Cleburne State Park
State park in Johnson County, in the Prairies and Lakes region. Established 1938. 529 acres by TPWD boundary data.
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Cleburne State Park surrounds the clear, spring-fed 116-acre Cedar Lake, southwest of Fort Worth. Swim, fish from the covered accessible pier, and paddle the no-wake lake (rent kayaks from the self-service kiosk). Nearly 13 miles of trails include a technical 6-mile mountain bike loop and a walk to the three-tiered spillway built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Things to do
Swim and paddle
Swim, fish and boat on the no-wake lake. Jet skis aren't allowed. Single and double kayaks rent from a credit-card kiosk at the Cedar Lodge day-use area.
Mountain bike
Technical, wooded trails form a 6-mile loop with steep downhills and fast flats.
See the spillway
Follow the Spillway Trail to the hand-carved, three-tiered spillway, which looks like a waterfall after rain.
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Trails
TPWD counts about 13 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Creek Loop | 1.1 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. (round trip) |
| Fossil Ridge Trail | 2.5 mi | Challenging | 1.5 hrs. (one-way) |
| White-tail Hollow Trail | 1.9 mi | Easy | 1.25 hrs. (round trip) |
| Spillway Trail | 0.7 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. (round trip) |
| Coyote Run Nature Trail | 1.1 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. (round trip) |
| Limestone Ridge Trail | 1.7 mi | Challenging | 1 hr. (one-way) |
| Inner Loop Trail | 1.7 mi | Challenging | 2 hrs. (one-way) |
| Crappie Cove Fishing Trail | 0.3 mi | Easy | 15 min. (one-way) |
| Perch Point Fishing Trail | 0.1 mi | Easy | 10 min. (one--way) |
| Sandy Flats Fishing Trail | 0.2 mi | Easy | 15 min. (one-way) |
| Bluecat Bottoms Fishing Trail | 0.2 mi | Easy | 15 min. (one-way) |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Every campsite has water and electricity, and some have sewer hookups. There are also screened shelters and cabins, with bathrooms and showers nearby.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Hookup Campsites (20/30/50 amp)Full hookup | 15 | 8 | $30 |
| Full Hookup Campsites (20/30 amp)Full hookup | 12 | 8 | $28 |
| Campsites with Electricity (20/30/50 amp)Water and electric | 7 | 8 | $25 |
| Campsites with Electricity (20/30 amp)Water and electric | 24 | 8 | $20 |
| Group Camp (Youth)Group | 56 | $42 | |
| Screened SheltersScreened shelters | 3 | 8 | $30 |
| CabinsCabins | 3 | 8 | $60 |
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
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring and summer
- January low
- 34°F
- July high
- 97°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity. May is the wettest month, and July averages 97°F.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 645-4215
Open in OpenStreetMap (32.2524, -97.5496)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 1 hr 1 min | 38 mi |
| Dallas | 1 hr 26 min | 59 mi |
| Waco | 1 hr 51 min | 52 mi |
| Tyler | 3 hr 2 min | 131 mi |
| Austin | 3 hr 24 min | 136 mi |
| The Woodlands | 4 hr 36 min | 188 mi |
Nearby parks
- Dinosaur Valley State Park
- Lake Whitney State Park
- Meridian State Park
- Cedar Hill State Park
- Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Prairies and Lakes.
Questions people ask
Can you swim at Cleburne State Park?
Yes, in Cedar Lake. There are no lifeguards.
How far is Cleburne State Park from Fort Worth?
About an hour by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Cleburne State Park October 2020 01 (Cedar Lake).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Cleburne State Park October 2020 03 (Cedar Lake).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Camp Creek Bridge Deck Cleburne State Park Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Camp Creek Bridge Substructure Cleburne State Park Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Cleburne State Park SP53 (8970989107).jpg by Texas State Archives, No restrictions.
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Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Cleburne has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Cleburne 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: Cleburne State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Cleburne State Park screened shelters, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Cleburne State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Cleburne State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Cleburne 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