Inks Lake State Park — Attraction in Burnet

This is a place I'm going to come back to a LOT.

Though they're currently in the middle of roadwork on the main access road it's still super accessible. I went there on a Thursday and it wasn't very traffic heavy at the time, this remains to be seen on a weekend. With all of that said...

The parks "headquarters" were unstaffed today and entrance to the park was facilitated by filling out a form printed on an envelope (same envelope for day use or camping), inserting cash into said envelope and sealing, and depositing the envelope into the slot on the outside of the building. Then, simply affix the removable receipt (attached to the envelope) with the provided sticky portion to your windshield. Not the most painful self-serve situation I've ever encountered. With all of that done...

This state park is a camping paradise. Most of the campsites I saw are situated tens of feet from the water or go right down to the water in one fashion or another. There are TONS of camping spots for either tent camping or RV usage. I'm SUPER excited to go and check out the tent camping sites more in-depth at a later time.

The place is pretty labyrinthine and the roads are fairly well-kept and easily traversed. There are lots of large wooden signs directing traffic to campsites, piers, the local park store and the day use area, which I was using. A few short minutes by car from the headquarters and I was there.

There was ample parking for the day use section mixed in with the surrounding RV camping areas. Moreover, there are quite ample restroom/shower facilities (also very well-kept). You park about 150 feet from the shoreline.

All told, I spent a couple of hours there, paddle boarding, splashing around and generally enjoying myself in the sun. Even for a Thursday the place was pretty busy (though NOT crowded by any stretch of the imagination). Lots of boats and other motorized water craft in the area. The day use area is sectioned into a marina (the local park store is across the way and has a boat slip attached to it) of sorts and, as a result, motorized water craft users are compelled to keep there motors in idle state while passing through it so it's a pretty chill place even when things are passing through.

I am a HUGE fan of this state park. As a result of today's awesome experience I will be purchasing a Texas State Parks pass because I will be using this place a ton in the very near future. I have an LCRA pass as well.

If you're a person who wants to get out more in Texas, this place is a MUST. I will be doing a review of the Inks State Park as a hiking venue in the...

If you’re looking for a peaceful, clean, and memorable place to camp, this is it. We came here for our anniversary trip, and while the facilities, trails, and scenery were wonderful, what really made it unforgettable were two unexpected characters who turned our campsite into a frontier comedy.

The first was Frank the Skunk. Now, Frank isn’t just any skunk — he’s the local night watchman, patrolling the grounds like he owns them. Skunks are actually great for the environment, and Frank takes his job seriously. Any time he wandered too close, we’d shine a flashlight his way, and he’d shuffle off with all the dignity of a sheriff refusing to be run out of town. By the end of our trip, we weren’t just tolerating him — we were cheering for him, as if he were part of our camping crew.

But no sheriff’s tale is complete without an outlaw. Enter Rocky the Raccoon. Rocky is a mischievous bandit with nimble paws and discerning taste. Out of everything at our site, he stole only the Uncle Chris seasoning. Nothing else. No snacks, no trash, no crumbs. Just the good stuff. That’s not theft — that’s fine dining. We’re convinced Frank and Rocky were in cahoots: Frank distracting us with his slow patrols while Rocky carried out the heist. Together, they were the Bonnie and Clyde of the campsite, and we were just lucky witnesses to their legend.

Now, beyond our furry co-stars, the campground itself was fantastic. The facilities were very clean (though note the doors in restroom #2 don’t open all the way). We loved having direct water access at our site, and there are boat, kayak, and paddleboat rentals available — plus fishing gear loaners for your whole stay. The trail to Devil’s Waterhole is beautiful but steep, and without a handrail, so bring good shoes and be ready for a bit of a climb. The grounds were quiet, well-kept, and full of deer. Drivers, do obey the 15 mph speed limit — it’s their home too, and they’re too pretty to risk a close call.

The park rangers and park store employees were also wonderful — friendly, helpful, and really made our experience even better. Parks Pass members get a discount at the store, and both ice and firewood were reasonably priced, which made things super convenient.

All in all, this trip gave us relaxation, laughter, adventure, and a story we’ll be retelling for years. Five stars from us — and maybe even five stars from Frank and Rocky, if they ever finish their...

I’ve been going to this park since I was young. As a native Austinute it’s plenty close:). I was a park host there with my RV for 3 months in 2015. I loved it then, and have loved it more and more with every trip. Big plus: the aggressive bugs are almost non existent compared to other parks. If you can fish off a kayak that’s the way to get the gems of 💎 this park! Fish!!!! 🎣 So float near the green lights at the ends of peoples’ piers on the lake. You can catch your limit of stripers, white bass, and hybrids this way. The best time is about 12-3am kayak and piers. We fished off the pier only this trip as seen in pic: )(2020) the north and south piers are both good. We usually bounce back and forth and keep a car handy and loaded up with fishing gear. I love that there are plenty of nearby bathrooms. It’s the second busiest park in Texas after Garner, so keeping it up is a challenge for volunteers, friends, hosts, and a few paid staff. Lots of spiders that don’t bite ever on the fishing piers. Seriously like 100 times there in a swimsuit only and barefooted, even fishing and touching the pier, never have I been bitten. So they are big and scary looking, but not aggressive. So take a pic and move along.:) there are some absolutely wonderful rapid type falls tucked back (as seen in the pic with my feet only) but you have to basically hike the trails to find them:)) yes, it’s a good hike:)) fishing is our fav here for sure. Don’t forget to use live bait if possible or bring good lures, and top waters cause you never know what will bite. 10 min drive out of park gets you two dozen minnows:). There are tons of shad you can easily catch when you get here with the right throw net. There is a sand bar out about 50-60 yards from the devil’s watering hole entrance in the park/ lake edge. You can stand up on sand and be up to you knees and sometimes ankles only in water!! Fun.:)) it’s just a great park. I have been to about 15 other parks in Texas and Cali. This park deserves...