Black Rock Park

Black Rock Park
Location: 3400 RR 261, Buchanan Dam, TX 78609
County: Llano
Size: 25 acres
LCRA's Black Rock Park on Lake
Buchanan is popular with campers,
swimmers and boaters. The park draws
a good-sized crowd on summer
weekends. While there are no boat
ramps in the park, boaters may launch
from a free public ramp at Llano County
Park next door. Swimmers plunge into
the lake from the park's sandy beach,
and ample shoreline provides excellent
opportunities for bank fishing.
Black Rock cabins
History
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LCRA has operated Black Rock Park since the 1970s.
Facilities
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15 general camping water and electric sites that include 30 or 50 amp electrical and
wastewater/potable water hookups, a picnic table, grill and fire ring
21 water-only tent sites that include a picnic table, fire ring and access to a water spigot
18 mini-cabins. Each has electricity, outside water spigot, heat and A/C, a ceiling fan, front
porch, picnic table and a grill. Each cabin will sleep up to five in two sets of bunk beds.
Restroom and showers
RV dump station
Recreation
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Fishing
Recreation area
Sandy beach
Swim areas
Nearby towns
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Kingsland – 8.4 miles (HEB, Ace
Hardware)
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Llano – 17 miles (Super S Foods,
Coopers BBQ)
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Burnet – 16.3 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
Black Rock host site
Camp Creek Recreation Area
Location: 1221 County Rd. 343, Marble Falls, TX 78654
County: Burnet
Size: 42 acres
A grove of pecan trees gives campers
great places to set up tents or picnic at
Camp Creek. The park on the north
shore of Lake Travis is popular with
anglers, especially those in search of
white bass. Boats can be launched
from the free boat ramp.
Camp Creek view
History
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The property was acquired by LCRA in 1941.
The land had been used for livestock grazing.
Facilities
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Boat ramp
Waterless toilet
Picnic tables
Unimproved camping
Recreation
Boating
Fishing
Nearby towns
 Marble Falls – 9.4 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
 Cedar Park – 31.6 miles (Lakeline Mall)
Cedar Point Recreation Area
Location: 545 Ranch Road 3014, Tow, TX 78762
County: Llano
Size: 342 acres
Cedar Point Recreation Area is one of the largest
public tracts of land on Lake Buchanan, with 3
miles of shoreline. Cedar Point is one of LCRA's
parks left in a more natural state, making it ideal
for those who like to ‘‘rough it.’’ Cedar Point is
directly across the lake from Canyon of the
Eagles Nature Park.
Cedar Point beach
History
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Cedar Point was acquired as part of the Lake Buchanan project in 1936.
The land had been used for livestock grazing.
Facilities
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Boat ramp
Waterless toilet
Recreation
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Boating, canoeing and kayaking
Hiking and walking trails
Horseback riding
Fishing
Swimming
Unimproved camping
Nearby towns
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Kingsland - 19.3 miles (HEB, Ace
Hardware)
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Llano – 17.4 miles (Super S Foods,
Coopers BBQ)
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Burnet – 27.1 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
Cedar Park host site
Gloster Bend Recreation Area
Location: 3533 Hollingsworth Road, Marble Falls, TX 78654
County: Travis
Size: 541 acres
More than a mile of grassy shoreline is
easily accessible at Gloster Bend
Recreation Area on the north shore of
Lake Travis. Many visitors use the boat
ramp, which is open 24 hours a day.
The park is day-use only.
Gloster Bend view
History
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Originally part of an 1841 land patent, the property was the location of numerous small
communities, hamlets and towns in which farming, sheep, cattle and goats were primary
sources of income.
The land was acquired by LCRA as part of the Lake Travis project.
Facilities
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Boat ramp
Picnic tables
Recreation
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Bicycling – dirt and gravel
Fishing
Hiking and walking trails
Horseback riding
Swimming
Amenities
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Washer and dryer
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Storage shed
Gloster Bend host site
Nearby towns
 Marble Falls – 24.8 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
 Cedar Park – 22.7 miles ( Lakeline Mall)
Grelle Recreation Area
Location: 640 County Road 412, Spicewood, TX 78669
County: Burnet
Size: 400 acres
Grelle Recreation Area wraps around an
isolated cove on the south shore of Lake
Travis. The cove's grassy beach is a good
swimming spot. A 2-mile hiking trail winds
through the area's hills to a plateau with a
spectacular view of Lake Travis. Overnight
camping is allowed at the 400-acre area, but
no facilities are provided. It has one outdoor
toilet and no drinking water.
