TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Buescher State Park

State park in Bastrop County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1940. 1,077 acres by TPWD boundary data.

The entrance to Bastrop State Park on Park Road 1A through the native sandstone portal built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s.
Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Buescher is Bastrop State Park's smaller sibling, just north of Smithville, with a 30-acre lake and nearly six miles of trails under oaks, cedars and loblolly pines. The 12-mile Park Road 1C connects the two parks through the Lost Pines and is a hilly, scenic ride by bike or car. You don't need a license to fish the lake, and the park loans gear.

Things to do

Ride Park Road 1C

The hilly 12-mile road between Buescher and Bastrop runs through recovering and forested parts of the Lost Pines.

Hike Pine Gulch

The challenging Pine Gulch Trail (4 miles one way) runs under tall loblolly pines. Stop by the Big Tree, a former state champion cedar elm.

Fish the lake

No license is needed, and the park loans fishing gear.

The entrance to Bastrop State Park on Park Road 1A through the native sandstone portal built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s.
Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0
Buescher State Park Lake in Bastrop County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
A residence in Buescher State Park in Bastrop County, Texas, United States built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s for the park superintendent
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

Trails

TPWD counts about 6 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
Winding Woodland Trail1.5 miModerate1.5 hrs.
Pine Gulch Trail4 miChallenging2 hrs.
Roosevelt's Cutoff0.5 miModerate30 min.
Barred Owl Path0.1 miEasy10 min.
CCC Crossover0.1 miEasy10 min.
Big Tree Retreat0.03 miEasy5 min.

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

Choose sites with electricity, with water only, or walk-in primitive. There are also screened shelters and cabins without bathrooms, with restrooms and showers throughout the park.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric328$18
Campsites with WaterTent sites with water208$15
Primitive Campsites (Walk-in)Primitive58$15
Screened Shelter (Premium)Screened shelters28$45
Screened SheltersScreened shelters28$25
Cabins (Without Bathrooms)Cabins34$85

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.

Swimming

TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.

Best time to go

January low
38°F
July high
96°F
Rain per year
36.5 in.
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

100 Park Road 1E
Smithville, TX 78957
(512) 237-2241

Open in OpenStreetMap (30.0391, -97.1583)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Austin57 min40 mi
San Antonio2 hr 3 min91 mi
Houston2 hr 14 min107 mi
Waco2 hr 33 min105 mi
The Woodlands2 hr 33 min99 mi
Corpus Christi3 hr 49 min158 mi
Map of Texas showing where Buescher isAbilene State ParkAlbert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural AreaAtlanta State ParkBalmorhea State ParkBarton Warnock Visitor CenterBastrop State ParkBear Creek State ParkBentsen-Rio Grande Valley State ParkBig Bend Ranch State ParkBig Spring State ParkBlanco State ParkBonham State ParkBrazos Bend State ParkBuescher State ParkCaddo Lake State ParkCaprock Canyons State Park & TrailwayCedar Hill State ParkChinati Mountains State Natural AreaChoke Canyon State ParkCleburne State ParkColorado Bend State ParkCooper State ParkCopper Breaks State ParkDaingerfield State ParkDavis Mountains State ParkDevil's Sinkhole State Natural AreaDevils River State Natural AreaDinosaur Valley State ParkEisenhower State ParkEnchanted Rock State Natural AreaEstero Llano Grande State ParkFalcon State ParkFort Boggy State ParkFort Leaton State Historic SiteFort Parker State ParkFort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State TrailwayFranklin Mountains State ParkGalveston Island State ParkGarner State ParkGoliad State Park & Historic SiteGoose Island State ParkGovernment Canyon State Natural AreaGuadalupe River State ParkHill Country State Natural AreaHoney Creek State Natural AreaHueco Tanks State Park & Historic SiteHuntsville State ParkIndian LodgeInks Lake State ParkKickapoo Cavern State ParkLake Arrowhead State ParkLake Bob Sandlin State ParkLake Brownwood State ParkLake Casa Blanca International State ParkLake Colorado City State ParkLake Corpus Christi State ParkLake Livingston State ParkLake Mineral Wells State Park & TrailwayLake Somerville State Park & TrailwayLake Tawakoni State ParkLake Whitney State ParkLockhart State ParkLonghorn Cavern State ParkLost Maples State Natural AreaLyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic SiteMartin Creek Lake State ParkMartin Dies, Jr. State ParkMcKinney Falls State ParkMeridian State ParkMission Tejas State ParkMonahans Sandhills State ParkMother Neff State ParkMustang Island State ParkOld Tunnel State ParkPalmetto State ParkPalo Duro Canyon State ParkPalo Pinto Mountains State ParkPedernales Falls State ParkPossum Kingdom State ParkPost Oak Ridge State ParkPowderhorn State ParkPurtis Creek State ParkRay Roberts Lake State ParkResaca de la Palma State ParkSan Angelo State ParkSea Rim State ParkSeminole Canyon State Park & Historic SiteSheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning CenterSouth Llano River State ParkStephen F. Austin State ParkTyler State ParkVillage Creek State ParkWyler Aerial Tramway

Nearby parks

  1. Bastrop State Park9 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Lockhart State Park35 miles away. $3 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. McKinney Falls State Park35 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway36 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Palmetto State Park40 miles away. $3 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.

Questions people ask

How far is Buescher State Park from Bastrop State Park?

The two are linked by Park Road 1C, a hilly 12-mile road through the Lost Pines.

Does Buescher State Park have cabins?

Yes, cabins without bathrooms, plus screened shelters.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Buescher has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Buescher State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Buescher State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Buescher State Park screened shelters, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Buescher State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: Buescher State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD: Buescher State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  13. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  14. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026