Austin City Music Festival and camping in Austin

[RochelleInAustinTexas]

I just posted this info in the "South Central forum" and, as a way of introducing myself, I am posting this info here. Although not everyone is interested in attending this fest, some day y'all may cruise down here and so the camping links may be of some help.

There are three types of links: a state site from the Texas Parks and Wildlife, a regional site from the Lower Colorado River Authority, and a private link which provides rankings and data using five different search criteria.

As you'll read in the following post, I decided to browse the local recreational areas after coming upon this group as I've got a daughter just coming to the age where she's really enjoying camping. HOWEVER ... as I finished that post and began this one, I thought, "What the heck am I doing? Why don't you look at these campers?" I guess because I'm in a transition betwee a job and a job and school, it was not a consideration. But, after looking at the for sale forum and seeing the newly-built teardrop, I started to drop a tear. I've got to figure out how to do this ... Regards,
Rochelle

Hey, y'all! I was web cruiser and came upon this site and a forum thread talking about the Austin City Limits music festival. As the topic was camp sites, I ended up running a search on recreational areas as I've daughter who's coming of age when camping is going to be a whole lot of fun for her. So, I decided to share my info.

I didn't intend to have it be so long but once I started looking into the possibilities, I also started remembering the crazy and unusual times I've spent on my camping trips here. Although a bit long, I think you'll discover a flavor of Austin. If any of you are able to make it for the festival, don't forget about visiting the Barton Springs. It's truly a jewel; you'll not want to miss it. AND ... it's right across the street from the festival so if you should need a dip, you'll the find the waters a refreshing 68 degrees .. year 'round.

Finally, if you should make it to Austin and for some reason there aren't any RV or camp sites available, let me know. I've an acre west of Austin; my little house sits on part of it so there's at least 1/2 acre left. Of course I've no hookups but there are always solar showers (and my bathroom).

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Texas State Park Reservations site and intra-website links to all state data about the Texas park system.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/park_reservations/

The Lower Colorado River Authority site. This link is VERY good as it lists ALL the parks, recreation areas, sites with water access, etc, etc, in the Lower Colorado River Basin. If you should decide to spend only one or two days at the festival, you could choose any of these options.
http://www.lcra.org/parksearch/results.html#developed-parks

Texas Outside: This site is not gov't affliated; I used it's lcoational criteria to list the Austin area parks below. It provides park information by either city or name, whether it is lake camping, private, KOA, or state or CORP, or Travis County parks. Also, it ranks them.
http://www.texasoutside.com/campMain.html
The imp data below is that it provides information about public parks in the greater Austin Area in helpful manner and also lists the private RV parks.
Private RV Parks:
http://www.texascampgrounds.com/parks_found.php?parkname=&homecity=Austin&city=&FormsButton1=Search+for+Parks
A park locater by city.
http://www.texasoutside.com/txorails/public/reviews/campground_full_list

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So .... here goes ... The following is the list of parks that are probably of most interest to you given they have all the facilities (save for one) that you need and are close in.

Bastrop State Park: Avery nice park located approx. 30 miles outside of Austin. It sits within an area of "lost pines." An archeaologist friend of mine told me a number of years ago this small little "forest" is migrating in that over very long periods of time it reseeds itself in a particular direction. It has very quaint rock cabins built by the CCW in the 30's. It's been years since I've tried to get a booking but one usually has to jump at the chance to reserve one. The campsites are just fine, though.
http://www.texasoutside.com/txorails/public/reviews/show_campground/33
Map of Bastrop State Park Trails
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4505_043l.pdf

Emma State Long Park: This park is nearly right across the river from me. By boat, it's a small ride from one shoreline to the other but by car it's over a 30 minute drive. As the park is right on the shoreline, it's has flat sites. The park is known to get quite busy but I would not think it would be very busy as the festival is in Sept. However, it's still fairly accessible and popular so there could still be a fairly high degree of activity. When I first moved to Austin, I worked with a girl who's second job was a grill cook at the now defunct Pier Restaurant. As she had to get across the river to get to work, she needed to ask a boater for a ride every night. She told me she never was turned down!
http://www.texasoutside.com/txorails/public/reviews/show_campground/5

McKinney Falls State Park: A nice park that they've certainly kept up but I don't know much about the camping, only the water and if we've have, it's really nice.
http://www.texasoutside.com/txorails/public/reviews/show_campground/12
Park Map
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4505_090d.pdf