Grelle view
Facilities
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Restrooms
Recreation
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Camping on a first-come, first-serve
basis
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Swimming
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Hiking
Amenities
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Washer and dryer
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Storage shed
Grelle host site
Nearby towns
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Bee Cave – 19.5 miles (HEB, Hill Country Galleria)
Austin – 38.6 miles
Lake Bastrop parks
North Shore Park: FM 1441, Bastrop, TX 78602
South Shore Park: 375 South Shore Road, Bastrop, TX 78602
County: Bastrop
Size: 64 acres (20 acres at North Shore and 44 acres at South Shore)
North Shore and South Shore parks sit on the
shores of 900-acre Lake Bastrop. The parks have
features that appeal to campers, anglers and
nature lovers, including sailing, water skiing,
canoeing and onshore activities such as shaded
day-use and swim areas for picnics, an expanded
hike-and-bike trail, volleyball and tetherball
courts, and a dining hall with heat and A/C,
perfect for family reunions and other group
events. Lake Bastrop contains bass, crappie,
perch and catfish, and anglers can drop a line
from the parks’ fishing piers.
North Shore host site
History
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1964 – Lake Bastrop is built as a cooling pond for the Sim Gideon Power Plant.
1966 – LCRA receives federal grant funding to develop public parks on its land around Lake
Bastrop.
1968 – The Lake Bastrop parks open to the public. The parks were operated by concessionaires
until 1977. LCRA resumes responsibility for operations in 1978.
1989 – LCRA leases the property to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which planned to
improve the parks with the agreement that LCRA would operate the parks until the
improvements were made.
1996 – Parks and Wildlife assumes responsibility for the parks to create a game warden
academy. The academy plans do not progress.
Memorial Day 1997 – LCRA resumes responsibility for the parks. South Shore Park is officially
rededicated and the park opens to the public two days later.
Facilities for both locations
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Picnic sites
Boat ramp
Restrooms and showers
Pavilion
North Shore
 17 general campsites that include water and electric
 Group picnic area – partially shaded site for groups of up to 50. The area includes a large
grill, picnic tables and a large serving table.
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South Shore
 12 waterfront campsites that include water and electric
 20 general campsites that include water and electric
 Six full campsites with water, electric and sewer hookups
 18 mini-cabins that accommodate up to five people each in two sets of bunk beds. Each has
electricity, an outside water spigot, heat and A/C, a ceiling fan, a front porch, a picnic table
and grill. Twelve cabins are along the waterfront and six cabins are at Osprey Point.
 Osprey Point Hall accommodates 80 people inside and an additional 40 if the outside picnic
area is used. The hall has heat and A/C, a catering kitchen with commercial sink,
refrigerator, buffet counter, icemaker, tables and chairs, private restrooms and fireplace.
Horseshoe pits, washer pits and a larger group barbecue are located outside the hall. The
hall can be rented in combination with the six Osprey Point mini-cabins.
Recreation for both locations
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Boat ramps
Canoe and kayak launch site
Fishing
Hiking and mountain biking trails
Swimming
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Storage shed
 Wi-Fi at fee booth
Nearby towns
 Bastrop – 3.8 miles (HEB, Wal-Mart)
 Austin – 36.8 miles
South Shore host site
Matagorda Bay Nature Park
Location: 6430 FM 2031, Matagorda, TX 77457
County: Matagorda
Size: 1,487 acres (400 acres include the park and Natural Science Center; 1,087 acres are protected area)
Matagorda Bay Nature Park (MBNP) is a park
and preserve at the mouth of the Colorado
River on Matagorda Peninsula. LCRA
developed the park to provide recreation,
education, wetlands preservation and
economic benefit to the region. The park has
about 2 miles of frontage on the Gulf of
Mexico, 2 miles of river frontage, and several
hundred acres of coastal marshes, wetlands
and dunes, much of which is protected and
restricted as a preserve. It is also one of the
best birding areas in the nation.
Matagorda Bay view
MBNP features an RV campground and a natural science center. The RV campground provides a variety
of recreational vehicle camping options and other park amenities. The Matagorda Bay Natural Science
Center provides programs about the importance of water conservation and alternative forms of
renewable energy and seeks to encourage stewardship of the Colorado River. Enabling people to
experience the river and the region’s natural resources first-hand helps raise awareness and encourages
the protection of these resources.
History
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2001 – LCRA acquires the property as part of its commitment to preserve natural resources for
future generations and provide science education, recreation and nature tourism opportunities.
2002 – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awards LCRA a $2 million grant to build
recreational facilities at the park.
Aug. 3, 2011 – The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Program honors the
Matagorda Bay Natural Science Center with a Gulf Guardian Award in the Youth Environmental
Education Division.
Bi-annually – A cattle pen complex is used for the Cattle Swim Roundup, in which cattle are
herded across the Colorado River to the pens. This traditional practice dates back to the 19th
century.
