Welcome to Review #5 of the Texas State Parks reviews. I want to talk about Lockhart State Park this time. This is a nice park. It is nothing fancy but the people here are awesome. This will be one of my top three favorites for Friendly people up along side Lake Texana and Goose Island. It's a pretty tight three way race. A lot of people come here for the golf course. Not us. We come to... what? Fish. Yes, you can fish here. The water is pretty shallow in some places but you catch a few.�There is also some great trails and I love to go to the top of the hill to the pavillion or rec hall they have. It has a great spread of picnic area behind or to the side of it. The back has a huge space to use for dancing. Inside has a kitchen and a couple small rooms/bedrooms and a huge dining area with a fireplace. This is a nice building with lots of space for a party or even Thanksgiving dinner. It's better than having to be stressed when everyone leaves your house in a disaster. There is bathrooms too. From the back patio/dance space you have a clear view of the basketball court by the park. People don't realize that is the park when they see it. You get turned around going up the hill/mountain. There is a nice hiking trail behind the building and more all around in the wooded area. Watch for snakes. This state park also has a swimming pool to use. It does have a fee but I'm not sure how much. In the very back, go across the little bridge by the waterfall and take a left. Follow it to the end, there is a nice trail that goes along the waters edge. You can also see various remains of the old part of the campgrounds. I assume this�was used for primative camping. I'm not sure if they still allow it because there is usually available space in the front along the water. The playground area here is very nice and while you are there look for the alligator tree. My children gave it that name because it has branches that come out and look like a head on an�alligator.�Watch for snakes. We have seen them here, both in and out of the water. Also be prepared for poison ivey and such. My son usually has a problem with this in the late spring and summer months. If you have a severe allergy don't go�on the trails that are more over grown and remember, leaves of 3 let them be.
This is a great park. I go here a lot. If you get a chance you should too. Just my opinion.� :)�
I am back to give my opinion, or rating, on another state park in Texas. Which one will it be...? Okay, I've got it, Inks Lake State Park. This one I know better than most, well all except one (you will find out about it later). I lived in Burnet/Bertram area for almost 6 years while I was growing up. We spent many summers at Buchanan Dam or Inks Lake State Park. It was amazing, of course when you are a child anytime you get to go swimming at the lake it is amazing so, I had to go back to my younger years to see if it was still amazing! It was. I had my husband take me, just me, for my birthday. We got a small (limited use) cabin. We normally just throw up a tent but it was my birthday and I wanted to relax, not work. (these are very affordable, $45 for the night). We loved our cabin. We got one back near the water and it was actually somewhat secluded. It was so quiet and peaceful. The hiking trails are really nice and if you get to hike across the road in the primative area, it is really beautiful. Be sure to go up on the rocks and see the world. Watch for snakes, this is the Texas Hill Country! Be sure to checkout Longhorn Caverns. It is just up the road and the drive up the hill is nice. Stop at the picnic area and get a view from above. Be sure to get a look at the Castle as you go up but there is a better view of it as you come down. The hill country is beautiful from that high up.
Anyway, back to the state park. They rent pedal boats and , I think canoes too, at the park store. They also have learning activities for the children at times. They actually bring in hawks, eagles, and owls that your child can get their picture with. They teach about wildlife and stuff. I am not sure of all the details but it is something you should check out. There is also good fishing and piers at the park. We are a fishing family so most of the parks I rate will have fishing there. Inks Lake has beautiful sunsets from the fishing pier or on top of the big rocks and sunrise is just as amazing. Again, we had very few problems with any type of bug or mosquito.
The reason I love to camp is because it gives you family time. My children are all teenagers so it sometimes is a lot of bickering but in the end we usually have a good time. It is a very inexpensive way to get a good family vacation without going bankrupt. Try it sometime!
Remember this is my opinion. Your experiences may be different!
�I love Texas Parks & Wildlife. I wish I could work for them, to be out in the open air and so close to the wildlife.It would be amazing. But, since I can't work for them I can most definitely rate them. This will be my first rating. Remember,�it is my opinion and does not mean that your experience will be the same.�
��Lets start with�Lake Texana State Park. It is on Lake Texana, of course, outside of Edna, Texas. It is close to the Gulf coast.�This state park is great. The people who work at this state park are probably the friendliest of all the places I have been. Super sweet! A campsite is $10-15 per night (as of 2008).�My favorite thing about the campsite was that there were no bugs. I mean absolutely no bugs. No ants, mesquitos, or anything. Mesquitos at Matagorda will carry you off. They got so bad at about 6pm that we had to leave. That's how we ended up at Lake Texana State Park. Plus, my husband had gone there when he was a child. Lake Texana has alligators so if you have children you should keep an eye on them. Swimming is allowed but it is at your own risk. A risk I did not take with my children because...
�We decided to fish and the kids have not quite learned how to tell if they have a bite�so we put bobbers and corks on all the rods. It was dark and the fish would nibble a bit but nothing was really biting. We were about to real in when my youngest daughter said she had something after her bobber. My husband had one of those headlights that the�fisherman always wear at night, so he shines it out on her bobber. It was an alligator. It went under and then so did the cork on my rod. Then a huge tug and then the fight was on. I couldn't handle�it so I passed it on to my husband who fought this thing for almost an hour.�The alligator would roll and twist and drag line out forever. Then when he got tired my husband would reel him half way in and the thing would take off again. We figured it would break the line but it never did. He finally reeled it in about 2 feet from the bank and we all said that was close enough so he cut the line. It was a 6 ft. plus alligator and he gave my husband something to talk about for a while.�
� Another great thing about the park is that it has lighted fishing piers so you can fish all night.�It also has hiking trails that are great for seeing birds and even getting near the marshy water areas to see alligators. Watch out for snakes. We did not see any but in that kind of environment there�is sure to be one or two.�
�� So, if you ever get down that way and you want an adventure with some really nice people then you should stay a night or two at Lake Texana State Park. :)�
�Just my opinion...
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