Bastrop State Park
Features and amenities
Features and amenities
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[thumb\|left\|250px\|The Piney Hill Camping Area offers full hookups for recreational vehicles.](/wiki/File:Camping_Area_Bastrop_State_Park_Texas_2024.jpg "Camping Area Bastrop State Park Texas 2024.jpg")
Since its creation, Bastrop State Park has been a popular outdoors getaway destination for Texas residents, students from [The University of Texas at Austin](/wiki/University_of_Texas_at_Austin "University of Texas at Austin"), and residents of the [Greater Austin](/wiki/Greater_Austin "Greater Austin") area. Bastrop State Park lies east of downtown Bastrop on 100 Park Road 1A and is about  east of Austin, the state capital. One of the major routes of [El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail](/wiki/El_Camino_Real_de_los_Tejas_National_Historic_Trail "El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail") flows through the state park. Bastrop State Park is west of Buescher State Park, and the two are connected by [Park Road 1](/wiki/Texas_Park_Road_1 "Texas Park Road 1"); the road extends about  and is suitable for cycling. The park has expanded in size over the years and currently has about ; its sister Buescher State Park has an additional .

The park allows for overnight stay at a campsite or a historic cabin. The campsites range from walk\-in tent sites to fully hookup RV sites; their amenities include picnic tables, outdoor grills, fire rings, water hookups, tent pads, and/or amp electric hookups. There are at least fifteen historic cabins with multiple floor plans. Their amenities include central A/C and heating, private restrooms equipped with toilets and showers, indoor fireplaces, and electronics such as microwaves, stoves, refrigerators, in addition to other outdoor amenities available in campsites.

Bastrop State Park has a swimming pool that is open seasonally. Guests can use the lap swim or open swim pools, and both of them are available for reservation in specific slots throughout the morning and afternoons. The daily fees vary depending on the age and/or membership access. The pool is equipped with a diver tower, diving boards, and wading pools on both ends. There is a bathhouse at one of the ends of the pool and lockers for pool guests. The pool's construction started in December 1935 and was estimated to cost US$35,000 (about $728,214 in 2022\). It was constructed along with a water filtering plant that cleaned the pool's water every eight to ten hours. During the 1940s, the pool was one of the few, oval\-shaped pools in Texas.

### Golf course

Bastrop State Park was one of the few state parks in the Texas to have a golf course, and the only one to have up to 18 holes. In the 1930s, the CCC designed and built the golf course along with the WPA and the Bastrop Golf Club. Named the Lost Pines Golf Course, it was originally built as a nine\-hole course. The golf course hosted golfers as early as 1936 and was part of the CCC's intended park design. It was expanded to an 18\-hole course in 1995\. The golf course occupied  of the park and operated successfully for over 70 years. However, after the 2011 wildfires, golfer attendance greatly reduced and revenues decreased by at least thirty\-five percent. The course's main water pump broke in October 2014, delaying the seedings of the course's greens and decreasing revenue even more.

In January 2015, Bastrop State Park closed the golf course due to financial struggles but expressed plans to repurpose the land for recreation. Park authorities said they wanted to construct an amphitheater, a nature center, and several hike and bike trails over the golf course. These facilities would include an education center on the ecology of the Lost Pines and the endangered Houston toad, new picnic sites, natural playscapes, and a restored lake. The backbone of this project was a proposed trail system that included a  hike\-and\-bike trail, a  educational trail, a  hike\-only trail, and a  long sidewalk connecting Bastrop State Park's entrance with the city of Bastrop through Chesnut Street.

The golf course's closure was not favorably received by some Bastrop residents, who said that the course was an amenity that attracted visitors and added to the park's beauty. For decades, the golf course operated as a leased concession; the TPWD tried twice to search for new operators but were unsuccessful in closing a contract and were forced to close the golf course. Two years prior, the golf course's maintenance worsen as it began to get overgrown by weeds and grass. Required repairs to the golf course's irrigation system and the high costs to protect the endangered Houston toad hindered the course's viability. Other factors like droughts, wildfires, and flood damaged also worsened the park's condition and furthered the park's decision to close the golf course permanently.

According to a survey from the TPWD, fifty\-seven percent of respondents in 2015 said that they favored the park's project to close the golf course and implement the new additions. Additionally, a vast majority of Bastrop residents, roughly around ninety percent, said in a parks study that year that they were interested in more trails and outdoor programs. These responses were factors in the TPWD's decision to move forward with closing the golf course and pushing for a "tribute green" program to educate [future generations](/wiki/Future_generations "Future generations") on the role that Lost Pines Golf Course played in Bastrop State Park's history. "We have to look past the golf course at this time," principal planner Matt Fougerat said in 2015\. "We can’t go back."

