Krause Springs was such a peaceful, whimsical little escape. The amount of lush greenery and…read moremassive old trees was unreal. Some of the tree roots were the biggest and most unique I've ever seen in my life. The whole place just had such a calm, magical feeling to it. One thing to note is that there are a LOT of stairs in many locations and most are very steep, so it's definitely not stroller-friendly if you are a family with young ones. If you're bringing little ones, just be mindful and watch your step going down the stairs toward the springs. The property itself is absolutely beautiful. You can either camp overnight or purchase a day pass. From what I remember, day passes were $10 per adult, kids under 3 were free, and camping was around $21 a night. They close the springs at 8:00 pm and for campers quiet time is from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. No loud generators allowed for campers. They had so many little hidden coves and tucked-away areas where you could set up camp, which made it feel really private and peaceful. I was also very impressed with how clean everything was. The bathrooms and showers were pristine, very sanitary, and conveniently located within walking distance of the entrance. One surprise I didn't expect was that they also have a separate swimming pool in addition to the springs, which ended up being great because the water at the springs was a little murky the day we went due to recent rain. Still gorgeous to look at though, especially with the waterfall. It honestly felt surreal, like you forgot you were still in Texas. They also have a beautiful butterfly garden with tons of unique plants and greenery that made the experience interesting. Overall, this place just gave off such a good feeling. Peaceful, relaxing, beautiful, and definitely a must-see if you enjoy nature. We'll absolutely be returning again.

Beautiful hidden gem in hill country. There is a modest entrance fee that allows you access to the…read morewhole space - the natural springs, the man-made pool, butterfly garden, and more. The man-made pool has spring water; this is where I would recommend families with children or inexperienced swimmers go. It's lovely and more of a managed pool setting. We hiked down the stone steps to reach the natural springs which are so beautiful with a picturesque mini waterfall and a rope swing as well! However swimming here can be treacherous. I highly recommend water shoes as there are lots of rocks and moss in the springs. Water depth also varies greatly from one spot to another so it's important to be aware of that. Water temperature was comfortable and cool - felt great on a hot summer day. Wrapped up our visit in the garden, which is so beautifully maintained. Absolutely lovely and zen. The changing room and bathroom facilities are clean and easily accessible. We left feeling dry, happy, and peaceful after a wonderful day in nature.

When you're feeling blue, go for a drive, and see the Bluebonnets. Best therapy…read more About an hour drive from N. Austin is Spicewood, TX, and Muleshoe Bend. A gorgeous park with a lake, picnic areas, and RV set ups with grills, but most of all, the star of the park, Texas Bluebonnets. There is a park fee, of $5.00 per person. You are given a pass for the day. And a map of the park. To see the Bluebonnets from the entrance, you're just going to follow the road. Very easy to find. It's a bit of a drive to the Bluebonnets and lake. And it's a dirt road, lots of dust and small rocks. The park is absolutely beautiful. Well worth the drive and the pictures, well, speak for themselves. God Bless Texas. So grateful for the Bluebonnets today.

This campground and recreation area in Hill Country is a lovely way to spend a few hours in nature…read more We were hoping to see the bluebonnets they're known for but alas, late blooming this year. That didn't stop us from seeing a few starting to spring to life. We walked along the water and throughout the property just consuming as much of the beauty as we could. Found some seashells along the way.

This place is awesome, however you should know there are a lot of hard burrs in the grass. Not…read moregreat for your little ones to walk around.

Small hidden camp area near Marble Falls! Bathroom stall is clean and they have tent for glamping…read moreexperience. No water or electricity hook ups but over looking a creek or dried up lake.. it's $25 a night.

Discovered this funky oasis after passing by a zillion times over past years. The storefront is…read moresimply nothing short of wacky over the top hundreds of seasonal, gift, farmhouse, jewelry, etc and by far the most Christmas decorations I've ever seen. Stuff animals, outdoor garden fixtures. While I didn't stay, their retro trailers provide glamping/accommodations with bathhouse, fire pit, and a funky playground. Dogs welcomed.

Loved camping here, but I am very sad that the water level has been too low for years to cliff…read morejump. I remember when Pace Bend used to be THE cliff jumping spot. I couldn't even get a campsite reservation because it was so popular a few years ago. It is truly past its prime now, and not just with the lack of cliff jumping. The campsites seem to be at about 50% capacity. We drove past so many camping areas that were closed. They're not using their usual online reservation system, and instead you have to reserve by emailing them and requesting specific sites. This is very inefficient as I saw quite a few vacant sites in person that were supposedly taken according to the website. We stayed at Kate's and Johnson campground, which is a primitive car camping site with pit toilets. There were no sinks, but there was hand sanitizer, and the bathrooms were quite clean for pit toilets. The campsites each had a grill and fire pit, but there was a burn ban so we couldn't have a ground fire. There was also a picnic table at each site. They limit each site to two cars, and they told me I couldn't park elsewhere in the park or pay for just the parking for an additional car. I would have had to pay for another site just to add one car. There's a lot of land in this park and not a lot of people with plenty of empty campsites even on a weekend, so I thought this was a little unreasonable. We went hiking on the blue trail per the recommendation of the lady at the lady who checked us in at the entrance. She told us it has the best views of the park. We certainly reached the highest point of the park, but there were no views. It was all rocks and trees. The trails are all pretty short. We went up the blue trail and down the yellow from the southeast trailhead, and it was a total of 3.6 miles. I liked the hike for a bit of exercise, but there wasn't really anything to see, so we felt deceived. My friend went swimming in the lake, and he seemed to enjoy it except for the sharp rocks at the bottom. I didn't go swimming, but I'm sure it would be enjoyable on a hot day.

