moretake a break. The frisbee park is cool, and nicely tucked away. There are a couple of areas for kids to play, sand volley ball and basketball , The park is also well maintained. I have not taken advantage of all the amenities, but was impressed.

I can't say enough about this place! The park itself is clean, lush, and absolutely beautiful, with…read moreplenty of cabins, camping spots, RV sites, and scenic hiking trails. But did you know they also have an event hall for rent? We booked it for a family gathering, and it was perfect. The space has a charming vintage look, with plenty of tables and chairs, clean restrooms, a spacious kitchen equipped with burners, a sink, a fridge, and enough trash bins. The concrete floors are a bit cracked, but that's hardly a dealbreaker when you're getting such a gem in the middle of a state park. Guests pay a discounted $3 entrance fee, but since we had an RSVP list, we purchased tickets ahead of time to make the process smoother for everyone. You receive the event hall key at 9 AM on the day of your event and can drop it in the designated box whenever your party ends. The space comfortably accommodates 70-80 guests, making it a great choice for gatherings. You're expected to leave the hall in the same condition as you received it, but the trash bins can be left as they are staff will come by later to collect the trash. It's that simple!

Loved this place!!! We were lucky to book a cabin. Comes…read morewith 2 twin bunk beds, mini fridge and microwave. Also has its own broom, table and chairs, grill, and outdoor table. Location has lots of trails for hiking, biking.

I visited the park yesterday to do some fishing. Beautiful little park on the banks of the…read moreColorado River. Very well maintained. Very clean. Very quiet. Great place to take the family. The Park Host was the best park host I've ever encountered hands down. Will visit again for sure!

This park is sadly under used and it's the perfect spot to stay the night and put your canoes into…read morethe water. This park/camping area is tucked away on a country road spotted with farms. Be cautious driving down the road though because there is a crazy Boston terrier that will run out in front of your car and not move; then proceed to chase your car down the street. When you pull in you will see a trailer that the guy who runs the park lives in and directly to the left there is 2 boxes. There are envelopes in one to place $5.00 in for the overnight camping or to park if you are just canoeing. On the front of the envelope is a parking pass to remove and put in your car window. There is nice flat areas with wide spaces for many tents. There is also park style grills and picnic tables scattered around. The bathroom is a bit yucky and doesn't have the flushing type toile if you know what I am saying. There is also a port a potty onsite. Be careful in the morning opening the door of the bathroom because there is plenty of mosquitoes lurking in there because the one piece of fly paper doesn't cut it. If you have 4 wheel drive there is a path down to the Colorado River to drop your canoe and coolers off. Otherwise I would just carry them down. It's not a heavily wooded campsite but it is very nicely manicured.

The lake itself is beautiful and a great place to walk or run the trail or even sit and reflect…read more The bad is that whoever in charge at Lifetime ( look up owner) and what moron(s) from the city who signed off to let them buy the lake and charge to swim are deadass wrong and they are more than welcome to come see me personally if they have an issue with this post. The lake should belong to the city not a damn overpriced gym. BTW my gym membership is $10 per month. Lifetime is robbing you

I want to like this lake. I mean, it's gorgeous, there's a great walking trail, there's lots of…read morelittle areas to be active but, how the hell do I get here?! There's plenty of entrances from an apartment complex, a fitness gym, and various other areas but there's no clear concrete trail head. It's obvious they want to keep this a secret and you need a permit to use the lake. It's completely surrounded by a gate and unless you break private property rules, there's no way to use it. Such a beautiful spot. Hopefully I'm wrong and there's easier access.