I love visiting overall, but last trip was god awful. I haven't got a cabin in over 5 years. I booked cabin 7 and it reeked of cigarette smoke. It was deeply embedded into the chairs and mattresses. It absorbed into all our clothes and sleeping bags and stuff sitting in there two days. After coming home our stuff is been in the garage a day and the smell is so potent the garage smells like faint smoke from airing out. If smells bother you even slightly, avoid that cabin at all costs. Not sure if others smell like it now too, and a bunch of jerks have just chain smoked in all cabins or just this one. read more

Stayed here for 4 nights on our cross country trip. Camping in a NuCamp T@g, which is a tiny teardrop trailer with an outdoor kitchen. Got caught in a severe wind storm one night, which blew our canopy down so we had to get up at midnight in the rain to secure but Parkwise it was a great place. Very busy but sites are large so that helps a lot. Bathrooms are the best we've seen in Texas - clean, hot water, great water pressure, fully stocked. Beautiful lake with fishing, and kayak, canoes and paddleboars to rent. Lots of birds and great hiking among boulders and rocks. Will come back on future trips. read more

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The Austin Astronomical Society hosts events where volunteers allow guests to look through their high powered telescopes and that was the reason for my visit. Howver, the park is gorgeous, I will return to camp out there, the environment was accommodating and very clean. The Rangers were very friendly and involved with the community, the care was felt and very much appreciated. read more

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My wife, dog, and I always love spending time at Inks Lake. Whenever we don't have plans for the weekend, we look to make a reservation. It has great views and it's a way for us to disconnect. We can just spend time with each other. The prices are cheap. The water is nearby and I like the hiking trails. read more

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Inexpensive beautiful camp with a nice lake. Fishing boating swimming they have it all. Very clean affordable sites. Excellent and helpful staff. Quite calm atmosphere fun for kids couples and/or elderly. Highly recommend. Take a short hike to the devils watering hole or multiple other hiking trails. Sites for tent to RV. read more

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Great camping, awesome trails! If I was in charge I'd mark the trails better, mainly just the intersections. Nice and quiet. read more

Inks Lake State Park - View from one of the hiking trails - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

Really love this park I been coming here camping, fishing, boating and swimming for over 45 years with my grandparents and parents. Now I'm bringing my kids here for all the same. My wife and I love to kayak here Nice mix of camping sites Day use are good Camp store is really nice Staff every where in park have been super nice Rents boats and life jackets too I recommend you come enjoy this park too read more

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Southern Loop Trail (which combines Pecan Flats, Woodlands, and the Lake Trail) is quite overgrown. Wear pants or else your legs will collect stingers and or have allergic reactions like me. Otherwise a solidly easy-moderate trail. Devil's Watering Hole jump is a lot of fun. However, parking gets quite full and you may have to walk there. Suggest some sandals / water shoes. The climb up to the rock is a little slippery if it's busy since everyone has to swim over and climb up. read more

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This is hands down now one of my top 3 state parks! It has water hole for swimming, a lake, river, PLENTY of sites with bathrooms, and many hiking trails. Most importantly it is well kept and just overall a beautiful outdoor space. I thoroughly enjoyed just basking in the sun with my feet in the water. The park rangers were really nice too! read more

I've always heard good things about this state park, but never fully knew what the hype was about. Back when I used to live in Austin and freely had access to TX Hill Country since it was less than an hour from me. Trust that, I utilized that freedom to explore. I visited Inks Lake SP with my brother, his dog, German Shepherd, Custer, and my two dogs, Pocky and Sneakers. The trails are all easy to moderate to handle. There weren't any oblong slopes or deep inclines. None that required my handy trekking poles. I will tell you this now, if you come in the summer or spring, it may be packed. We visited in early spring and it wasn't as crowded as I expected. That being said, if you are a true Texan you must see bluebonnets as a rite of passage. Then, this is your place! When I tell you, the land is covered in bluebonnets and wildflowers that's an understatement. I've never seen so many bluebonnets in one large occupying space in my life. It was so blue and beautiful!! The trails are well maintained and the park is clean. I can't speak about the ranger station or the restrooms, since I didn't frequent them on this travel. I would recommend bringing some binoculars to do some bird watching. I enjoyed the day hike; there was a lot to see and explore. This state park is most frequently visited and people come for the lake. There wasn't much mosquitoes out. The drive-in is nice and gives you a sense of being on a "roller coaster" while in your car with the hills. read more

