As was the case further south, the wildflowers were vibrant and plentiful in the area around Burnet and Lake Buchanan. The picture at the top of this post is an area behind the RV park that would typically be underwater. Instead, it’s covered in Bluebonnets.

We were lucky to be in town for the 41st annual Bluebonnet Festival which included live music, a carnival, food, and lots and lots of shopping. From Arts and Crafts vendors to Wiener Dog races, there was something for everyone. The festival includes one of the biggest and best parades in central Texas. Marching bands, antique cars, horses, fire trucks, special performing groups such as the Sunrise Beach Lawn Chair Brigade and Hill Country Plungettes brought a smile to everyone’s face, from the very young to the young-at-heart and ours. Approximately 150 entries lined up for the hour-long parade. On the banks of Hamilton Creek, the Annual Lakes Area Rod and Classic Car Show was also held although we didn’t make it over to that.

Just west of Burnet is Lake Buchanan and the park we stayed at was on the south east corner of the lake adjacent to the dam. Like many of the lakes in Texas that are suffering from drought, Lake Buchanan is also very low.

Park Review – Lake Buchanan RV and Cabin Resort

Rating: 
Location: Burnet, TX
Type: Commercial Park
Check-in/Check-out times: 12:00/11:00
Site Quality / Amenities: Sites were gravel and each site had a picnic table but nothing else. There were some larger trees scattered around the park as well as some small rock formations. Sites are FHU with 30/50A electric. They also have cabins for rent if you don’t have a RV to stay in. Other amenities include a store on site, laundry facilities, fitness room, guest lounge, clubhouse with kitchen, fishing, boat ramp with dock, swim dock, pool with hot tub, a large covered pavilion, nature trail, dog walk and playground.
Access: Reasonably easy access from TX-29 west of Burnet then north on FM-690.
Staff: Our only interaction with staff was at check in and they were friendly and efficient.
Cellular/WiFi: We had decent Verizon coverage and the park had WiFi but we didn’t use it. Site 23, had a good clear view to the north and Starlink worked great from there.
Restaurants: We didn’t end up eating out in the area but there were several possibilities.
Nearby parks: On the north end of the lake is Canyon of the Eagles which has a small restaurant, 61 guestrooms and a small RV park. The RV park is beautiful and does have a few sites up to 87′ in length. In our judgement though the road through the camping area is small and winding and there are a lot of low trees. Although you could obviously get in and out of there with a big rig it’s hard to imaging doing so without getting a few scrapes. Because of that, we probably won’t plan a trip there in the future. Inks Lake State Park is also just to the south and is very nice but hard to get into due to the popularity of the park.
What we liked: Nice clean park with good views of Lake Buchanan. The common areas were very nice for swimming, hot tubing and just relaxing in the hot Texas weather. Sites 1-25 are mostly good but check the satellite view for spacing and trees.
What we didn’t like: Sites were just basic and were made of gravel which can track inside as well as getting messy in rainy weather.
Verdict: This is a good alternative to staying at Inks Lake State Park should it be full.

Rating: 
Site Quality:  Asphalt roads and pads. Most sites are back in but there are a few pull throughs. The park was clean and well kept. On Easter Sunday it was quite busy which made navigating through the park with a big rig somewhat difficult.
Type:  State Park
Access: Easy access from Highway 29 between Burnet and Llano TX.
Staff: It was very busy when we arrived on Easter Sunday. The staff were professional and courteous but curt. They did not offer any additional information in the park like we usually see.
Amenities:  50A power with water but no sewer. Fire rings and picnic tables were at each site although some were placed in awkward locations relative to the sites. For instance, far away or on the wrong side of the site. Restrooms and showers looked nice and a couple had been recently replaced with updated ones. The dump station was a bit small and tight to get into and out of for our rig. There is a park store where you can also rent canoes and kayaks. There are also several playgrounds throughout the park. Finally, there are about 9 miles of hiking trails around the park.
Cellular/WiFi: Verizon and AT&T were decent with and without amplification. After thunderstorms came through the nearest tower apparently went down and then out connections became marginal for Verizon.
What we liked: Our site (#274) was right on the lake – maybe 100 feet from the water across a grassy field. We also had good satellite reception from the site. Most sites are spacious, and some offer quite a bit of seclusion. Lockers located throughout the park sell firewood bundles by credit card but were expensive for what you got.
What we didn’t like: The park gets very busy on weekends and holidays. The roads and dump station are difficult to navigate for a big rig. No sewer connections.
Verdict: We would definitely stay in the park again particularly if we can plan far enough ahead to get a good site. Some of the sites we thought looked good were 232, 235, 267, 274, and 275. Other sites may work but without being lakeside.