Vincent VanGo, Pam and Chris LeBlanc’s campervan, parked at Site 3 at Cedar Point Recreation Area. Chris LeBlanc photo

I’ think I’ve discovered the best drive-up campsites in Central Texas, and it’s set on a peninsula of land that stretches into Lake Buchanan at Cedar Point Recreation Area.

Now I can’t wait to go back with my kayak and paddle from the park to the Fall Creek waterfall, located on the lake’s northern edge. It’s a 4-mile paddle each way.

We made the hour-and-a-half drive to the park yesterday, taking advantage of the first brisk weather of the season. Our trip coincided with the monarch migration, too – I’ve never seen so many butterflies clustered onto tree branches in the Texas Hill Country.

Another reason to go now? After more than five years of drought, lake levels are up. All the campsites are truly waterfront once again.

The park remains under a burn ban, so we cooked in Vincent VanGo, our camper van. I stepped out in the middle of the night and caught a sky full of stars. This morning, temperatures hovered in the mid-30s.

The sun sets at Site 3 at Cedar Point Recreation Area. Pam LeBlanc photo

The park is one of more than 40 owned by the Lower Colorado River Authority between the Texas Hill Country and the Gulf of Mexico. There are no electric or water hookups, just primitive sites.

If you head to the park, try to get Site 3. It’s set off by itself, with a hill between it and other campsites on the peninsula. A picnic table offers a spectacular view of the surrounding lake.

Six other campsites are located on the peninsula, but they’re all grouped together, so there’s not much privacy. Site 2 is also good, but the road leading to it is rough and rocky. And Site 1 has hardly any shade.

Read more: Entry is free to all Texas State Parks on Nov. 2

The park doesn’t have flush toilets, but it does have a pit toilet and a port-o-potty.

The 310-acre park is located 80 miles from downtown Austin on the south shore of Lake Buchanan, which is known for white bass and striped bass fishing. It’s got a boat ramp and 3.5 miles of shoreline. Campsites cost $25 a night and include a picnic table, fire ring and grill. Pets are allowed.

The park is just down the road from tiny Tow, Texas, home of Fall Creek Vineyards, which opened in 1975. It’s also about 20 minutes from Inks Lake State Park and Longhorn Caverns.

Monarch butterflies gather on a tree branch along Lake Buchanan on Oct. 30, 2025. Pam LeBlanc photo

Entry is free to Texas State Parks, including Pedernales Falls State Park, on Nov. 2. Pam LeBlanc photo

Heads up, park lovers.

Admission is free to all Texas State Parks on Nov. 2, otherwise known as Texas State Parks Day.

You’ve got 89 to choose from, including Inks Lake State Park, which just opened its new headquarters building; Pedernales Falls State Park, where water spills over huge limestone slabs; Blanco State Park, one of my go-to parks for swimming; or Guadalupe River State Park, where towering cypress trees with knobby knees lean over the river.

“We hope that Texas State Parks Day will inspire all Texans to get outside and explore what our great state has to offer,” State Parks Division Director Rodney Franklin said in a press release. “We encourage you to spend time with family and discover what makes our state parks so special.” 

Pam LeBlanc sits under the spillway at Blanco State Park. Photo by Chris LeBlanc

Visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website for activities and events in a park near you.

And another reminder – veterans, active duty and Gold Star family members can get free Parkland Passports that give them free entry to all Texas State Parks.

Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Make them online.

Mission Tejas State Park will celebrate its grand reopening on Nov. 8. Photo courtesy TPWD

Mission Tejas State Park in East Texas will celebrate the completion of a three-year renovation project with a grand reopening celebration on Nov. 8.

The 659-acre park, which bristles with tall pines, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s to commemorate the first Spanish mission in East Texas. It was transferred to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and opened as a state park in 1957.

Today it’s known for its forested grounds, remnants of Spanish efforts to settle the area, a log home built by pioneers in the early 1800s and, in the spring, its blooming dogwood trees.

People come to fish, camp and hike 8.5 miles of trails. The Nabedache Loop trail leads hikers past part of El Camino Real, a historic route built in the late 1600s that led from Mexico City to Louisiana.

But most of the park’s facilities, including the mission, campground, fishing pond, day-use area and access to El Camino Real, have been closed since January. The renovation project includes improvements throughout the grounds by the Texas Department of Transportation and TPWD.

The reopening celebration is scheduled for 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Mission Tejas State Park is known for its tall pines and historic features. Photo courtesy TPWD

Visitors can meet new Superintendent Josh Diamond and see newly displayed historic artifacts donated by Stephen F. Austin State University. The park’s campground has 15 sites with water and electric hookups, and two with just water.

The park is located at 19343 State Highway 21 East near Grapeland, at the north end of Davy Crockett National Forest.

And heads up, park lovers. Entrance to all state parks is free for day-use visitors on Nov. 2.

The Shoal Creek Trail has long been a great place to hike, bike or get lost in nature. On Saturday, Oct. 25, it’ll be a great place to catch live music and mingle with others, too.

The first ever Concert on the Creek is scheduled for 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, behind GSD&M along Shoal Creek at 828 W. Sixth Street.

The musical lineup includes Rosie Flores and the Talismen, The Lost Pines and the Texas String Assembly.

Tickets are $50 general admission or $150 for VIPs. Children 12 and under are free. Food and drinks will be available, along with family-friendly games. Buy tickets here.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Shoal Creek Conservancy, stewards of the 13-square-mile Shoal Creek watershed and creek and the trail running along it.