Buescher State Park — Attraction in Smithville

I visited Buescher State Park for the first time this past week and was very impressed! Checking in at the headquarters was very easy and the staff was friendly. I was visiting for the day to get some hiking in and I was impressed by the trails in this park. There are 2 main trails, a loop trail and an out and back trail. Both of the trails were well maintained and well marked along the way. I saw quite a few people on the out and back trail with their kids and their pups, but I didn't see anyone else on the trail when I did the loop. Despite it being December, there was still quite a few living trees and plants that were thriving in the sunlight. I saw a lot of caterpillars, butterflies, and dragonflies while on my hike. The park offers different camping options from screened shelters to RV hookups and camping (with electric, water, and primitive). I did notice that those who are in the sheltered cabins and RV sites are quite a ways away from the trail heads, so if you're wanting to hike the trails, you'd have to either bike or drive up to the trailhead or you'll get quite a hike in before even starting the hike. For those in the tent camping area, it wasn't a far distance at all. I like that there was primitive, walk-in camp sites that were more secluded than the others, but also, no more than a 3 minute walk to the car if you needed something. There's also water rentals (kayaks and canoes I believe) and fishing options on the lake. I didn't utilize either of those, but when I checked in, I was informed the lake was open and rentals were available. There was also a well-maintained children's playground and amphitheater that I drove by to get to the trailhead. I'll definitely be back to this park and recommend it to anyone interested in enjoying some...

This review is for the hiking trails only.

I’m not going to complain a whole lot, considering it’s only been four years since the wildfire that impacted this park. I’m impressed that they have almost all the trails open for hiking, and they are in good shape.

You can hike anywhere between .1 mile and 6 miles if you get imaginative with your trail selection. Although the trail map indicates Pine Gulch is “challenging,” I would rate as “moderate.” It’s not rocky at all; there are a couple of inclines that might be challenging for some, but they’re not too steep, and not rocky. You can do all of the trails out here with regular tennis shoes, and you probably don't need a hiking stick.

Trails are mostly dirt, and just a little rocky. Northern sections of the Pine Gulch Trail are sandy, but it’s tightly packed, so it’s not like you are trudging through sand on the beach.

Most of the trails are in full sun, so be cautious if hiking in the summer. There are a few sections in the southern section that survived the fire and have some tall pine trees.

As of November 2019, the lake is low.

All in all, not a bad place to hike in the fall/winter if you are nearby, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way to hike here.

Pro Tip – part of Pine Gulch Trail has been closed since the 2015 fire, so it’s no longer a loop. The park maps are updated, but if you are using an online hiking app, it might still show...

We were there for day use, after being at Bastrop State Park. I'm not sure why the two of these parks are not consolidated into one due to the 12 mile park road connecting them. This is a small Park with a few trails and a few campsites. Some of the campsites are actually better than most TSP sites because they've allowed some understory between the campsites providing some privacy. I mean who wants to look and hear your neighbor? There's a small pond for canoeing rentals it's shallow and would seem heavily fished by Anglers, they say it's stocked. I don't see how you could swim here. The best point about this park would be a resting spot Fromm Bastrop, you are bicycling. The two state parks offer a fantastic bike ride between each other and I would highly recommend. The day use area has some major desires, we ended up using an empty campsite. I suppose if you've never been camping and this is your first venture out this would be a good start. Also, if you have an RV and you're just moving from one location to another and in route this would also be another point to stop and rest. We won't go back here or to Bastrop State Park, they just do not have what we...