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This was the fifth state park we stayed at in a week, and unfortunately, it's been a horrible experience. Our original site, #53, wasn't great to begin with, but we were at least able to cancel and rebook another site. The next morning, while getting ready, our power suddenly went out. We checked the breaker inside -- it wasn't flipped -- and discovered that the power pole we were hooked up to had melted our surge protector and the 30-amp plug connected to our rig. My husband called the park headquarters right away, but they were not very helpful in addressing the issue. read more

I guided a one-night camping trip at Inks Lake with my university group, and this was the perfect amount of time. We paddleboarded and camped at primitive sites E, F, and G. The hike to the campsites in April was so beautiful as the wildflowers were in full bloom. They had a pit toilet by our site. The hike from the overnight parking lot was over a mile, so it was enough go into backpacking mode. We went paddleboarding in the lake. The no wake area in the lake was very small, and you really only need an hour to explore everything, but we stretched it to a few hours. We paddled from the boat ramp and had lunch at Devil's Watering Hole, where we did some cliff jumping, although the water was so cold. The next day, we went to Longhorn Cavern State Park, which is only a ten minute drive. I'm not sure why, but there was heavy state park police presence at Inks Lake. Inks Lake is nice for a relaxing trip with family but maybe not suitable for exciting outdoor adventures. read more

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So, we booked online through the online reservation system. Received our confirmation with a bar code to scan. We arrive about 5pm on a Friday. Had to go into the ranger station. There is no human there. Had to use the iPad system they have. But that was for new arrivals with no reservation. No place to scan bar code. So, we go to our site. In the morning, a very rude and crotchety man comes over and slaps a bright ticket on our camper window. Tells us we were supposed to go right to the station that morning to check in. No good morning. No hello. First of all, doesn't tell you that anywhere...and I went back online to look. Second of all, what's the point of online reservation and a bar code if there is no place to use it? We took our time this morning, since, we are on vacation, and ventured to the RS about 11:50. Hubby went in and saw a huge line of people so came out to the drive up kiosk to see if that guy could scan our reservation. Nope. Go in. Wait in line. Or we will give away your site. Really????? So we wait in line for 21 minutes! And after all that time!!!!! We were told the guy at the kiosk, DAVE, could have done it!!!!! Thanks people. We have traveled for over 30 years, mostly camping. We helped manage a large national campground for over 5 years. We have volunteered for BLM and other campgrounds. We currently work within the National Park Service. This park is a joke. Get yourselves together and into the 21st century. Staff are a bunch of miserable dolts and this is their sandbox. Maybe hire some younger staff that can stay awake long enough to work past 5 on a Friday. On a positive note: the park is clean, large, and seems to be well-maintained. There were lots of families and groups, and in the time we were there, no apparent issues. Access to the park for fishing, boating, and --- I did see people swimming. Quiet and pleasant. If they can get their communication in order, it will be even better. read more

Inks Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

4.5 We came here to swim in the Devil's Watering Hole and I'm so glad we braved the storm getting here because it was empty at the hole. The water was clear and not freezing until you got over to the waterfall. Either way, it was a peaceful swim and there were hiking trails but after the rain, they were too slippery. That said you can still walk some of the main dirt trails to see several lakeside spots for photos. The bathrooms were clean. There are 8 in the park so that's a plus. It was easy to use and easy to park near them. They also have a shower and changing areas inside. Now this park can get crazy busy but early in the morning was the best time to go. read more

