Name: Hill Country Weekend Trip - Inks Lake State Park & More
Start: 2025-03-27T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-03-30T12:00:00-05:00

Let’s visit some of the Hill Country during bluebonnet season for some hiking, kayaking, stargazing and more. The blooming of bluebonnets can be hard to predict this far out, but late March is typically a good time. It should be gorgeous!

· On Friday, March 28, we’ll visit Inks Lake State Park to hike the Pecan Flats Trail and the Lake Trail (\~4.2 miles, easy to moderate) in the morning and possibly kayak to the Devil’s Waterhole afterwards. For lunch, we can choose to picnic at the park, or eat at Torr Na Lochs Vineyard & Winery (11 minutes from the park). Inks Lake SP is known for beautiful bluebonnet trails. If you are not staying at the state park BE SURE TO PURCHASE DAY PASSES ONLINE AHEAD OF TIME because they do sell out.

· On Saturday, March 29, we can hike 3 to 5 miles of the Canyon of the Eagles hiking trails and kayak on Lake Buchanan.
We have two options we can decide from for kayaking:
1\. Kayak rentals are available onsite at the Canyon of the Eagles\.
2\. Kayak rentals are also available from the nearby Vanishing River Cruises\, with access to Beaver Creek Cove or Garret Island $see website for details$\.
We can discuss prior to our trip which kayaking option we would like to do as a group.
Another option is the Vanishing River Cruise on Lake Buchanan at 11:00 a.m. Eagles are often still around in late March, and if the river levels aren’t too low the cruise goes by some beautiful waterfalls. This option can be done in addition to, or in place of, kayaking. Again, we will discuss these options then decide.
For those who like to mountain bike, Canyon of the Eagles also has Mountain Bike Trails.

Saturday evening for anyone interested, there is also the Canyon of the Eagles Observatory. Reservations are required in advance. From the Observatory’s website:
“The Eagle Eye Observatory (EEO) is staffed by a dedicated and knowledgeable astronomer. The Observatory is a sliding-roof design with two independently retractable roof sections. Each roof section moves to create a variable size, side-viewing slit, or both sections may be moved to open the entire structure to the sky. The Eagle Eye Observatory provides modern telescopes with computer-enhanced imaging and astronomical instruments.
Guests may bring their own telescope! The Observatory hosts 31 pads available for set-up located on the grounds just outside The Observatory. Guests are welcome to set up and view during regular observatory hours at no charge.”

· On Sunday, March 30 we can either hike the Devil’s Backbone Trail (3.5 miles) in Inks Lake State Park or visit Longhorn Caverns State Park to hike their 1 mile trail and visit the caverns. (Longhorn Caverns State Park is only 11 minutes away from Inks Lake State Park.) Let me know which you prefer.

LODGING OPTIONS:

Canyon of the Eagles: This 940-acre peaceful nature resort and Lower Colorado River Authority Park sits on the edge of Lake Buchanan with 3 miles of private lake access, 14 miles of hiking trails, beautiful Hill Country vistas, and is about 30 minutes away from Inks Lake SP. Wildflower meadows, dense oak-juniper woodlands and open shrub communities support Black-capped Vireo, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Greater Roadrunner, Osprey, Painted Bunting, Wild Turkey, bobcat, deer, gray fox, raccoon, and Ringtail. The resort is named after the American Bald Eagles who winter (October – March) in the towering cliffs. It offers tent & RV camping as well as eco-friendly guestrooms with stained cement flooring, microwaves and a mini-fridge in each room. Guestrooms are 4-plex cabin style units. There is an onsite restaurant, store, kayak & mountain bike & E-bike rentals, nightly Smores Firepit, and the Observatory discussed above. As of September 12, 2024, only 5 rooms are left (out of 61) available to rent so reserve a room soon if you plan to go! There are still plenty of camping spots available. You will need to purchase a day pass for Inks Lake State Park (cost $7) when visiting it if you don't have a State Parks Pass.

Inks Lake State Park: The park offers both tent & RV camping as well as basic cabins. These cabins do not have bathrooms, sinks or kitchens or linens provided. They are located 200 - 400 feet from the nearest restrooms and showers. It can be difficult to secure a reservation for Inks Lake SP due to its popularity, especially during the spring. Reservations can be made 5 months in advance. You will need to purchase a Day Pass (cost $10) for the Canyon of the Eagles LCRA park when you visit it if you are staying elsewhere.

Helpful links:
[https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/inks-lake](https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/inks-lake)
[https://www.canyonoftheeagles.com/](https://www.canyonoftheeagles.com/)
[https://www.torrnalochs.com/](https://www.torrnalochs.com/)
[https://www.vtrc.com/](https://www.vtrc.com/)
[https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/longhorn-cavern](https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/longhorn-cavern)
[https://www.canyonoftheeagles.com/play-2](https://www.canyonoftheeagles.com/play-2)

Participation in any activities involves some level of risk, and member and guests assume all risk in such participation.

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Hill Country Weekend Trip - Inks Lake State Park & More

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Hill Country Weekend Trip - Inks Lake State Park & More

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