Inks Lake State Park ~ Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country is rich with outdoor activities you can enjoy year round. Inks Lake State Park, located near Burnet, features hiking, camping, canoeing, swimming and so much more.

We recently visited over Spring Break – it was a perfect day to enjoy the warmer temperatures in a gorgeous setting. We just went for the day and didn’t anticipate spending as much time as we did there. Simply put – it was a fantastic place to unplug and enjoy the beautiful Hill Country.

We started with a hike to Devil’s Waterhole. This small extension of Inks Lake, the Devil’s Waterhole is completely surrounded by bare pink granite hills. We sat in amazement watching kids jumping form this huge rock into the cool waters below. This well-known waterhole is a popular site to spend the day cliff-jumping. I can’t find much on the depths of the water here online, but it must be pretty deep. Those kids were having a blast.

We hiked on around the trails in the north part of the park, looking for a few geocaches and came upon this great little stream and water hole to cool off in – more my style. It was great to relax in the sun while the kids & dog splashed around.

Inks Lake State Park has several great picnic sites to enjoy lunch at. We had a leisurely meal while the kids played on the playground – been a while since they enjoyed an old-school teeter-totter – and watched the fishermen on the pier.

Once re-fueled, we braved another hike, this time on the southern end of the park. The Pecan Flats area offers a few different hikes and even primitive camping (no thanks). This state park has a ton of great geo-caches to find which made our hikes even more interesting. I loved how the hikes were both shaded with gorgeous Texas trees and covered gorgeous pink granite hillsides.

Inks Lake is also a popular camping destination, with reservations booked up months in advance. You can rent canoes and kayaks and there are lots of great events with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Ranges that are offered on the weekends and throughout the summer. Click here to see their events schedule.

Inks Lake State Park makes a wonderful day trip from Austin or a weekend camping trip to get out and enjoy all the Texas Hill Country has to offer.

More Fun Things to do in the Hill Country:

Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm

LBJ Ranch at Lyndon B Johnson National Historic Park

Longhorn Caverns State Park

National Museum of the Pacific War

Enchanted Rock

Vanishing Texas River Cruise

Sweetberry Farm in the Fall

Picking Strawberries at the Sweetberry Farm

BlueBonnet Cafe

Salt Lick BBQ

Texas Travel Facts for Inks Lake State Park:

Location: Burnet, TX

Hours: Open 7 days a week; no gate; office hours vary; always open at 8:00 am

Admission: Adult (Day Use)- $6.00

Adult (Overnight) - $5.00

Children 12 and under - Free

Recommended Time: half to full day

Good to know: All ages welcome, lots of walking, bring a picnic lunch (tables are available), pets on leash, bring bug spray and sunblock; swimsuits to play in water

Website:http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/inks-lake