Lake Brownwood State Park
State park in Brown County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1938. 1,427 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Lake Brownwood State Park is a Civilian Conservation Corps park on the 7,300-acre Lake Brownwood, in the middle of Texas. The CCC built its cabins, lodges, group hall and a grand staircase that early visitors climbed from their boats to reach dances at the pavilion. Today you can swim, water-ski, fish and paddle (with kayak rentals at the boat ramp), and stay in a historic cabin or a lodge for up to 26 people.
Things to do
On the lake
Swim, water-ski, jet ski, paddle and fish. Rent a kayak at the self-service kiosk by the boat ramp. The park loans fishing gear.
Hike
Nearly six miles of trails have CCC-built benches along the way. Most are hiking only; the 2.9-mile Nopales Ridge Trail is also open to bikes.
CCC landmarks
See the grand staircase and the stone recreation hall, whose outdoor dance pavilion overlooks the lake.
Trails
TPWD counts about 6 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Oak Trail | 1.4 mi | Moderate | 45 min. |
| Opossum Loop | 0.3 mi | Easy | 30 min. |
| Council Bluff Trail | 0.3 mi | Moderate | 30 min. |
| Lakeside Trail | 0.7 mi | Moderate | 45 min. |
| Pump House Trail | 0.02 mi | Moderate | 10 min. |
| Nopales Ridge Trail | 2.8 mi | Moderate | 2.5 hrs. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Choose water-only tent sites, sites with electricity, 20 full hookup sites or 10 screened shelters. Cabins sleep two or four, and the lodges hold from four to 26 people.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup | 20 | 8 | $30 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Willow Point)Water and electric | 35 | 8 | $25 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Comanche Trails)Water and electric | 11 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with Electricity (Tent Only | Comanche Trails)Water and electric | 9 | 8 | $18 |
| Campsites with WaterTent sites with water | 12 | 8 | $15 |
| Screened SheltersScreened shelters | 10 | 8 | $35 |
| Cabins (Two-Person)Cabins | 9 | 2 | $95 |
| Cabins (Four-Person)Cabins | 7 | 4 | $115 |
| Oak LodgeLodging | 4 | $120 | |
| Loma Vista LodgeLodging | 8 | $195 | |
| Fisherman's LodgeLodging | 10 | $220 | |
| Beach LodgeLodging | 24 | $360 |
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
- Summer for all facilitiesWeekends and holidays for cabins and lodges
- January low
- 34°F
- July high
- 94°F
- Night sky
- Bortle 4
Summer is busiest for everything. Cabins and lodges also fill on weekends and holidays year-round.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Brownwood, TX 76801
(325) 784-5223
Open in OpenStreetMap (31.8570, -99.0286)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Waco | 3 hr | 110 mi |
| Fort Worth | 3 hr 8 min | 117 mi |
| Austin | 3 hr 9 min | 131 mi |
| Dallas | 3 hr 46 min | 147 mi |
| Midland | 4 hr 15 min | 181 mi |
| San Antonio | 4 hr 21 min | 168 mi |
Nearby parks
- Palo Pinto Mountains State Park
- Abilene State Park
- Colorado Bend State Park
- Post Oak Ridge State Park
- Possum Kingdom State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.
Questions people ask
Does Lake Brownwood State Park have cabins?
Yes, historic CCC cabins for two or four people, plus lodges that hold from four to 26.
Can you rent kayaks at Lake Brownwood State Park?
Yes, at the self-service kiosk by the boat ramp.
Photo credits
- Lake Brownwood State Park Clubhose.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Sunset Fishing Pier Lake Brownwood State Park Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- East Peak Lookout.jpg by Frigyes06, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Lake Brownwood has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Lake Brownwood 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: Lake Brownwood State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Brownwood State Park screened shelters, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Brownwood State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Brownwood State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lake Brownwood 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