TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Inks Lake State Park

State park in Burnet County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1950. 1,203 acres by TPWD boundary data.

Description: Devil's Waterhole at Inks Lake State Park Source: Photo taken by Benjamin Bruce Date: 2006-01-02
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Benjaminb~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Inks Lake is a lake park about an hour northwest of Austin, with pink granite outcrops and a lake level that usually stays the same, so it's usable year-round. You can swim (no lifeguards), boat, water ski, scuba dive and fish, and hike nine miles of trails over rocky hills. There are nearly 200 campsites and 22 cabins.

Things to do

Devil's Waterhole

Hike the small canyon or swim at Devil's Waterhole. When Valley Spring Creek is running, you can explore waterfalls upstream of the lake.

Paddle and fish

Rent paddling gear at the park store. Fish for sunfish, catfish and bass from two piers; you can borrow rods, reels and tackle, and you don't need a license to fish from a pier or the shore.

Hike the granite hills

Nine miles of trails run through shady woods and across rocky hills. The longest is the 2.2-mile Woodland Trail, and the Devil's Backbone Nature Trail is 1.3 miles.

Devil's Waterhole is a popular swimming area in Inks Lake State Park in Burnet County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
A view of Devil's Waterhole in Inks Lake State Park in Burnet County, Texas, United States from the Valley Spring Creek Trail.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
The plant species: Texas Paintbrush , Castilleja indivisa . This species is common in Texas and typically has shallowly 0(–5)-lobed leaves and bracts. A few of
Photo: Yamaplos, CC BY-SA 4.0

Trails

Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
Bluebonnet Trail0.6 miModerate30 min.
Upper Angler's Trail0.5 miEasy15 min.
Lower Angler's Trail0.5 miEasy15 min.
Lake Trail1.5 miEasy to Moderate45 min.
Pecan Flats Trail1.8 miModerate1.5 hrs.
Valley Spring Creek Trail0.9 miEasy45 min.
Woodland Trail2.2 miModerate1.5 hrs.
Devil's Backbone Nature Trail1.3 miModerate1 hr.
Devil's Waterhole Nature Trail0.2 miEasy7 min.

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

Camping

There are nearly 200 campsites, many on the lake or close to it, and 22 cabins, two of them ADA accessible. Several camping loops have playgrounds.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric1148$23
Campsites with Electricity (Tent Only)Water and electric44$21
Campsites with WaterTent sites with water428$16
Primitive Campsites (Hike-in)Primitive94$11
CabinsCabins22$55

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, summer and fall
January low
33°F
July high
98°F
Night sky
Bortle 4

TPWD lists spring, summer and fall as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity. Summers are hot, with a July average high of 98°F. The lake level usually stays steady, so it's open to water activities year-round.

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

Getting there

3480 Park Road 4 West
Burnet, TX 78611
(512) 793-2223

Open in OpenStreetMap (30.7404, -98.3654)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Austin1 hr 19 min47 mi
San Antonio2 hr 13 min89 mi
Waco2 hr 21 min90 mi
Fort Worth3 hr 39 min153 mi
Dallas3 hr 56 min170 mi
The Woodlands4 hr 13 min175 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Longhorn Cavern State Park4 miles away.
  2. Post Oak Ridge State Park19 miles away. $2 per adult, kids 12 and under free.
  3. Colorado Bend State Park20 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Pedernales Falls State Park31 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area32 miles away. $8 per adult, kids 12 and under free.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.

Questions people ask

Can you swim at Inks Lake State Park?

Yes, in the lake and at Devil's Waterhole. There are no lifeguards.

Does Inks Lake State Park have cabins?

Yes, 22 cabins, two of them ADA accessible.

How far is Inks Lake from Austin?

About an hour and 20 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.

Photo credits

Sources

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

  1. TPWD: Inks Lake 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: Inks Lake State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Inks Lake State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Inks Lake State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: Inks Lake State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  13. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026