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Wildflowers gone wild! Such beautiful flowers here in early April! I recommend a visit with your pups - they are allowed on leash. read more

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It truly a beautiful park with a lake to enjoy fishing, paddle boating and exploring the grounds. Next time we will explore the caverns. read more

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After my wonderful lunch at The Real New Orleans Style Restaurant, I decided to visit the Inks Lake State Park in Burnet, TX. It was recommended by the concierge at WorldMark Marble Falls. I didn't know what to expect at this park, but I got a gist of it after driving through it. I'll explain the latter in a little bit. Staff was very helpful. There is normally a day use entrance fee of $7.00, but the day I was there, they also had a 30 mins promotional drive thru discount $7.00, hence, I got to see the park for free with one caveat... I can't get out of the car LOL... that's the one condition for the free promotion. Just as the promotion indicates "drive thru" which was fine with me. From what I got driving through the park, it is more like a campsite. Lots of people with their trailers and just having a great time with their families. I've never camped before... maybe one day I'll give it a try. The lake looked very calm and pleasant from a far. There are many dry, native plants and trees. I love to be outside with nature! There's a general store within the park. Many restroom buildings. All in all, a very quaint park. Do swing on by and check it out. Happy Lake'ing! read more

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Love this park. Love the staff. The cabins can use an upgrade. But there is so much to offer here. Hiking, biking, swimming

One of my favorite State Parks in Texas. Recently went camping at the beginning of the year when it was very cold during the night- Their renovated bathrooms had heaters and it was such a luxury. They also had a firewood vending locker by the bathroom for if you needed more wood when the store was closed. How cool is that? I remember paying with card. They do a lot of events, so check online before your trip to see whats going on. There is also water activity equipment available for rent during the day. The devils watering hole is the most popular spot, but you can't go wrong with any of the hikes. We started in the Upper Fisherman's Trail and got onto the Lake trail and saw some interesting sights while getting a nice walk in. read more

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Great state park. Beautiful drive from Fort Worth along the 67 and 281. We stayed in Cabin 21, which has a great view of the lake and is in very close proximity to the bathrooms. In our opinion, the three best cabins in order are cabin 8, cabin 9, and cabin 21. Cabins 1-4 are also lakeside and near a bathroom, but they seem closer together. The cabins were basic but clean and the AC worked great. We even got a little cold at night! The cabin bathrooms are well maintained and cleaned daily. I can't comment on specific campsites outside of the cabin, but I would note that in driving through the park, the RV area looked pretty crowded and packed in. The cabins definitely offered more space to spread out and not be right on top of your neighbors. The swimming right outside our cabin was convenient, but you do have to be willing to wade through a significant amount of reeds and algae to get to cleaner water. Bring a tube, start paddling, and don't look down at the water until you're 100 feet out ;) We spent a good amount of time at the Devil's Waterhole, swimming, climbing rocks, and jumping the cliffs. Very fun! The shore is extremely rocky and sharp though. We wished we had remembered water shoes. On the weekends, the waterhole gets quite crowded and this can be unpleasant, but the first day we arrived, a Friday in September, it was only us and one other family swimming there. If you're arriving on a weekday and staying through the weekend, I would make visiting this spot a priority and beat the weekend crowd. We did the Valley Spring Creek trail, but due to the drought, the waterfall was not flowing and this was not a good place to swim. We also did the Pecan trail up to the 1000 foot overlook and it was a beautiful hike. All in all, a great camp spot and a bargain vacation. Do go! read more

Great spot for swimming and paddle boarding. I went during a quiet day so there was snakes, but got in the water a little. The park seems to be good for camping with a lot of spaces, but I was just there on a day pass. The restrooms/showers looked very clean and spread out throughout the park. I will definitely be back each time I am in the area. read more

Inks Lake State Park - Calm waters near the Devils watering hole - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

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Beautiful fall views & look forward to setting up camp here soon! Will be visiting again but plan on staying a couple nights rather than doing a day trip. read more

