This beautiful state park, 1 mile east of Bastrop, suffered a serious blow back in 2011, when wildfires damaged 96% of its nearly 6000 acres of forest. Fortunately, the historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s were spared, and the hiking, swimming and golfing has carried on. Follow the scenic drive (12 miles) through the park to see both the destruction and the regeneration.
Bastrop State Park
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Bat Colony Under Congress Avenue Bridge
29.75 MILES
Austin is known as the capital of Texas quirk, so it shouldn't be surprising that it's a city tradition to sit on the grassy banks of Lady Bird Lake and…
29.81 MILES
Completed in 1888 using sunset-red granite, Texas’ state capitol is the largest in the US, backing up the familiar claim that everything’s bigger…
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
29.89 MILES
Big, glitzy and bursting with high-tech interactive exhibits, this showcase museum celebrates the story of the Lone Star State, from its earliest…
Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library & Museum
29.5 MILES
Devoted to the 36th US president, who launched his political career in Austin, this museum is still attracting the crowds more than 50 years since he left…
Ann & Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail & Boardwalk
28.15 MILES
You can gaze at the downtown skyline from a series of photogenic boardwalks on this scenic 10-mile trail, which loops around Lady Bird Lake. Shorten the…
29.81 MILES
A big university with a big endowment is bound to have a big art collection, and now, finally, it has a suitable building to show it off properly. With…
12.32 MILES
Prehistoric creatures walk the earth once more at the Dinosaur Park, halfway between Austin Bergstrom Airport and Bastrop. Well, they don't exactly walk,…
29.76 MILES
This wonderful, eclectic downtown museum features works from Mexican and Mexican American artists in exhibitions that change every two months. Many are…
Nearby attractions
1. Bastrop Museum & Visitor Center
2.41 MILES
Stop by for walking-tour maps and brochures, and take a whirl through the museum while you're at it. Exhibits spotlight the history of the building –…
2.69 MILES
The best reason to visit this park on the banks of the Colorado River is the splash pad (9am to 7pm), a children's play area with water features you can…
3. McKinney Roughs Nature Park
10.96 MILES
Four different ecosystems – post oak savannah, blackland prairie, east Texas piney woods and riparian – meet at this 1100-acre park, 13 miles southeast of…
12.32 MILES
Prehistoric creatures walk the earth once more at the Dinosaur Park, halfway between Austin Bergstrom Airport and Bastrop. Well, they don't exactly walk,…
27.87 MILES
In the center, this museum was opened by the organizer of the annual Houston quilt show. Two refurbished mid-19th-century buildings make an excellent home…
6. Ann & Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail & Boardwalk
28.15 MILES
You can gaze at the downtown skyline from a series of photogenic boardwalks on this scenic 10-mile trail, which loops around Lady Bird Lake. Shorten the…
28.54 MILES
This huge, red, box-like building north of downtown inspires young minds with hands-on activities in the realms of science, technology and the arts. Kids…
28.77 MILES
Revitalized in the 1990s, the state's official cemetery is the final resting place of key figures from Texan history. Interred here are luminaries…