Natural science education programs
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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has identified LCRA natural science centers as model outdoor
education sites for Texas field trips. Natural science centers education programs reinforce the
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) objectives and the processing skills necessary for the
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.
The educational philosophy at the centers is based on the belief that people learn best in the
outdoors through direct experience.
Program curriculums include: Estuary Investigation, GPS on the Trail, Dune Defense and Beach
Processes, and Clear into the Future: Water Quality.
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The river stewards program is a science education program conducted with school districts in
the LCRA service area in the lower basin. Partners include Texas A&M University, Texas State
University and the Colorado River Alliance. The program has proven the connection between
learning science in the outdoors and higher test scores in TEA state testing.
Matagorda staff collaborates with The University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology to work
with middle and high school students on dune defense and beach processes, studying the
importance of dune protection and conservation. The data gathered is used for scientific studies
within UT’s Beach Dunes Monitoring Project.
Natural Science Center recreational outdoor programs
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Programs offered to the general public include: Day on the Bay Wetland Kayaking Trip, Wings
Over the Wetlands and Nature Scavenger Hunt.
Groups visiting Matagorda Bay for tourism purposes also can participate in recreational
programs offered at the Natural Science Center. Targeted programs for RV groups include
birding, beach-combing and kayaking. Targeted programs for Scout groups include
oceanography and environmental science.
Facilities – RV park
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22 general camping RV sites
that include 30/50 amp electrical
service, sewer connections and a
picnic table
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5 pull-through RV sites that
include 30/50 amp electrical service,
sewer connections and a picnic table
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24 preferred RV sites that
include obstructed views of the river
and 30/50 amp electrical service,
sewer connections and a picnic table
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19 waterfront camping RV sites
that include 30/50 amp electrical
service, sewer connections and a
picnic table
Matagorda Bay host site
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Group picnic area – partially shaded site for groups of up to 50; includes a large grill, picnic
tables and a large serving table
Laundry facilities
Restrooms and showers
Recreation
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Boat ramps
Canoe and kayak launch sites
Fishing piers
Guided tours
Hiking and walking trails
Natural Science Center
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Sandy beach
Swimming
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Wi-Fi at fee booth
Nearby city
 Bay City – 27.7 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
McKinney Roughs Nature Park
Location: 1884 Hwy 71 West, Cedar Creek, TX 78612
County: Bastrop
Size: 1,151 acres (130 acres are park and Natural Science Center; and 1,021 acres are protected area)
McKinney Roughs is a
nature park at which
characteristics of four
ecosystems – Post Oak
Savannah, Blackland
Prairie, East Texas Piney
Woods and a riparian
zone – converge to
create an unusual blend
of natural resources.
Located 13 miles east of
Austin-Bergstrom
International Airport,
McKinney Roughs is
home to hundreds of
plant and animal species
living within the rolling
box canyons, wildflower
McKinney Roughs view
meadows and lazy river bends of the Colorado River. McKinney Roughs is a day-use park where visitors
can explore close to 18 miles of trails by foot or horseback or take part in one of the park’s many
community programs.
The McKinney Roughs Natural Science Center provides programs to help educate people about the
importance of water conservation and alternative renewable energy solutions, and seeks to encourage
stewardship of the Colorado River.
History
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1850s through 1950s – property is owned
and worked by the Wise family
1980s – plans for residential development
are put on hold due to an economic
downturn
1995 – LCRA acquires the property.
Additional adjoining properties are
acquired in 1996 and 1998
McKinney Roughs host site
Facilities
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Day-use park
Visitors Center with gift shop and interactive exhibits
Facility rental – includes a meeting room for up to 120 people, kitchen area, catered dining hall
that accommodates up to 250 people and three dormitories that can house up to 128 guests
Restrooms
Recreation
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Hiking and walking trails
Equestrian trails
Outdoor education and recreation programs
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Wi-Fi at Visitor Center
Nearby towns
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Bastrop – 9.5 miles ( HEB, Wal-Mart)
Austin – 23.6 miles
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area
Location: 2820 County Road 414, Spicewood, TX 78669
Counties: Travis/Burnet
Size: 920 acres
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area is
on the south side of Lake Travis,
about 20 miles west of Austin,
making it an excellent weekend
getaway for people in the Austin
area. Muleshoe Bend features
several recreational opportunities,
including a 6.5-mile mountain bike
trail and horseback riding. Muleshoe
Bend also has plenty of sites for tent
camping, picnic tables with views of
the lake and a gentle shoreline.
Portions of the property are leased
to a nearby property association, a
yacht and marina association, and a
summer youth camp.
Muleshoe Bend view
History
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1939-1942 – Muleshoe Bend is acquired by LCRA as six separate tracts for the creation of Lake
Travis.
