Bastrop State Park is a National Historic Landmark. The park opened in 1937 and was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp. The historic trail, El Camino Real de Los Tejas ran through an area that is now part of the park.
Location:
100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop, TX 78602
Bastrop State Park is located 32 miles east of Austin, Texas.
From Bastrop take Texas 21 to reach the park.
Cost:
The entry fee for Bastrop State Park is $5 for per person over the age of 13. There is free admission to the park for people ages 12 and under.
The swimming pool requires both an additional fee, and a specific reservation.
The pool fee for adults who paid the day use fee for the park is $3. The pool fee for children 6-12 is also $3. Children 5 and under do not need to pay an entry fee.
For people who did not pay the day use fee for the park and do not wish to access the park, the pool fee is $5. All swimmers must make a reservation in advance, even for children 5 and under.
There are additional fees for overnight stays which vary depending on the type of lodging or campsite.
To save money when visiting Bastrop State Park, I recommend looking at a Texas State Parks Pass. The pass costs $70 a year. The benefit of the pass is that it allows the pass holder, and any passengers in their vehicle to enter the park without paying the day use fee.
Reservations:
I recommend making reservations as soon as you know your plans. Campsites and other lodging can book up quickly especially for weekends and summers. This is a popular park near Austin, and campsites can be competitive to get.
Reservations can be made for day use, the swimming pool, and camping. Reservations for day use can be made up to one month in advance. Reservations for camping open up one year in advance.
Reservations to access the swimming pool must be made in advance.
Swimming at Bastrop State Park
Bastrop State Park has swimming available in the swimming pool. Swimming is only available when the swimming pool is open. The swimming pool is not open year round.
An additional fee is required to access the pool, even for children ages 6 – 12 who do not need to pay to enter the park itself.
An additional reservation is also required for the swimming pool.
The swimming pool has lap swim time and open swim time. Swimmers under the age of 14 must be supervised by an adult.
Staying at Bastrop State Park
In addition to campsites, the state park also has cabins available and group buildings.
Campsites
There are a range of different levels of campsites available at the park for either tent camping or RV camping. The prices of the campsites range from $15 per night to $25 per night depending on the level of amenities at the campsite.
Some of the tent campsites are not directly accessible by car and require walking a short distance.
Most of the campsites have a picnic table, fire rings, and water. Some of the sites have electricity or other amenities for a full RV hookup.
Pets are allowed at campsites.
Cabins
Bastrop State Park is known for having many cabins that are in the original 1930’s style.
The different cabins have different prices, but expect them to be around $150 per night. Be aware that on weekends and holidays there is a two night minimum.
There are no pets allowed in the cabins.
There are beds in the cabins, but you must bring your own linens.
The specific amenities of each cabin vary, but they all have at least one bathroom and shower and electricity. There is also a basic kitchen.
The Refectory
Bastrop State Park is known for having a building known as the Refectory. It is a large dining hall that is available to be rented out.
Hiking Trails
There are eight trails at the state park. Most of the trails are less than half a mile long.
Dogs are allowed on the hiking trails, but must be on a leash and cleaned up after.
The most difficult trail is Lost Pines Loop. It is 8.2 miles long and rated as challenging.
The easiest trails are the Tree Army Trails, which are up to 4.5 miles long. While some sections of these trails are difficult to navigate, some of them are accessible for wheelchairs or strollers.
Some of the animals that live in the park include toads, woodpeckers, deer and armadillos.
What is there to do at Bastrop State Park?
There are many outdoor activities at the park. You can fish, swim, or hike, in addition to camping. There are picnic tables, a playground and grills.
The fishing lake in Bastrop State Park is called Lake Mina. It is a small lake. Lake Bastrop is a large lake which is not part of the State Park. It has a different entry fee.
What to do near Bastrop State Park
Bastrop
Bastrop, Texas is the closest town to the State Park. It is a historic town, with about 10,000 people. The historic downtown is a great way to spend an afternoon. It is the perfect place to stop after spending some time in the park. Get breakfast at Maxine’s Cafe and Bakery, then spend the day walking around the historic downtown.
The Bastrop Museum and Visitor Center is located and 904 Main Street and has artifacts about the history of Bastrop County. There are also art galleries and gift shops.
I enjoy visiting the Painted Porch Book Store at 912 Main Street. The book store is fun to look around and has an interesting selection of books which are curated by author Ryan Holiday who is the owner of the shop.
If you are looking for a place to stay nearby instead of camping in the park, Bastrop has a number of chain hotels at different price points.
Holiday Inn Express
Comfort Inn and Suites
There are also a number of rental homes and bed and breakfasts, such as the highly reviewed Perry River House is a Bed and Breakfast which is located right on the Colorado River.
Austin
Austin, Texas is 32 miles from Bastrop State Park. Austin is the Capitol of Texas, and has many of the activities that you would expect in a major city.
You can visit the State Capitol building or the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Lady Bird Lake, which is often still referred to by its former name of Town Lake, has kayaking and canoeing. Swimmers will enjoy Barton Springs Pool, which is fed by natural springs.
Smithville
Smithville, Texas is 12 miles from Bastrop State Park and has about 4,000 people. Smithville is known as being a location for filming movies. You may recognize it from the movie Hope Floats, but many other movies were also filmed in Smithville such as Bernie, which took place in Carthage, Texas.
What other parks are near Bastrop State Park?
Buescher State Park
Buescher State Park in Smithville is the closest state park to Bastrop State Park. The park offers camping, hiking, and fishing.