Lockhart State Park — Attraction in Lockhart

I visit a lot of State Parks and this is a decent one. Stayed in site 17, which is one of the pull through sites with water and electric. The park only has 20 sites. Ten of them are arranged in a sort of wagon wheel arrangement and have water, electric and sewer. Those sites have no significant trees, so little shade, but each site had a picnic table with a cover. Not much different than a KOA. Close together, but good nice back in pads for your camper.

The other 10 sites are pull through sites along the road, though one or two of them is a back in. Some of the pull through sites are rather small. I had a bit of trouble squeezing my pop-up camper in and out of and that was mainly because a couple trees were too close to the pad. The guy in site 18 came within about an inch of a tree trying to pull in. So choose carefully if you have a large rig, only a few sites will accommodate you. The pull through sites are right next to the creek and have lots more trees for shade and feels more like camping. So no covers here for the picnic tables, don't really need them.

I found it very odd that the water hookups were on the wrong side of the pad, totally opposite of the electric hookup. Maybe due to some local code I guess, I don't really know. The pads were well paved and decently level.

Unlike many other State Parks, they send you out to choose your site then come back and check in. Saves the hassle of changing later if you picked first then went out like most parks do. The staff was super cool and had lots of good advice on stuff to do.

The headquarters has a decent store and pretty clean. Great souvenirs to choose from as well as ice, wood (not cheap wood), snacks and such.

It was December, so the pool was closed, but looked real nice. A big pool and a little kid splash pool. It costs extra, but looks worth it.

I don't golf, but the golf course looked pretty nice, from what I saw. Only course at a State Park in Texas.

Lots of trails, many rather short ones. Some go up the hills and some go around the creek and short falls, really pretty and well marked.

You can still find a few original relics from when the park was built by the CCC back in the late 30's, including the old water cistern near the group hall by the scenic overlook, which honestly, wasn't that scenic. The hall has been redone and looks real nice. Someone was having a wedding there, so we didn't go inside, but looked like a nice place from the outside.

There is only one bathroom for all 20 sites, but as they are close, another wouldn't make sense. The toilets and sinks and mirrors were in good shape and cleaned well, but the shower (only one in each) looked pretty nasty. The building is older so parts are a tad run down, but the important parts that you want clean are all good. They stock hand soap and paper towels, which is uncommon for many parks.

As far as critters, we heard coyotes off in the distance at night, which was cool. In the morning we saw 3 wild turkeys. Saw lots of birds, including cardinals. Didn't see any deer there, but saw one on the road getting there. Folks left trash out all night, so I'm guessing raccoons don't live around there.

San Marcos is close, which is much better if you want to go into town for really good beer or such. Lockhart is closer if you are looking for good...

Lockhart State Park is a hidden gem located just 35 miles (about 40 minutes) from Austin, TX, and roughly 30 minutes from Texas State University in San Marcos. It’s the perfect spot if you want to escape the city noise and enjoy some peace and quiet, with the bonus of being close to town if you need supplies or crave some good food.

The park is well-kept, peaceful, and offers a nice dose of solitude. The RV and camping areas are tucked away from the general crowd (playground, swimming pool), making it ideal if you’re looking for a quiet camping or glamping experience. If you forgot essentials like water or personal hygiene products, the local HEB is just a short drive away.

We stayed in spot 4, which, along with spots 5 and 6, is located directly across from the golf course. Unfortunately, some golfers tend to overshoot, and golf balls have been landing in these spots. We even saw people walking over to retrieve their stray balls. So if you don’t mind the possibility of a golf ball hitting your vehicle, RV, 5th Wheel, or even you, your kids, or your dog—then these spots might still work for you. If that’s a concern, I’d suggest requesting a different campsite.

Bonus for nature lovers: Keep an eye out along the trails and you may spot rabbits hopping along. Around dusk (about 7:45 to 8:00 pm), it’s a real treat to see deer coming out into the open. If you walk one of the various trails through the woods, you might even catch sight of them quietly moving through the trees.

When you're ready to venture into town, Lockhart doesn’t disappoint. Black’s Barbecue serves up some of the best BBQ you’ll find, and you can take a short stroll down the street to The Culinary Room, where their famous banana pudding is absolutely worth the stop. We also tried to visit Fiddler's Green Music Shop, but unfortunately, the lady working there wasn’t very welcoming, so we moved on.

Lockhart itself has that small-town vibe where you can roam around, soak in some local charm (hopefully from friendly folks like the staff at The Culinary Room) and enjoy the slower pace.

Overall, we’re giving Lockhart State Park 4 stars, mainly because of the risk of golf balls at certain campsites. But if you choose your spot wisely, you’ll find this park to be a quiet, convenient, and relaxing retreat, with easy access to both nature and small-town comforts.

Hope you have a great experience if you decide to camp, glamp, or just visit Lockhart and...

Small state park. The spots weren't the best. We stayed in the water and electric spots by the creek and it seemed like erosion had taken its course on the sites. There was quite a drop off from the pavement right out the door of our camper. My kids struggled with it a little bit. The water was on the wrong side of the spot. Lots of trees and shade though. The full hook up circle wasn't that way, and they have covered picnic tables. There is only one shower for all 20 spots, and it's one of the worst ones I've been in at a state park. The CCC dams were cool, as well as the other many things they built around the park. The scenic overlooks were quite overgrown. The trails were great! Lots of botanical information posted throughout. There was a really cool storybook posted on one of the trails. The playground was nice, but needs some repair. There's a basketball court - that's a cool option. Lots of park events too - I think that's good. The staff in HQ was very nice, and did you know you get 10% of at the park store if you have a state park pass?? Had to get ice and their machine was working and well stocked. No big stickers for your camper if you're into that - only small ones. If you're a golfing camper, this is a great place for you to stay. I thought it was a nice little course (I didn't play, but hiked all around it). There is a pool, but it's only open during the summer. I wish state parks could keep their pools open a little longer - we would have loved to use it in September. It's not far from the San Marcos River though. Close to the city of Lockhart too, which is the BBQ capital of Texas, so we enjoyed lots of BBQ...