Only flaw was the cacti. Other than that, I enjoyed the camp ground. Keep in mind that each rented…read morecamp only has 2 parking spots, so if you have more cars, you'd have to rent another camp site.

Great camp for fun and adventure! Too many fun activities to list!! My kids beg for more every…read moreyear!

This is actually a review for T Bar M in New Braunfels, which is for kids up to Grade 6. Camp…read moreTravis is for the high school set. My kids have gone to TBarM in New Braunfels for a few years and we LOVE LOVE LOVE this camp. They have fun activities daily, counselors who care and connect and great theme nights. The camp is professionally run, the food is great and facilities are super nice (AC cabins). I would highly recommend this camp (both, from feedback I get from neighbors who have been to Lake Travis) to anyone looking for a safe, meaningful, memorable and amazingly loving camp.

Pedernalas Falls. We hiked the short path to the falls. The view was beautiful. But guess…read morewhat... no falls. Pretty dry here at the park. Well there was some water running on the other side We did hike down to the river bed and walked around the rock formations. Pretty cool! On the way out of the park we saw some Greater Kudu! Beautiful animals!

Located just west of Austin near Johnson City, Pedernales Falls State Park is one of the most…read morescenic natural escapes in Central Texas. Spanning over 5,200 acres along the Pedernales River, the park is known for its dramatic limestone formations where the river cascades over wide, layered rock slabs--creating the iconic "falls" that give the park its name. Pedernales Falls has a rugged, peaceful Hill Country vibe. It's the kind of place where you can spend hours exploring rocky riverbeds, hiking through shaded trails, or just relaxing by the water. The mix of open river views, rolling hills, and quiet wooded areas makes it feel remote. Ideal for a day trip from Houston, definitely worth checking out.

Springtime made for an excellent time to visit this park, as there were lots of enjoyable…read morewildflowers springing up out of the ground everywhere (my partner could tell you how often I paused our hike to get photos of a new flower I saw along the trail, LOL). Entry was a very fairly priced $5 per person. We were given a map, which if I'm being honest, helped guide us to the parking but didn't offer quite as much help later with the trails, LOL. Really they need some better signage up for the trails. More than half the time we weren't sure which trail we were on or if we were even on a trail that was marked on the map... Good thing the park ranger told us we were "free to explore!" Some of their plaques with information on them could use replacing too, as sun or weather damage has made them fairly illegible. (I'm one of those weirdos that actually likes to stop and read those things, haha. I especially enjoyed the one that had the history of the Reimers family on it.) Seemed to be plenty of parking, all paved too. There was a really nice station at the first parking lot with indoor plumbed bathrooms, a shady overhang, picnic tables, and water fountain (it even tasted pretty good!). The trail that runs along and overlooks the river is probably the "main event" for most visitors to this park, however it is also somewhere you can get adventurous with rock climbing, mountain biking, and riding on horseback. Pretty neat! There were also trails that led all the way down to the river, where you were permitted to swim and/or fish. Hooray for somewhere you can do unattended swimming! Sometimes that's a rarity, so I appreciate you can get in, splash around, and cool off here. =) My partner and I really only explored about half of the trails available at this park, so we may have to come back again sometime to do the rest. The big loop looked to have some good elevation changes and scenery that most parks near Austin are mostly flat or boring hills.

Came in on a Saturday for a short hike as part of a trip to lake Travis. Overall great experience,…read more10$ per person. Lots of different hiking trails as well as rock climbing for a fee as well. Saw some people in the river/beach area as well although we didn't join. Amazing nature and scenery, would come back to explore further if Im in the area.

Such a relaxing evening.!…read more This is a pocket of sunshine nestled in Georgetown. This place is so beautiful. There isn't sand, there is gravel. The entry fee was $5 per vehicle . Parking wasn't hectic. I was happy and at peace sitting in my chair. I will go again

Heads up -- this is a pebble beach. So, it's not great for babies or small toddlers. Just call it…read more"Choking Hazard Beach." My 18-month-old hasn't been mouthing stuff as much lately so we gave it a go. He did OK but eventually did put a pebble in his mouth. The pebbles are also tricky to walk on. They get really hot so water shoes or sandals help. The pebbles will then inevitably get inside your shoes and annoy your feet. Bathrooms were reasonably clean. Pretty large parking area. $5 day use fee. Paying was a bit awkward since we had to scan a QR code, park and pay, and then go show the guy that we paid. Don't know if this is temporary due to some malfunction. Cool having a beach option relatively close, even if it's not sand. I believe there may be some hiking and camping at this particular park as well but I only came here for the beach.