TPWD estimated that this project would cost between US$4\.2 and US$5 million to complete. Bastrop State Park funds were not enough to cover the estimations, and park authorities said that the money would have to be approved and funded by the Texas Legislature, which approves fundings for parks every two years. The money, however, is not guaranteed, and park planners said that it could be close to a decade before the funding is approved for this project in Bastrop State Park. In 2014, state officials cut TPWD funding by US$36 million. Considering that the TPWD had a backlog of US$800 million in repairs when Bastrop State Park submitted the proposal, this considerably delayed the golf course renovation.

### Trails

There are up to  of trails at Bastrop State Park; all are open to [hiking](/wiki/Hiking "Hiking") and some are open for [cycling](/wiki/Cycling "Cycling"). The trails vary in difficulty because some of the trails on the northern part of the park are not accessible friendly and are considered challenging for hikers of all experience levels due to its slopes and curves. Visitors are allowed to bring pets on trails but are required to be on a leash to their safety and to protect wildlife. The park also hosts an annual competition called the Wildflower Trail Run, with distances ranging from  all the way up to a  [ultramarathon](/wiki/Ultramarathon "Ultramarathon"). Below are the trails displayed on the official Bastrop State Park trails map:

* **Piney Hill Spur** is a  trail that connects a campground to a former stone water fountain built by the CCC, one of the park's nine [points of interest](/wiki/Point_of_interest "Point of interest") (POI). Halfway through the trail are exposed [Carrizo sandstone](/wiki/Carrizo_Sand "Carrizo Sand"), a natural material from the area that was used by the CCC to create several park structures. There is a  change in elevation and an 8\.1% [grade](/wiki/Grade_%28slope%29 "Grade (slope)"). The trail is described as moderate in difficulty, and hikers on average take 5 minutes to complete it.
* **Pine Warbler Trail** is a  trail close to a playground that connects to two other trails, Post Oak Spur and Scenic Overlook. It passes over Copperas Creek, where park authorities recommend hikers to observe animal tracks on the sand. The trail is named after a [pine warbler](/wiki/Pine_warbler "Pine warbler"), a bird seen in Bastrop State Park throughout the entire year. There is a  change in elevation and a 7\.5% grade. The trail is described as moderate in difficulty, and hikers on average take 10 minutes to complete it.
* **Post Oak Spur** is a  trail that starts at the intersection point of Scenic Overlook Pine Warbler trails, near the stone water foundation POI, and leads to a parking lot on Park Road 1A. The trail was named after a *[quercus stellata](/wiki/Quercus_stellata "Quercus stellata")* (post oak), a tree commonly seen throughout the park that increases in abundance further east. There is a  change in elevation and a 5\.7% grade. The trail is described as moderate in difficulty, and hikers on average take 15 minutes to complete it.
* **Farkleberry Spur** is a  trail that connects a campground and parking lot area to a POI that serves as a [controlled burn](/wiki/Controlled_burn "Controlled burn") area. This POI connects to Scenic Overlook trail through a bridge that crosses Copperas Creek. The trail is named after a *[vaccinium arboreum](/wiki/Vaccinium_arboreum "Vaccinium arboreum")* (farkleberry), a widespread, native berry that is a source of food for squirrels, rabbits, and birds, at the park. Park authorities recommend hikers to observe birds in this trail, especially those active in the mornings. There is a  change in elevation and an 8% grade. The trail is described as moderate in difficulty, and hikers on average take 10 minutes to complete it.
* **Lake Spur Trail** is a  trail that connects Scenic Overlook Trail to Bastrop State Park Lake. It is intended to connect several campgrounds from other trails and lead hikers to the lake. There is a  change in elevation and a 1\.6% grade. The trail is described as moderate in difficulty, and hikers on average take 10 minutes to complete it.
* **Tree Army Trails** is a  web of bike and hike mini trails found near the park's main entrance. The trails surround the park's headquarters and Lake Mina, and ends near a former golf course. The trail is named after Roosevelt's Tree Army, a nickname of the CCC. This trail is surrounded by loblolly pines and is intended to showcase the park's scenic views. The northern parts of the trail may be challenging for all trail users due to its slopes and curves. The southern part of this trail leads to Lake Mina, and are accessible with wheelchairs and strollers.
* **Scenic Overlook Trail** is a  trail that leads to a high point where there is a former CCC water tower and picnic area, another of the park's POIs. This trail connects with all other trails expect with Tree Army Trails, and serves to showcase scenic views of Lost Pines landscape. There is a  change in elevation and an 6\.1% grade. The trail is described as moderate in difficulty, and hikers on average take 40 minutes to complete it.
* **Lost Pines Loop** is an  trail that circles most of the park. It is the longest and most challenging trail, and has a diverse landscape of steep hills and gradual descents. Park authorities recommend to use a road called Harmon Road and a power line as landmarks if hikers wish to return to their starting point. There is a  change in elevation and an 8% grade. The trail is described as challenging in difficulty, and hikers on average take 5 hours to complete it.

Are there any other trails that connect campgrounds to POIs besides the Farkleberry Spur trail?