Local parks beckon visitors and locals alike

One of the most endearing and joyful aspects of the Highland Lakes involves the natural environment which beckon locals and visitors alike to flock to several waterways and pristine nature scenes – all while maintaining access to public amenities.

In municipal and state park venues, local entities insist on maintaining waterway access that is free to the public, along with outdoor activity opportunities for hiking, picnicking, sporting events and other fitness and fun festivities.

From Burnet and Granite Shoals to Kingsland and Llano, the area’s parks beckons one to go outside, soak in the sun and enjoy a place blessed with mostly pleasant conditions in the spring and summer.

Burnet Parks

• Haley-Nelson Park, a 51-acre park, is located on Garden Trails Road off West Buchanan Drive (Texas 29 West) in Burnet. The venue features soccer fields, an amphitheater, disk golf course, a picnic pavilion and two washer pit areas as well as walking and hiking trails. The venue is located on Garden Trails Drive, just off Hwy 29 West and behind the city’s maintenance facility

• Hamilton Creek Park is located in the heart of the city and boasts lighted walk ways on either side of the creek, picnic areas, pavilion, gazebo, children’s play area and fountains along the creek. Additional parking is accessed from US 281 one block west of the highway on Jackson Street.

• A skate park is located at Wallace Riddell Park on Hwy 29 East at Rhomberg in Burnet. The venue also features a large pavilion, playscape and ball fields.

For more, visit cityofburnet.com.

Quarry Park

The City of Granite Shoals has a municipal complex at 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. This 131-acre tract is the site of city hall and Quarry Park. Quarry Park, which has restroom amenities, has covered tennis courts, a butterfly garden, a ‘Hike, Bike and Run’ trail, a Wildlife Viewing Station and soccer and pickleball courts.

The trails are dotted with granite benches, tables, monuments and exercise stations and wind alongside an old quarry.

The system includes an outer loop of more than 2 miles called the Manzano Hike, Bike and Run Trail, an inner half-mile called Leo’s Loop around a large quarry pond, and several connecting trails. The trails are open from dawn to dusk.

To find out more, go to graniteshoals.org.

Kingsland Community Park

The Kingsland Community Park, on the shoreline of Lake LBJ, features park amenities which are free to the public thanks to the stewardship of the venue manager, Kingsland/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce. Recently refurbished, the venue includes three 20-ft. boat docks, a fishing pier with rod holders and fish cleaning station, picnic tables and a public boat ramp ($10 launch fee). A covered pavilion is also available by reservation or general public use, an enclosed community building for rental. For more information, go to kingslandchamber.org.

Llano Parks

• Badu Park is located on Town Lake on the Llano River near historic downtown. With abundant green space and benches, the park also features basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a fishing pier, an amphitheater, covered pavilions with picnic tables and public shoreline access to the Llano River. There are also 11 RV hookups available for short-term rental.

• Robinson City Park is located on FM 152 on the shoreline of the Llano River approximately two miles west of downtown Llano. Families can picnic and barbecue using park grills and enjoy a playground areas as well as swim and fish the river. The park also serves as the site for the annual Crawfish Open in April. The municipal golf course and the Llano River RV Resort is adjacent to the west side of the park.

For more information, visit cityofllano.com.

Inks Lake State Park

Inks Lake State Park Trail, 3630 Park Rd 4 West, is home to nearly eight miles of several loop trails – most of which features views of Inks Lake with a hilly landscape through the park with live oaks, native flowers, cedar trees, yuccas and prickly pear cacti.

The ground is rocky, mainly consisting of gneiss (pronounced “nice”) rock. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and fishing and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on a leash. An entry fee applies. To find out more, go to tpwd.texas. gov.

Inks Lake Dam National Fish Hatchery

Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery includes four trails for hiking, birding and interpretation as well as an Environmental Education Center.

Community projects include habitat restoration and enhancements, bird viewing, wildflower printmaking, finding edible and medicinal plants along the Ashe Juniper trail, and observing various habitats along Overlook Trail as well as planned stocked pond fishing with families and veterans groups. Hatchery hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. The facilities, 345 Clay Young Rd. in Burnet County, are free and open to the public. To find out more, go to fws.gov/ fish-hatchery/inks-dam.

Marble Falls Parks and Trailheads

One stretch of the city of Marble Falls trail system remains tucked away in the heart of the city connecting four parks. Backbone Creek Hike and Bike Trail is approximately 1.3 miles in length running along Backbone Creek from Lakeside Park to Westside Park. The trail surface is 10-feet wide and is a combination of asphalt and granite gravel.

Points of interest along the trail include Lakeside Park, Falls Creek Park (which includes a skatepark), a manmade waterfall at Andrea’s Pass (raised foot bridge over the creek), Johnson Park, Madolyn’s Crossing (a relocated, historic iron truss bridge) and Westside Park at the intersection of 2nd Street and Avenue Q comprised of 13 acres along a portion of Backbone Creek.

• Westside Park, 1610 2nd St., is located at the intersections of Avenue Q and R. The park includes the hiking trail as well as a playscape, disk golf course, dog park, basketball court and both an enclosed and open pavilion to reserve for events.

• Johnson Park, 230 S. Avenue J, is nestled in a pecan tree-shaded area where Backbone Creek and Whitman Branch flow into Lake Marble Falls. There is also a designated leash-free zone for dogs located in the venue. Features include two open-air covered pavilions to reserve for events, public picnic tables and barbecue pits, a softball field, a boat ramp and restroom facilities.

• Lakeside Park is located at 305 Buena Vista Dr. in Marble Falls, along the shoreline of Lake Marble Falls. Amenities include a municipal swimming pool, enclosed pavilion for rentals, manmade beach, limestone stone seating and restroom facilities. The public has access from the venue to fish and swim in the lake and Backbone Creek. Non-motorized boats also have access points into the waterway at the north end of the park and the south end of the venue at the confluence of the lake and Backbone Creek.

Motorized vessels can put into the water on Backbone Creek in Johnson Park and the Hays Addition boat ramp on Lakeshore Drive.

•Whitman Branch Hike and Bike Trail is approximately .8 miles in length running along Whitman Branch Creek, Avenues J and K, and 3rd Street. The trail surface is 7-feet wide and is all concrete with a stretch of the trail meandering alongside youth soccer fields.

For more information, go to marblefallstx.gov.

Editor’s Note: The following article can be found in full color in our 2022 Spring/Summer Discover Highland Lakes inside this issue of the Bulletin. The free visitor’s guide by Highland Lakes Publishing is on newsstands or can be picked up at the office, 220 S. Main in Burnet.