lockhart state park

First time RV er. Rained. Staff not friendly. Never even saw the host. No internet or phone service. Since we don't golf we won't be back Not sure why this is a state park. We are tx park pass holders

Reading previous reviews, this state park seems to divide opinion. We headed over to this park, dropping in to see the historic area of Lockhart on the way. My wife and I received the warmest of welcomes at the reception area. We were there to walk the short trails, and we wondered if we would be wandering around a golf course or through rv camp sites, but neither proved to be the case. We had a very pleasant time following the well-marked trails. We spent about 3 hours in the park and would recommend dropping by to any visitors to the area.

We stay at this CCC constructed park often and use it's secure, peaceful location as base of operations for surrounding areas of interest, including Austin, San Marcos and corridor hwy malls. The RV sites vary in amenities. The 'nature' creek side, is basic water and elec, the rv dump station is convenient, as is shower and restroom. This is a rural quiet state park, shady, with squirrels and birds. Trails with markings and descriptive stops can provide hours of natural ambiance. "The highest altitude hole in Texas" is one claim to fame. As RVers, we enjoy the full hookups in 'The Circle', whenever we are able to find an open site. The 9 hole golf course fairway passes near the circle. Evening and morning Deer are often browsing on the fairways. Small fish are stocked periodically and always seem hungry. Fishing is open without a license, nice for out of state campers. Several dams provide deeper pools for the larger fish. Children's play area is close to parking lot.Walking the course after the day's players have left, is peaceful and browsing Deer pay little attention. The pool (including wading pool for small kids) is open in the summer and welcomes groups. A yearly Texas State Park Pass works very well for us, as we often accumulate free nights along with the free entrance.

This little park has a small golf course and lots of trails. There are 20 RV sites in two different areas; one on the golf course and one in a quiet, secluded, woody area. There are several short trails which interconnect to provide about three miles of easy hiking with some elevation. Park staff is especially cheery and helpful.

This is no Big Bend, but that does not make it a poor park. It is very pleasant, and quiet. We really enjoyed riding our bikes around and there's a fun hill to ride down. There is also a golf course that looks very well maintained. It would be a nice a place for some simple car camping for a quick weekend getaway. I will be back.

This is the only SP that I know of that has a golf course-and a pretty nice one at that. Also has a pretty big pool. Not a whole lot of camping areas.

The BackgroundWebsite: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/lockhartThis review is over the trails at Lockhart State Park.The Lockhart State Park is more of a community area than a dedicated hiking area. The park has a swimming pool, playground, rentable community hall, golf course, camping, and hiking. The park has eleven trails, which totals 3.02 miles. In addition, none of the trails are over 0.60 miles so don't expect anything too serious. The park was built between 1935 and 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a new deal program to create jobs during the Great Depression era. The park finally opened 1948.Clear Fork CreekWe parked in the day use parking lot and walked a short distance down a paved road to the Clear Fork Trail. The Clear Fork Trail is 0.47 miles and parallels the Clear Fork Creek for its entire length. The walk was shaded and much cooler than some other trails in the park.During this section of the hike, there are multiple stone-carved dams. The map provided by the park has all the locations of these dams. Unfortunately, no water was flowing over any of the dams I saw. The lack of flowing water is because of the Texas droughts. The stone structures are nonetheless worth a short stop to check out. The further into the trail, the closer it brings you to the murky creek water and for the first time ever BeeGee fell into a creek during this section. BeeGee likes to cool off by lying down in shallow water. When BeeGee was checking out the creek trying to get down to cool water, the edge was a little too steep and she slid right in. To make the situation worse she couldn’t crawl back out either. BeeGee swam to the edge, wedged herself between a tree and the bank, and waited rescue. I successfully pulled her out and we continued on our hike, both a little more wet than we wanted to be.The trail ends at a paved road very close to the park’s camping area. To get to the paved road you must cross over clear fork creek by balancing over another dam. Just downstream of the dam is a larger pool where fishing is allowed. Wild Rose LoopThe Wild Rose Loop is a .37 mile loop that begins in the middle of the Clear Fork Trail. This trail leads you away from the creek and into a mix of grassy field and short cedar trees. We took the first left, but I don’t think there is an advantage to traveling a specific way of the loop first because the trail is so short. Throughout the Wild Rose loop, there are McCartney rose bushes lining a good portion of the trail edge. Be careful through because some of the bushes reach out into the trail and their thorns are sharp. The rose bushes were not in bloom, but I’m sure during the right season it is a beautiful sight.Creek View TrailThe Creek View Trail is .18 miles long, flat, and very little elevation change. Creek View also parallels Clear Fork Creek; however, it travels along the creek by the way of a 20ft bluff. The view is nice looking down on the creek, but the foliage is thick and it can be difficult to see much of the water below.The nicest thing about this trail is the unique plants. Just past the trailhead there are placards naming multiple types of plants that can be found along the trail. This can be a nice learning spot if you do a little research or bring along a vegetation identification guide. The trail ends at a fork and hikers can take the Fence or Persimmon trails. Persimmon TrailOur group headed up the Persimmon Trail. This trail is .18 miles long, but has the most significant elevation change in the park. In addition, there are sections with some loose gravel and rocks, so be prepared for a little challenge. The trail is partially shaded but has some sections that are exposed to direct sunlight. This trail has Persimmon trees growing all over the edge of the path. The trees have a black fruit that ripens in late August; however, none had any visible fruit for our trip. Don’t worry; if you don’t know what the tree looks like, they are identified with placards. This area is full of "beggars lice" little seeds that stick to your clothes, or in our case covered BeeGee by the end of the hike. You might even be able to see all of the beggars lice on BeeGee sitting next to the Persimmons trail sign. So be prepared to do a little clean up after walking in the area. Fence TrailThe final trail our group traveled on was the Fence Trail. The Fence Trail is .21 miles and has some moderate elevation gain in comparison to other trails in the park. This trail travels along the property edge next to a fence. Hikers can get a glimpse of the terrain change from wooded area to grasslands. This trail was a necessity to get back out of the park and led us back to Creek View. In addition, this trail has a few plant identification placards, but was one of the more boring trails we traveled.Final ThoughtsLockhart State Park has multiple things to do with the whole family, from swimming to sports. It is also close to Lockhart where you can get some of Texas’s best barbeque. Therefore, if you are new to hiking or camping and looking for something close to home, I strongly recommend this park. If you are an experienced hiker, I would look elsewhere unless you need to get out to hike and are short on time.

