Buescher State Park is located only 45 minutes outside of Austin city limits and offers a great experience for hikers, bikers, campers, and anyone wanting to spend some time on a lake. Despite being close to the city, the park is quiet, tucked away from major highway/street noise, and provides that “outdoorsy” feeling for park visitors and adventurers.

Buescher State Park Info

Getting to Buescher was extremely easy. Once I arrived, I checked in at the Headquarters. The staff was very welcoming and stamped my Texas State Parks passport book.

When I arrived, I wasn’t sure yet if I was going to be camping for the night so I just got a day pass. A day pass costs $5 for adults, but with my Texas State Parks pass, I was able to enter for free.

I grabbed a park map and drove through the park to see all it had to offer. I first drove past one of the group picnic and fishing areas, then the playground, and took a little stop at the amphitheater to see what that was like. It was small but cute and well-maintained.

Buescher State Park Campground Amenities

After a quick stop at the headquarters, I kept driving my way through the park past the screened shelters, the Cozy Circle Camping area (which was full of RVs), and onto the Lakeview Camping Area (which was for tents and primitive campers). I drove around that loop to see if there were any available spots in case I decided to spend the night.

There were quite a few options still available, which was nice. (Not a lot of neighbors!) The sites along the loop were all very comparable in terms of spacing and amenities.

Campsites:

Sites 52 and 53 were a little odd in terms of location because the walk up to the higher-level primitive sites came right into their camp space. If someone were camping in the upper area and had to use the restroom in the night, they’d most likely shine a light right into the tents on sites 52 or 53.

Site 55 was similar, the trail to get to the lower primitive sites was right next to that campsite, but not as close as the other two. It provided a little more privacy.

I did end up staying the night and decided on campsite 62. It’s a primitive walk-in site, but less than 2 minutes from the car. This is the first time I’ve stayed at a primitive site and I think I only felt comfortable doing so because it was so close to the car.

Oddly, it didn’t appear there was a way to reserve this site online, so I had to go back to the headquarters to reserve it. The whole section of sites, 61-64, didn’t seem to be options online.

I loved the proximity to my car and that it had everything I needed. The site came with a picnic table, fire pit, lantern pole (for hanging food/trash or a light), and a dedicated tent square.

One disappointment of this spot – the ground was rocky! I always try to move any noticeable stones before laying down my tent, but even after doing so this time, I felt a LOT of rocks under me while in the tent.

Experience the Great Outdoors with the REI Half Dome 2 Tent: A Review

Bathroom/showers:

I used two bathhouses while visiting the park, one by the playground and one by the Lakeview Camping Area. Both were similar to one another. I didn’t get photos of these facilities, but I was impressed. They were clean and fairly spacious.

The showers were big for state park standards. There was plenty of bench space to set your things and towel hangers too. I didn’t use the showers during this visit, but I assume the water was warm because the sink water warmed up quickly.

I’ve learned over time that not all State Park Restrooms are maintained the same, but Buescher did a good job at maintaining theirs.

Water Recreation at Buescher State Park

Swimming in Buscher Lake is not prohibited. However, you can canoe, kayak, or fish in the lake. There are multiple access points for fishing in the lake and one boat launch area. If fishing on the lake, you can expect to catch Largemouth Bass, Catfish, or Sunfish.

Trail Hiking Experience at Buescher State Park

Buescher State Park is a tall, long, skinny park geographically. There are two main hikes and a couple of smaller trails, and they’re all located near the upper part of the park.

If you’re visiting for fishing, staying in the cabins, or even in the Cozy Circle camping area, you’ll have to ride a bike or drive up to the northern part for the hikes. You could walk, but it’s quite a distance from the entrance and lake area of the park. I’d say that’s probably a negative for this park if you’re visiting in an RV and do not have cycles with you.

On the above map, I hiked both the red and blue trails, starting with the Red – Pine Gulch Trail.

Pine Gulch Trail

I drove up to the Pine Gulch trailhead and parked my car in the small lot. The parking lot had a little picnic area with a panorama view of some farm land below.

Once on the trail, it was very easy to follow and was suitable for both hikers and bikers. The trail was fairly smooth. No hiking boots are needed, just some good closed-toe tennis shoes.

I was surprised to see a good amount of bright green, lively foliage since the weather has been cold the last couple of weeks and it’s December. In addition to a wide variety of plants, I saw an abundance of caterpillars, dragonflies, and butterflies. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many caterpillars in one place! They were crossing trails, attached to trees, and sitting on small plant leaves. It was pretty neat to see!

Pine Gulch is a 4.0-mile loop trail and I noticed at about mile 2 that there weren’t any benches or tree stumps or other places to sit along the trail. It wasn’t a difficult hike by any means, but it’s something to be aware of.

Although I visited in winter, I feel this would be a good summer trail to hike because it was well-shaded and not very strenuous.

FUN FACT:
The seasonally moist and sandy soils of the Lost Pines provide critical habitat for the largest remain­ing population of Houston toads. The Houston toad was recognized as an endan­gered species in 1970.

Winding Woodland Trails

After completing the Pine Gulch Trail, I took a little lunch break and decided to do the Winding Woodland Trail too. This trail was more popular than Pine Gulch. I only passed two other hikers while on the first hike and while on this one I passed at least ten others and four adorable dogs.

Winding Woodland Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back trail that goes from the Lakeview Camping Area to the viewpoint where the Pine Gulch Trail begins.

Along this trail, there are signs educating hikers on the different kinds of plants you can find along the trail, including poison ivy and American beautyberry among others.

Overall Review of Buescher State Park

For a park I’d never heard of before looking at the Texas State Parks map, I was impressed. The park was easy to find, the staff was welcoming at the headquarters, the trails were well-maintained, and there were plenty of options for overnight stays. The restrooms were clean, large, and had warm water. Entertainment was abundant including the children’s playground, picnic areas, fishing opportunities, the amphitheater, and education along the trail.

Even in the winter, Buescher State Park had plenty of greenery. I would recommend visiting any time of the year, but winter will not disappoint at this park.

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As always, if you want to read about my visits to other Texas State Parks, check out my Texas State Parks page!