Bastrop State Park
State park in Bastrop County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1937. 7,681 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Bastrop State Park protects part of the Lost Pines, an isolated stand of loblolly pines and hardwoods about 30 miles east of Austin. Wildfires and floods have hit the park hard in recent years, and the trails now show a forest growing back. It's known for its historic cabins, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Things to do
Walk the recovering forest
Hike the trails to see the new generation of loblolly pines. The Lost Pines Loop is 8.4 miles, and TPWD rates it challenging.
Stay in a CCC cabin
The Civilian Conservation Corps built the cabins, dining hall and many other park buildings in the 1930s. Two cabins are accessible.
Interpretive center
Learn about the park's history at the interpretive center, open Friday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Trails
TPWD counts about 7 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Piney Hill Spur | 0.3 mi | Moderate |
| Pine Warbler Trail | 0.3 mi | Moderate |
| Post Oak Spur | 0.5 mi | Moderate |
| Farkleberry Spur | 0.4 mi | Moderate |
| Scenic Overlook Trail | 1.7 mi | Moderate |
| Lost Pines Loop | 8.4 mi | Challenging |
| Heron Hideaway | 1.4 mi | Moderate |
| Tree Army Trails | Up to 4.5 mi. | Easy |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Campsites range from walk-in tent sites to full hookup RV sites. Groups can book the barracks, with a group hall, dorms and room for tents.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup | 35 | 8 | $25 |
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 19 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with WaterTent sites with water | 16 | 8 | $15 |
| Campsites with Water (Walk-in)Tent sites with water | 6 | 8 | $15 |
| Cabin #1 "Sam Houston"Cabins | $140 | ||
| Cabin #2Cabins | $110 | ||
| Cabin #3 "William B. Travis"Cabins | $150 | ||
| Cabin #4Cabins | $130 | ||
| Cabin #5Cabins | $140 | ||
| Cabin #6Cabins | $140 | ||
| Cabin #7 "James Bowie"Cabins | $140 | ||
| Cabin #8Cabins | $140 | ||
| Cabin #9Cabins | $150 | ||
| Cabin #10Cabins | $130 | ||
| Cabin #11Cabins | $120 | ||
| Cabin #12 "Lost Pines Lodge" (Accessible)Cabins | $200 | ||
| Cabin #14 (Accessible)Cabins | $130 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Keep your pets on a leash and watch where you step.
Swimming
Swimming is allowed in designated areas, including a pool. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring, summer and fall
- Night sky
- Bortle 5
TPWD lists spring, summer and fall as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity, so reserve ahead.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Bastrop, TX 78602
(512) 321-2101
Open in OpenStreetMap (30.1101, -97.2869)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 48 min | 31 mi |
| San Antonio | 1 hr 58 min | 87 mi |
| Houston | 2 hr 24 min | 116 mi |
| Waco | 2 hr 25 min | 100 mi |
| The Woodlands | 2 hr 30 min | 106 mi |
| Fort Worth | 3 hr 54 min | 185 mi |
Nearby parks
- Buescher State Park
- McKinney Falls State Park
- Lockhart State Park
- Palmetto State Park
- Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.
Questions people ask
Does Bastrop State Park have cabins?
Yes, historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, including two accessible cabins.
How far is Bastrop State Park from Austin?
About 32 miles, or about 50 minutes by car based on OpenStreetMap routing.
What are the Lost Pines?
An isolated region of loblolly pines and hardwoods around Bastrop. The park protects part of it.
Photo credits
- Bastrop state park lake.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Bastrop State Park (33049127578).jpg by Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0.
- Bastrop State Park (46924509611).jpg by Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0.
- Bastrop State Park in April 2014.JPG by Mgust, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Bastrop State Park, November 2018.jpg by Mark Gustafson, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Bastrop has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Bastrop State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bastrop State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bastrop State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bastrop State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bastrop State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026