Inks Lake State Park
Inks Lake State Park is one of the more popular Texas State Parks with over 228,000 visitors estimated in 2023. The park has plenty of accommodations for visitors with about 200 campsites and 22 cabins. Its located in the Texas Hill country near the Austin area in Burnet, TX. Inks Lake has something for everyone whether you are wanting to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, get out on the lake, or spend the day hiking.
Our first time visiting Inks Lake State Park in August of 2020. It was also our very first time camping!
Location
Burnet, TX
Inks Lake State Park is located in Central Texas. It’s a very accessible drive from the Austin area (only 45 minutes for us in the suburbs of Austin) and not too bad for some of the most populated areas of Texas.
From Austin- 67 mi (1 hour 30 min)
From DFW- 203 mi (3 hours 30 min)
From Houston- 219 mi (3 hours 30 min)
Accommodations
Water/Electric Campsites
Hike-in Campsites
Tent Only Campsites
Cabins (no bathrooms)
There are nearly 200 campsites at Inks Lake and a variety of accommodations. We recommend sites that are right on the lake for the full experience. We stayed at site 90 with lake access and 86-92 were all great sites.
The last time we visited in May 2024, there was some construction at the park. They are building a new headquarters building, updating the dump stations, increasing day-use capacity, and more!
Vibes
Enjoy a Day at the Lake
It’s no secret that the best thing to do at Inks Lake is to use the LAKE. Inks Lake is fairly large with plenty of room for boaters, kayakers, paddle-boarders, and swimmers to all enjoy. For a Texas lake, the water isn’t too bad to swim in. I’m kind of picky about lake water, and I didn’t crawl out of my skin when taking a dip after falling from my paddle-board. There are actually quite a few campsites with lake access so that’s ideal. We were able to launch our paddle-boards from site 90, and we saw some people that were even able to launch jet skis and smaller boats from their sites. Of course, there is also a boat ramp to utilize in the day-use area.
Additionally, there are canoes, paddle-boats, kayaks, and paddle-boards available to rent at the park. All of the rentals are $20 for the first hour and $10 for every additional hour. You can rent from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily and all rentals are due back by 4:00 p.m. If the weather isn’t cooperating, then they may close rentals. We have seen a big storm roll in and people have to be turned away, but I don’t think that’s a bad policy to have for safety.
If you're able, it's definitely worth it to snag a lake-side campsite, especially at sunset.
Trails
There are 9 miles of trails at Inks Lake State Park, so you could probably get most of your hiking done in a weekend trip. There is a good variety of trails, scenic spots, and plenty of plant-life to see along the way. We haven’t done a ton of hiking at the park because during the times we’ve visited we were either busy learning how to camp (our very first camping trip was to Inks Lake) or enjoying our time paddle-boarding on the lake.
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0.2 mi one-way
Easy
This is a quick hike to Devil's Waterhole from a parking lot. This short trail makes seeing one of the main attractions of the park, Devil's Waterhole, easily accessible.
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0.5 mi one-way
Easy
This trial takes you along the lake's edge. It's a short trek and has some good fishing spots along the way.
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2.2 mi one-way
Moderate
This is the longest single trail in the park and offers a more rugged experience for hikers. There are some truly incredible views on this hike but be sure to bring water because there is not much shade.
Hiking to Devil's Waterhole at night in 2020
Devil’s Waterhole and Waterfalls
Devil’s Waterhole is a popular spot for adventurous folks. It wasn’t something I was willing to try out, but we did spend one evening watching brave souls jump from the rocks down to the deep waters below. The cliffs range from 10 to 30 feet with several places to jump down from. If you’re interested in going for a swim but not an adrenaline filled dive, some bring floating inner-tubes and enjoy watching divers from the water. You can also see waterfalls near the area when Valley Spring Creek is running.
Longhorn Cavern State Park
You can go from a day on the lake to exploring underground in a matter of 10 minutes with Longhorn Cavern State Park being literally right down the road! It is a good idea to book your reservation and tour ahead of time if you plan on visiting. We plan to check it out the next time we visit Inks Lake State Park.
Additional Inks Lake Need-to-Knows
There is a well-stocked park store at the boat ramp area.
Bring your water toys, it’s more fun that way!
It gets pretty busy, so we recommend reserving your campsite or day-pass ahead of time.
Burnet is a pretty small town but does have some places to eat and places to shop for essentials if forgotten.
