Enjoying camping in the heat of a Texas summer can be challenging. Inks Lake State Park located one hour northwest of Austin has great options for surviving the heat, as well as nearby day trips.    The 1200-acre park situated on pink granite outcroppings offers multiple water activities with beautiful scenic views. With Longhorn Cavern State Park and Enchanted Rock State Park nearby, there are additional excursions for campers to explore.

August 2007-Being the new owners of a used pop-up camper, we were excited to try camping in the summer with the benefit of an air conditioner. Inks Lake State Park has plentiful campsites with electricity and water views of the lake. There are also rental cabins with window AC units for those who desire a little more comfort. The large lake provides plenty of places to swim to cool off during the day. The Devil’s Waterhole is a great place for jumping off cliffs and the nearby Valley Spring Creek offers wading and small waterfalls to traverse. There are also kayaks and paddleboats for rent at the park store to facilitate exploring the lake.  Numerous hiking trails surround the lake with shaded wooded trails, rocky hills, and even bird blinds. The trails offer great scenic views that can be enjoyed in the cooler morning hours and evening time. There is also a fishing pier for those who want to try their luck at catching some bass or catfish.

The next day after enjoying the waters of Inks Lake, we waited until late afternoon to drive out to Enchanted State Park. This massive pink granite dome rises 425 feet above the base elevation of the park and it offers a somewhat strenuous climb to the summit for breathtaking views of the hill country and spectacular sunset views. Because of the heat of the day, we waited until close to sunset to climb to the top. We made sure to bring plenty of water and took our time making our way up. There are numerous clefts in the rock system all around that can provide some cave exploration with cooler temperatures. Skilled rock climbers can also be seen traversing the dome. For those who camp at the park, they are rewarded with incredible stargazing and an option to climb up in the early morning hours before the temperatures rise.

Our family explored Longhorn Cavern State Park the next afternoon with great anticipation of the 68-degree constant temperature below. We took the easiest tour availble, which lasted an hour and a half and provided a brief overview of the geology and history while we explored the cave. For the more adventurous explorers there is a Wild Cave Tour which demands crawling and navigating through tight spaces with promises of getting dirty. Reservations can also be made for a paranormal tour, a geology program or a photography tour.

With only a few days at the Park, we ran out of time to visit Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery located between Inks Lake and Longhorn Caverns. Reveille Peak Ranch is also located nearby and provides some of the best mountain biking trails in the hill country. With a little air conditioning, some water activities and plenty of nearby excursions, our family not only survived camping at Inks Lake in August, but instead thrived during this summer trip.