Inks lake Park and devils hole is one of my favorite places to camp. The hole is a bit of a sandy hike so have some thing to wipe off your once you get back to your car. You'll need a backpack cooler or a trailer ( I put our cooler in my kayak and paddle ) if you want to spend the day at the hole (so worth it). It's shady all day the water is clear deep and cool read more

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This is a great family camping site it's also fun for hiking swimming and fishing it's just a great all-around Lake and place to go

Ssshhh!!! This review is specifically focused on bird watching and bird photography. At the north of the state park, they have a gated bird hide. When you check in at the office, don't forget to ask the code for the gate. The bird hide has huge glass windows and two openings for bird photography. I have visited this place 4 times and always had good luck capturing some nice bird photos. Earlier in the morning is better for more bird spotting. So keep calm and enjoy bird watching! read more

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I was going on a drive and I saw the sign for the park and I thought, why not... I'm so glad I made that decision. I payed $7 to get in and I parked at the entrance that's down the windy road. The trails are very clean and free of any litter. It was peaceful and quiet; I felt so serene! The hike had very few challenges; the biggest one being getting over a hill of rocks... and that wasn't bad. All of the bathrooms were closed, except for the ones at the headquarters and those were really nice and clean. read more

Inks Lake State Park - The view from on top of a rock hill - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

Excellent park. Clean bathrooms. Great hiking and kayaking. Bring water shoes if you plan to swim. Muddy bottom.

Ink lakes State Park in Burnet County TX. This is a beautiful park with lots of trees and grass. They have a camp store, Boat rentals, a fishing pier. No sewer at sites but they do have a dump station. read more

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Inks is the spot! Such a beautiful state park! I really enjoyed this park- there's some great swimming out here. The area of the lake by most of the park is in a no-wake zone, so it's easy to swim in. The water isn't terribly deep but the temperature was nice. The park had lots of bathrooms, but unfortunately, when I went, the most inconvenient ones were closed. But the ones I went to were clean and modern. Check out Devil's Hole- it's an area where you can jump off the rocks into the waters, but check it out under water first. The whole lake is a really nice place- nobody is in view through most of the park! When I went, the park rangers were nice, and nobody gave us any trouble. The campsite was nice, and they had water and electricity. You gotta get reservations before you visit these days, however. read more

I know that we can't change the environment or climate of central Texas, but I'm not going to lie and say that this park is particularly beautiful or astounding in any way. There's a large lake for swimming, fishing and boating. There are also a few hiking trails and a small waterfall. The cabins are adequate for staying a few nights and the store has food and souvenirs. There are even clean restrooms. Don't let the other reviews fool you into thinking that there is marvelous scenery like at the Grand Canyon. It's a nice place to camp but not five stars. Just a warning; once there was a cottonmouth (highly venomous snake) in the water and people didn't even realize it was there until it was one inch away from the crowd of swimming humans, so stay on guard. read more

We loved this park. There are RV spots close to the water and plenty of hiking trails. We will have to make another trip! read more

Inks Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

I was torn with this park. I was super unimpressed with the "cliff" jumping area. I was expecting a bigger area with higher jumps like Pace Bend. Not a huge deal cause it's not like I was going to jump. My main annoyance with the park isn't really their fault. Across the lake is a busy resort so you can hear loud music and people on a microphone cheering on their guests in the water during the day. However, staff at the park were very friendly, bathrooms were clean, trails were a bit challenging, the bird blind was awesome, and they had a great store. Camping sites were pretty small. AC cabins were ok. Not as clean as others I've been in. I definitely did not walk on the floor barefooted. I'd definitely check them out. I just thought I'd love it as much as I do Pedernales. Oh the bats flying above the lake at night was cool. Beware of the skunks. We saw 4 over 2 nights! There is a reason some of their stickers have skunks on them lol. Jo read more

