Is this the best drive-up campsite in Central Texas?

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.

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

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.

Water levels are up at Lake Buchanan, where you can camp on a peninsula at Cedar Point Recreation Area. Chris LeBlanc photo

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.