1990s – Muleshoe Bend undergoes a series of improvements to help ensure resource
protection, site security and public enjoyment.
Facilities
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Unimproved camping
Picnic tables
Entrance station
Flushing restroom
Outdoor shower
Potable water
Recreation
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Muleshoe Bend host site
Bicycling – dirt and gravel
Fishing
Hiking and walking trails
Horseback riding
Swimming
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Storage shed
 Wi-Fi at fee booth
Nearby towns
 Bee Cave – 20.3 miles ( HEB, Whole Foods, Hill Country Galleria)
 Austin – 38.6 miles
Pedernales River Nature Park
Location: 404 Hwy 281 North, Johnson City, TX 78636
County: Blanco
Size: 222 acres
The Pedernales River Nature Park
is a day-use property open to the
public for fishing and picnicking.
The 222-acre tract of riverfront
land, known locally as the old
Rainbow Ranch Trout Farm, is
centrally located and easily
accessible to all of Blanco County.
The park offers picnic tables
shaded by oak trees and lots of
open space. A shaded riverbank
provides a nice spot for anglers,
bird lovers and anyone wanting a
quiet place to relax. Swimming is
not allowed.
Pedernales River view
Facilities
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Picnic tables
Two open air pavilions
Recreation
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Fishing
Walking trail
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Storage shed
Nearby towns
 Johnson City – 1 mile
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(Lowe’s Market)
Marble Falls – 23 miles
(HEB, Wal-Mart)
Pedernales River park host site
Plum Park on the Colorado
Location: 1517 Prairie Valley Road, Westpoint, TX 78963
County: Fayette
Size: 40 acres
Plum Park on the Colorado offers
canoeists a great place to access the
river between Smithville and La
Grange. Park visitors can enjoy a day
of picnicking or fishing with the
option of staying overnight at the
available primitive camping sites.
Day-users can enjoy the park from
dawn to dusk.
Plum Park view
Facilities
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Unimproved camping
Picnic tables
Vaulted restroom
Potable water
Recreation
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Fishing
Hiking and walking trails
Swimming
Kayaking and canoeing
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Storage shed
Plum Park host site
Nearby towns
 La Grange – 10 miles (HEB, Wal-Mart)
 Bastrop – 26 miles
Shaffer Bend Recreation Area
Location: 706 County Road 343A, Marble Falls, TX 78654
County: Burnet
Size: 521 acres
Shaffer Bend Recreation Area is
one of LCRA's larger recreation
areas, located on the upper part of
Lake Travis. The terrain, ranging
from bottomlands to bluffs and
hills, makes for good hiking and
horseback riding. Lake Travis more
resembles the original Colorado
River here, especially when lake
levels are lower. Wildlife viewing
opportunities are abundant.
Doublehorn Resource Area is
located across the lake from
Shaffer Bend and can be reached
by foot when lake levels are low.
Shaffer Bend swimming hole
History
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The park was part of the Shaffer-Hood Farmstead and the Meredith Farmstead, both of which
were documented as being settled in the early 20th century.
LCRA acquired the property as part of the Lake Travis project.
Facilities
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Toilet at entry
Portable toilet in camping area
Unimproved camping
Picnic tables, fire rings and grills
Shaffer Bend host site
Recreation
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Bicycling – dirt and gravel
Fishing
Hiking and walking trails
Horseback riding
Swimming
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Storage shed
Nearby towns
 Marble Falls – 9.2 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
 Cedar Park – 29.9 miles (Lakeline Mall)
Turkey Bend Recreation Area
Location: 4000 Shaw Blvd., Marble Falls, TX 78564
Counties: Burnet and Travis
Size: 1,138 acres
Turkey Bend Recreation
Area is on the upper north
side of Lake Travis, about
9.5 miles west of Lago
Vista. It is the second
largest public park on Lake
Travis. Turkey Bend has
popular unimproved
camping and fishing spots
with easy access to the
lake. Much of the
shoreline offers views of
picturesque homes on the
cliffs across the lake.
Turkey Bend view
History
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The property is carved from three historical land patents granted by the Republic of Texas in
1845 and by the state in 1846 and 1850.
Historical references to Turkey Bend have included the term “pioneer hamlet,” and an early
sketch map shows a community located down the bend, near the river just west of the Burnet
County line.
Turkey Bend host site
Facilities
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Unimproved camping
Picnic tables, fire rings and grills
Flushing toilet
Portable toilets
Recreation
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Bicycling – dirt and gravel
Fishing
Hiking and walking trails
Horseback riding
Swimming
Amenities
 Washer and dryer
 Storage shed
Nearby towns
 Marble Falls – 19 miles (HEB, Walgreens)
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Cedar Park – 23.9 miles (Lakeline Mall)