Hill Country Sunset

The Lakes and Hills of the Highland Lakes, in the heart of the Central Texas Hill Country, is the ideal destination for a day, a weekend, or a lifetime.  Adventure, recreation, fun in the sun and hill country hospitality await you in every Highland Lakes community.   We invite you to come enjoy Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, the Colorado River, the Llano River, hundreds of things to do, places to shop, eat and sleep.   With over 1,800 square miles of lakes and hills, the Highland Lakes region is one of the largest playgrounds in Texas.

STATE AND NATIONAL PARKS IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES REGION OF CENTRAL TEXAS

 

INKS LAKE STATE PARK - INKS LAKE

Check out the listing of Llano County Lodges

Inks Lake State ParkInks Lake State Park is 1201 acres of recreational facilities adjacent to Inks Lake on the Colorado River in Burnet County. The park was acquired by deeds from the Lower Colorado River Authority and private owners in 1940 and was opened to the public in 1950. Inks Lake is located in the Highland Lakes chain (7 lakes) surrounded by granite hills. The water level of Inks Lake is usually unaffected by drought and is maintained at a normal level most of the time. During flooding situations, the lake level can rise as the flood waters are passed through Inks Lake to other lakes downstream.

History: The park area has been used for cattle ranching since the mid-1800s. It remained a part of various ranches until the state acquired the land in 1940. Culverts and roads in the park were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps from the camp at Longhorn Caverns in the 1930s.

Activities: Visitors enjoy camping, backpacking, hiking, and golf. Since Inks is a constant level lake, droughts do not affect water-related activities such as lake swimming (unsupervised beach), boating, water skiing, scuba diving, and fishing (Link to detailed lake and fishing information).

Tours: Activities such as nature walks, geology hikes, fish seining, lakeshore ecology, and Junior Ranger programs are conducted on Saturdays in the summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day), and by special request through the park office. TCP activities, such as the Devil's Waterhole Canoe Tour, are conducted the second and fourth Thursday of the month in April, May, September, October, and November; every Thursday in June and July; and the first and second Thursday in August.

Directions: The park is located 9 miles west of Burnet on State Highway 29 to Park Road 4. Go south 3 miles to the park headquarters. Link to park location map In PDF format

Current conditions including fire bans and water levels can vary from day to day. For more details, call the park or Park Information at 1-800-792-1112.

Visit our website for more information

Facilities:
Link to facility and fee information for this park.
Link to park facility map In PDF format

 

Inks Lake State ParkFlora/Fauna: The park is a panorama of cedar and oak woodlands, wildflowers, and pink granite outcroppings in the Central Texas Hill Country. Deer, turkey, quail, numerous songbirds, and other species of wildlife are abundant in the park. The most commonly caught fish are bass, crappie, and catfish.

Elevation: 900. Weather: July average high 98; January average low 33; May, September, and October are wettest months; first/last freeze: November 14/March 29. Open: 7 days a week year-round, except for Public Hunts (call for dates); no gate. Office Hours: March through November: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. From December through February: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., 7 days a week. Busy Season: Spring, summer, and fall.

Area Attractions: The Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch ; Colorado Bend, Pedernales Falls, and Longhorn Cavern State Parks; Enchanted Rock State Natural Area; a federal fish hatchery; Vanishing Texas River Cruise; Granite Mountain quarry at nearby Marble Falls that furnished material for the Texas State Capitol; Lake Buchanan and Buchanan Dam (the largest multi-arch dam in the world is located 4 miles from the park); Lake Lyndon B. Johnson; Lake Marble Falls; and Lake Travis; and the historical districts in Burnet, Llano, Johnson City, and Fredericksburg. You may want to refer to nearby  parks.

Fish Hatchery
The US Fish & Wildlife Service operates a fish hatchery near Inks Dam. " Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery plays a pivotal role in restoring Gulf Coast striped bass to the northern Gulf of Mexico and some of its tributaries. The Gulf Coast striped bass is an important sport and commercial fish, but has become severely depleted from loss of habitat and overfishing. Leading-edge fish culture techniques employed at Inks Dam should ensure that released striped bass are well equipped to face the rigors of the wild.  The Inks Dam facility also helps restore paddlefish populations in the Mississippi River basin, and raises largemouth bass and channel catfish for sport fishing."

 


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Revised August 03, 2017
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