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Great park for camping! So many campsites are very close to the lake. When we went in November the temperature was fabulous and the lake was gorgeous. Hiking is great, and the trails range from easy/novice to strenuous hikes uphill over several miles. The campsites we had offered water and electric with smooth ground and parking pads. Bathrooms were so clean, although minimal compared to resorts of course. The people working the front check in were very kind and patient; I'm sure they repeat the same answers all day long. There is a camp store with smore supplies, some limited food and snacks, tons of wood for fires, and small souvenirs. You can rent kayaks there. There is a very decent playground with a sno-cone truck as well in the center. I would love to go back to Inks Lake, and there are also some cool a ttractions near by including the Longhorn Caverns and the fish hatchery! I also really enjoyed that they have a gate that locks at 10pm (our friends arriving at 9:55 cut it close!) and park rangers in trucks that you can see slowly circling the camps all night long. On that 3am trek through the dark woods to the bathroom, it was a very reassuring site. Probably the city girl in me talking, but I appreciate some security when there is just some thin canvas between me and the world. Check out the "firewood vending machine" near bathrooms 7! I've never seen anything like it. read more

Great spot! My husband and I spent the weekend here and loved sleeping right by the water. We had a relaxing time here and definitely want to take advantage of the hiking trails next time. There were some feral cats fighting on our campsite in the middle of the night which caught us off guard, but nothing too bad. The bathroom was clean and heated. We joked around saying we'd stay in the bathroom overnight if we got too cold in our tents haha We are definitely not used to having clean and "luxurious" bathrooms available at campsites so this was nice. For dog owners, one thing to note is that dogs must stay on a leash that is at most 6 ft long. They can't stay on a leash that's any longer than that. We definitely want to stay here again at a different camp site on the other side :) read more

Inks Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

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Love love love this park! If you are tent camping, choose one of the numbered series campsites that is on the left side; anything less than 349 I think. They are more spacious than the ones on the other side that have electricity. The left side of the camp is also much less busy. Some of the sites on that side even have direct lake access. The bathroom facilities all throughout the camp are excellent. They even have showers. The camp store is pretty well stocked. They have ice cream. Swimming and hiking trails are great. Lots to do at this camp. And Longhorn Caverns is pretty close also. read more

If you want to camp and a place to spend the weekend, this is the place for you. Just make sure that you make reservations. The weekend we were there was early December and most of the campsites were reserved. I asked the Ranger and she said that it was the 2nd most visited park in Texas - so get reservations! All the sites are nice, but there are some better than others. Usually those closest to the water are the better spots. Keep off the main roads if you don't want all the traffic. All of the bath houses are awesome! They are very new and pretty clean. We thought they were some of the best we've seen. The Park Store is pretty packed with little parking, so be patient and don't worry. Pro-tip: Use your favorite on-line mapping website (especially if they have a view from the street) to get a view of where to stay before arriving! read more

Best state park in my opinion. The park host is friendly and helpful hosting events throughout the year to engage guests. Camping spots so close to the water, makes you feel in the moment of nature. read more

Lovely area. Beautiful trees, trails and very clean. If you are coming for a lake view go elsewhere. I know state parks have different ideas about natural landscape but you can not even see the lake from most spots. It is so overgrown all along the shore getting to the water is challenging not to mention having zero view from the site which is usually why people camp at a lake!! Its just not great. Probably wont be back. Too many nice campgrounds with a lake view . Hopefully some of the state parks will keep the shoreline clear. read more

Such a fun lake to play on! We had an amazing time jet skiing, tubing, boating, wakeboarding, and more. There were parts of the lake that were a little smelly at times. Also, you have to be careful because in certain areas there a high rocks, which can scrape your boat or be dangerous to be around. As long as you are aware of the hazards, you can have fun and be safe! Overall, we had an amazing time and hope to be back super soon! read more

Inks Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Burnet, Texas

A magical place that is perfect for kids and family. There are multiple swimming holes, paddle boats and kayaks for rental and cliff jumping. We take the kids here a couple times a year on the weekends and think it is absolutely ideal. The bathrooms are clean and so are the campgrounds with amazing showers and a great staff to help you with anything. read more

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