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.

Beautiful park that is just gorgeous in the spring with wildflowers in bloom. If camping though,…read moreplease be aware that there is no ranger or camp host on site. I camped midweek with my kids and we were literally the only people in the park. It was kinda cool having the place to ourselves until 10pm when some sketch dude on a motorcycle literally stopped right at our spot and claimed to be "meeting a friend." Not sure what kind of shenanigans he was up to, but it did not feel safe. I may have set a record for breaking camp and getting the heck out of dodge.

The park host deserves all of the credit for the culture she creates for her campers. She called…read morethe park her yard and said she keeps up with it as such. There were a number of times over my weekend there where I had long conversations with her where she gave me great information and was just generally welcoming and generous. I know that at one point she took kites down to the kids for them to fly which to me is above and beyond. I do hope LCRA will add a wheelchair accessible restroom, potable water on grounds, an ice machine and firewood that isn't $11 for a tiny bundle. Know to bring your own hand washing station. We found the port-a-potty to be the cleanest we'd ever seen but there isn't even hand sanitizer available. Each campsite is very unique so if you're not sure which you would like go to the grounds ahead of time and ask the host if you can just drive through to look and pick a site for the future. She said we could do that anytime for free if we weren't staying. Again, Linda the host was the best my camping club has ever experienced.

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.

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.

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.

PFSP is a lovely state park that is very accessible from Austin, only about an hour away. The…read morefastest route that we took was very scenic but of note the back roads to get there were winding, and there were some big dips and even a spot with some nasty potholes that knocked the hanging carplay screen off from the perch on my dash. The back road is also VERY dark, I meant to go another way when leaving after a star party that night (around 8:15pm) but I went back the way I'd come by accident and the road was DARK. I was able to navigate it ok with my high beams on but I definitely saw several deer and there are no streetlights so you have GOT to be careful. We actually even saw a car flipped over in a ditch around a sharp curve on the way - there were several police officers there assisting but drives the point home that winding and dark road can be pretty dangerous. It's one lane each way too. All this said - the park is cute! The main part folks go to see is the falls area, which is easy to get to from the visitor center. There are miles and miles of trails; the trailheads are a little difficult to find for some of them but there's a decent bit of parking around the areas. They do quite a few events too, as mentioned I came in the evening for a star party (most are 6p-9 or 10p ish) and they're free but you do have to sign up in advance. It's nice and dark out that way and check the weather bc it does get cold too - in Feb it was like 40-50F that night so you needed layers. Entrance fee is $6, seems universal for all Texas state parks. You can get a good flavor for the park in just a couple hours, or you could stay all day since there are many long trails. It's worth a visit if you're nearby!

It was nice.. older community but nice.. you have to pay to get into the park.. we drive down to…read morethe boat dock and it was free to get out and enjoy for a few minutes

Lake Buchanan is well a "lake" and not much different from most lakes. It is great for boating,…read morefishing, swimming and camping. What sets it apart from the other Highland Lakes is that it has a beautiful waterfall and Garret Island (a large forested island with a beautiful cove with a pink granite sand beach) and is the perfect opportunity for birding. Lake Buchanan is about 1 hour NW of Austin and well worth the drive for all things lake. Feb. through May is great for fishing White and Striped Bass that as I understand are stocked by the city as they do not naturally spawn so they are abundant as well as Catfish, Large Mouth Bass and Carp. And you probably do not want to know this if you are swimming but the lake also has ALLIGATOR GARS - my last visit I took a picture of a dried up dead one on the Garret Island beach which I will post. Have fun and watch out for the Gars!

My favorite boat rental on Lake Travis. The staff works well with their customers. I like this…read morearea of the lake as well. Thank you all!

I called to ask a few questions about a boat rental. The guy was incredibly rude. He was very short…read morewith me and seemed annoyed the whole time. When I paused to think about something he said, literally on the verge of placing a reservation, he said, "Get your phone fixed" and hung up on me. Wait what? Did that seriously just happen? If you don't like working with customers, find a different line of work. Long story short, stay away! I rented from Lakeway Marina. The pricing was better and the person I spoke with was very professional and personable.

Such a beautiful tour! Mara was amazing! I booked an 11 AM tour . It was a hot day, but still not…read moretoo bad. Some areas have steep steps. The trail isn't a circle, so you would go back the way you came. There are several beautiful sites to see along the way. The steps headed to the cave can be a bit slippery Stay hydrated and be ready to take beautiful pictures. I had an amazing time, I hope you do too!

What a great nature preserve! I went on the Grotto Tour and our guide was very informational. West…read moreCave Outdoor Center is located in the middle of nature so there's no phone service available. Prior to our tour, they sent us instructions on how to get to the center and they were very clear. They had signs at the entrance and they were very easy to follow. We booked the 11AM tour and the hike was relatively easy with West Cave and the Grotto at the end of the trail. Our guide was very informational and was able to teach us about the different species of trees and the geography of the area.

What an incredible experience. I have to say first off, I really appreciate that it's reservations…read moreonly. Doing that limits the amount of people entering at once and allowing for a more enjoyable experience. Paying for a reservation and then additional money upon arrival allows this reserve and park to be properly maintained. I'm thankful for that and for the people who take care of it. It was a bit chilly the morning we went and the water was freezing. I still went in! I wanted the full experience and I got it. The way the water in the pool meets the rock formations is breath-taking. As is the rest of the park. It was a nice area to hike and breathe in nature.

A little slice of paradise, right outside of Austin! I went for the first time with my family and…read morefriends this past November and because we stopped by off-season, we had the entire grotto to ourself for a beautiful, tranquil thirty minutes. I was immediately taken by the blue-green water, so clear that you could see dozens of catfish living their best life right underneath the surface. Outlined by a limstone canyon, I felt like I was an extra in a movie. I'm not someone who usually swims when the weather is any less than 90 degrees, but the lagoon was so beautiful I could not resist jumping in. The water was cool and refreshing -- and I'm sure there are some types of health benefits from all of the natural sediment in the water (at least that is what I told myself). Things to note: - Bring cash to park - Bathrooms are clean, use before getting on the trail - There is a short hike from the parking lot to the grotto. It was a little challenging but my three-year old did it in a pair of crocs with no problem. - Bring towels, a small blanket to sit on, and snacks - No lifeguard, but there is a really friendly ranger who is happy to tell you about the history of the area and answer any questions - In the past several years they have had to close down certain parts of the grotto due to falling limestone. There is also no waterfall due to lack of rain. Be nice to the planet, climate change is real. Hope this area will be around for my children to enjoy in the future.