I am a state park pass holder so I go to many Texas State Parks. Staff was friendly, rv campers were friendly but this is a tiny state park with very little besides a golf course and campgound. Limited trails, in the woods alonga creek no river, no lake. I think the state should just sell this park to a company that operates campgrounds. Seems like a poor use of taxpayer funds.

It is a very well maintained little park just outside of town. Very nice little 9 hole golf course if you like to add $11 to your park fee per person.

This little State Park was established in the early 20th century and funded originally for a golf course. It is a State Park original in that respect, but if you are not into golf, this isn't the park for you! Right down from the main street where all the good BBQ is, this little state park has a few trails (very few) that are short and easy (most are less than 1/4 of a mile). There are a limited number of camping spaces, most in the open and for RV use, and those by the water are limited to less than 10. There are a few historic spots but they are more interesting in the brochure than in person. The Recreation Hall has an old water cistern, a few nice picnic tables, and a nice view. This is mostly a park for seniors, people who don't like long hikes, RV people, and campers with kids. The CCC created a few nice attractions within the park in the 1930s but you might just want to pass this Texas "Jewel" and head for another State Park if you want to spend more than an hour, or golfing, as your outdoor adventure. There is a small, unshaded, no frills pool that is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Staff here are super nice. We love the State Parks but not this one so much.

If anyone gave this a highly positive review - they had a giganto (50 amp) RV with all the amenities - private bath, etc., and parked over by the golf course. Outside of the giganto RV sites right on the golf course, there are very few RV/camp sites, and these are very closely packed. Take friends with tents with you when you go, or you'll be cheek-to-jowl with strangers - which might be OK if you get along with those strangers. Bath facilities desperately need updates - single shower and poorly maintained at that. Nice staff.You could use this as a base to hit the heavenly BBQ places in town (Smitty's being the best! - in my humble opinion).

It's a small park. But that's okay since even at full capacity it's not crowded. The nine hole golf course is very nice. There's a few trails and none are too long. It's a safe place that you could send the kids into the woods and not worry about them.

Went for a long weekend trip, and to play golf, loved it. The park attendants and host, very nice, friendly ,helpful. Had a great time playing golf, I agree the trails are very short, but some great views. Loved... Blacks BBQ! We will for sure go again when we have a short 3 day weekend in the fall or spring.

Nice park with several interesting trails. Clean, well maintained, great hosts, educational rangers' programs, beautiful golf course. All RV sites are good: premium ones close to a golf course, water and electrical sites only are more in the woods.

Nice park that isn't spectacular, but worth the visit. The camping sites are old and very likable. A lot of CCC historic structures on the property for the history buff. There is also a golf course I did not get to play. Close to town for awesome BBQ, too. The trails aren't very long, but pretty.