Quite often people question me about free parks for camping, fishing and boating. While on the website for the Lower Colorado River Authority, I came upon these parks. There are no fees to use these park in the LCRA system. They are unimproved parks, without amenities, but also, without many people.

Click here to view interactive map of LCRA parks.

Lake Buchanan Cedar Point Features:

Boat Ramp Boat Ramp
Hiking and Walking Trails Hiking & Walking Trails
Fishing Fishing
Swimming Swimming
Unimproved Camping Unimproved Camping
Waterless or Chemical Toilets Waterless or Chemical Toilets

Cedar Point Recreation Area is one of the largest public tracts of land on Lake Buchanan with 400 acres and three miles of shoreline. The park is suited for walking, boating access, bank fishing, camping, picnicking and wildlife observation. The free boat ramp has a paved parking lot.

From Llano, take FM 2241 and turn north at Bluffton. Go about 4 miles and turn right on FM 3014, then go 3/10 of a mile to the main site entrance. From Buchanan Dam, take Highway 261 to Bluffton and follow the same directions.

Lake Travis Camp Creek Features

Boat Ramp Boat Ramp
Fishing Fishing
Picnic Tables and Grills Picnic Tables & Grills
Unimproved Camping Unimproved Camping
Waterless or Chemical Toilets Waterless or Chemical Toilets

A grove of pecan trees gives campers great places to set up tents or picnic at Camp Creek. The park, on the north shore of Lake Travis, is popular with anglers, especially those in search of white bass. Boats can be launched from the free boat ramp.

Directions: Take FM 1431 west from Austin/Cedar Park or east from Marble Falls to County Road 343 and continue about one-half mile to the site entrance. Camp Creek is approximately 8 miles from Marble Falls.

Lake Travis Shaffer Bend Features:

Hiking and Walking Trails Hiking & Walking Trails
Bicycling - Dirt/Gravel Bicycling - Dirt / Gravel
Equestrian Trails Equestrian Trails
Fishing Fishing
Swimming Swimming
Unimproved Camping Unimproved Camping

Shaffer Bend Recreation Area, with 523 acres, is one of LCRA’s largest recreation areas on Lake Travis. The undeveloped recreation area is good for camping, but campers should come prepared because there are no toilets, potable water or electricity. The terrain, ranging from bottom lands to bluffs and hills, makes for good hiking.

Directions: Lake FM 1431 west from Austin/Cedar Park or east from Marble Falls to County Road 343A and continue about one mile to the park entrance. Shaffer Bend is approximately 8.5 miles from Marble Falls.

Lake Travis Narrows Features:

Day Use Only Day Use Only
Boat Ramp Boat Ramp
Fishing Fishing
Waterless or Chemical Toilets Waterless or Chemical Toilets

Narrows Recreation Area has the only public boat ramp on the upper south side of Lake Travis. Narrows is closed at night except for the boat ramp. The park has an outdoor restroom, but no other amenities.

Directions: From Austin, take State Highway 71 West and turn right on Spur 191. Continue approximately one mile to the community of Spicewood. Continue straight through the intersection, you will be on County Road 410. At the intersection of County Road 411 you will again continue to go straight. You will now be on County Road 411. Follow CR411 to the entrance.

Please note that all boat ramps on the Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis and Lake Austin are closed until lake levels go down. This will be temporary as they feed the flood waters through the chain of lakes on the Colorado River.

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