Is this the best drive-up campsite in Central Texas?
Oct 30, 2025
Cedar Point Recreation Area

At LCRA’s Cedar Point Recreation Area, visitors can camp on a peninsula that juts into Lake Buchanan. Chris LeBlanc photo

I’ve discovered one of the best drive-up campsites in Central Texas, and it’s set on a peninsula of land that stretches into Lake Buchanan at Cedar Point Recreation Area.

Now I can’t wait to go back with my kayak and paddle from the park to the Fall Creek waterfall, located on the lake’s northern edge. It’s a 4-mile paddle each way.

We made the hour-and-a-half drive to the park yesterday, taking advantage of the first brisk weather of the season. Our trip coincided with the monarch migration, too – I’ve never seen so many butterflies clustered onto tree branches in the Texas Hill Country.

Cedar Point Recreation Area

Site 3 is the best campsite at Cedar Point Recreation Area. Pam LeBlanc photo

Another reason to go now? After more than five years of drought, lake levels are up. All the campsites are truly waterfront once again.

The park remains under a burn ban, so we cooked in Vincent VanGo, our camper van. I stepped out in the middle of the night and caught a sky full of stars. This morning, temperatures hovered in the mid-30s.

The park is one of more than 40 owned by the Lower Colorado River Authority between the Texas Hill Country and the Gulf of Mexico. There are no electric or water hookups, just primitive sites.

monarch

Monarchs are migrating through the Texas Hill Country this week. Pam LeBlanc photo

If you head to the park, try to get Site 3. It’s set off by itself, with a hill between it and other campsites on the peninsula. A picnic table offers a spectacular view of the surrounding lake.

Read more: With Lake Levels Up, Now’s the Time to Visit LCRA Parks

Six other campsites are located on the peninsula, but they’re all grouped together, so there’s not much privacy. Site 2 is also good, but the road leading to it is rough and rocky. And Site 1 has hardly any shade.

The park doesn’t have flush toilets, but it does have a pit toilet and a port-o-potty.

The 310-acre park is located 80 miles from downtown Austin on the south shore of Lake Buchanan, which is known for white bass and striped bass fishing. It’s got a boat ramp and 3.5 miles of shoreline. Campsites cost $25 a night and include a picnic table, fire ring and grill. Pets are allowed.

The park is just down the road from tiny Tow, Texas, home of Fall Creek Vineyards, which opened in 1975. It’s also about 20 minutes from Inks Lake State Park and Longhorn Caverns.

 

 

Follow Austin Travels


Austin Travels is a women-owned, Austin-based travel magazine committed to highlighting destinations in Texas and beyond through the lenses of diverse and talented writers.

Subscribe

More Stories

A trip to Antarctica aboard the Viking Octantis

A trip to Antarctica aboard the Viking Octantis

Volcanoes, ancient trees and history in the Lake District of Chile

Volcanoes, ancient trees and history in the Lake District of Chile

Ski Steamboat this Spring for Powder, First Tracks and Tree Runs

Ski Steamboat this Spring for Powder, First Tracks and Tree Runs

In the French Alps, luxurious Eleven Chalet Hibou caters to adventure seekers

In the French Alps, luxurious Eleven Chalet Hibou caters to adventure seekers

No crowds but plenty of history on the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean

No crowds but plenty of history on the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean

In the Idaho Panhandle, trails lead over trestles, through tunnels and into trees

In the Idaho Panhandle, trails lead over trestles, through tunnels and into trees

Intrepid Travel’s new ‘active-ism’ trips

Intrepid Travel’s new ‘active-ism’ trips

Exploring Switzerland’s breathtaking Bernese Oberland on foot

Exploring Switzerland’s breathtaking Bernese Oberland on foot

Mountains, glaciers and more on a Smithsonian Journeys trip to Patagonia

Mountains, glaciers and more on a Smithsonian Journeys trip to Patagonia

Boating through the British Virgin Islands

Boating through the British Virgin Islands

Palisade wants you to know there’s more to Colorado than the Front Range

Palisade wants you to know there’s more to Colorado than the Front Range

Five Austin hiking trails you’ve probably never explored

Five Austin hiking trails you’ve probably never explored

Big changes are coming to Big Bend

Big changes are coming to Big Bend

Step out of your comfort zone – and into backcountry skiing

Step out of your comfort zone – and into backcountry skiing

In Switzerland’s quiet Val d’Anniviers, hike from one charming village to the next

In Switzerland’s quiet Val d’Anniviers, hike from one charming village to the next

Raft the deepest gorge in America on Idaho’s Snake River through Hells Canyon

Raft the deepest gorge in America on Idaho’s Snake River through Hells Canyon

Making Memories at Mohonk Mountain House

Making Memories at Mohonk Mountain House

From waterfalls to a remote national park, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula serves up scenic outdoor adventure

From waterfalls to a remote national park, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula serves up scenic outdoor adventure

Book now to save big on your family’s ski trip to Winter Park Resort

Book now to save big on your family’s ski trip to Winter Park Resort

No matter the season, Banff serves up adventure

No matter the season, Banff serves up adventure

From tortoise to penguins, wildlife takes center stage on a Galapagos Islands cruise

From tortoise to penguins, wildlife takes center stage on a Galapagos Islands cruise

Three close-to-Austin places to camp

Three close-to-Austin places to camp

Dipping into nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

Dipping into nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

Five days in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Five days in South Dakota’s Black Hills

An Alaskan Adventure of a Lifetime

An Alaskan Adventure of a Lifetime

Discover the raw beauty, warm culture and painful past of the far-flung Marshall Islands

Discover the raw beauty, warm culture and painful past of the far-flung Marshall Islands

Taking the Leap: Coasteering off the Coast of Northern Ireland

Taking the Leap: Coasteering off the Coast of Northern Ireland

The best campsites anywhere, ever

The best campsites anywhere, ever

Eat, Drink, Dance and Ride at Cycle Zydeco

Eat, Drink, Dance and Ride at Cycle Zydeco

Best bet for birding? Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Best bet for birding? Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

At Machu Picchu, a lost city in the Andes inspires a traveler

At Machu Picchu, a lost city in the Andes inspires a traveler

Surf Ireland: Catching waves on the Emerald Isle

Surf Ireland: Catching waves on the Emerald Isle

Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas

Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas

Private Paradise: Diving into French Polynesia’s Dreamy Manihi

Private Paradise: Diving into French Polynesia’s Dreamy Manihi

Diving into French Polynesia

Diving into French Polynesia

Hiking and Swinging through French Polynesian Paradise

Hiking and Swinging through French Polynesian Paradise

A river adventure to reset your life: Rafting the Grand Canyon

A river adventure to reset your life: Rafting the Grand Canyon

A guide to the best kettle ponds on Cape Cod

A guide to the best kettle ponds on Cape Cod

A fall paddle down the Devils

A fall paddle down the Devils

Seminole Canyon’s world-class rock art is a lens to history

Seminole Canyon’s world-class rock art is a lens to history

Discover history and simple pleasures in Baffin Bay

Discover history and simple pleasures in Baffin Bay