Pace Bend Park: Also located approx 30 miles outside of Austin. It's a really big park with many different types of campsites. You can park yourself near a cliff and watch the folks jump off of them or find a more secluded site. All sites are close to the water ... which you'll surely enjoy to cool off in. When I first moved to Texas, I saw my first Armadillos here. As it was dark, they scurried away pretty fast but I did get a good look at them; I was pretty astonished to see these little snort-faced, armor-covered piglets scooting away. This was also the time when people swam and sunned in their birthday suits but I wouldn't think it's that way now. On another camping here after I was baptized with my first 'Dillo siting, my beer-laden brain shortcircuted and I decided to climb up a really steep cliff ... probably to get another beer. Of course I slid down the whole thing severly spraining my ankle. There happened to be an EMT sunning himself and he'd witnessed my fall. He swam over and checked me over ... and he was BUCKNAKED!! (He looked pretty good, too.) When my boyfriend loaded me into his VW bug, another woman, fully clothed, asked if I was okay and gave me a pain pill. Hey, IT'S AUSTIN!
http://www.texasoutside.com/txorails/public/reviews/show_campground/122
Map of Pace Bend
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/pdf_files/pacebend.pdf

Hippie Hollow is listed somewhere as being a camping spot but they must've been referring to day camping when folks camp out to watch the naked people. If you want to go au natural, this place is your destination. All types of people go here but about 2 to 4 yrs ago, the Austin Gay and Lesbian Club rented a double-decker houseboat to glide across the water near this Hollow. Unfortunately, as the craft was parellel to the shore, all the boaters were on one side of the ship gazing at the pretty rocks (not!) on the shore and the thing completely tipped over! Luckily, no one was hurt. (However, there have been at least two deaths from boaters who have rented these houseboats so if y'all should decide to rent one, PLEASE be careful.)
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hippie_hollow.asp

Lonestar RV Park: I've never been hear but it looks cute from the website photos.
http://www.texasoutside.com/txorails/public/reviews/show_campground/117

That's it, folks. Hook 'em Horns, Rochelle

[madjack]

hey Rochelle...welcome to our cozy little group...thatssa big post for a first one ...thanks for the info/research on camping in your area...especially usefull for anyone thinking of attending the festival
madjack

[Miriam C.]

Rochelle It is always nice to have another woman aboard. I hope you find what you are looking for. We have a variety going on here so keep looking. I am building mine so it is taking forever---but fun too.

We have a thing for pictures so please feel free to share your camping and travels.

[RochelleInAustinTexas]

Thank you to MadJack and Miriam C. for the nice replies to my post re/the Austin-area camp scene.

First, Miriam, it's good to hear you're building your own Teardrop. I myself like to plunge into house painting, laying sod, etc, but am not quite at the point of building things. Really, it's not on my 8 yr olds list of things to do.

MadJack, You've probably read these quotes before but they're too good not to pass along.

They have computers, and they may have other weapons of mass destruction. (Janet Reno)
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. (Pablo Picasso)

Thanks for writing. I'll keep my eye out for teardrops but the search will be a long one as "The Little Princess" decided she just HAD to have a "Yorkiepoo." We just brought home today a three pound, furry puppie that's cuter than a bug's ear. When presented with the option of a teardrop and camping vs a puppie, the latter won out. That's okay as it'll take me some time to get organized for a camper and there's defn good years ahead of us where she'll enjoy camping. I'm not going to take the little pup along as I can imagine some hawk swooping down for a meal.

Take care, and I'll be looking at 'drops and reading y'alls post, Rochelle

[bobhenry]

, furry puppie that's cuter than a bug's ear. Rochelle

God I miss Texas "Cuter than a bug's ear " ain't colloquialisms wonderful.

[RochelleInAustinTexas]

are amusing. Sorry, this reply got a little long. I'll keep the topic to the subject from now on. Rochelle

It would be nice if the following phrase's origins proved to be a Texan original: It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs.

Sometimes I feel it's so hot and dry in Texas, I pray the rice farmers return their water to Austin. As that's never goin' to happen, I just remind myself that Barton Spring's and the Comal are just but a wee bit away. Moving on to Texas phrases and quotes ...

Let's not forget quotes from our beloved Ann Richards who was one of first (and probably still few) who could make David Letterman squirm. Ann was a quest on Dave's show about a yr or yr and a half after her speech at the '88 Demo Convention. The topic quickly went to discussion of her "born with a siver spoon" quote and Dave asked her how her and George Bush Sr got a long now. She replied with something very close to this:

I get a long with him just fine (fine pronounced with two syllables); we're good (two syllables again) friends.

David Letterman was visibly surprised and, unusually, didn't have a response. He then looked to be embarrassed and stuttered something less than completely coherent. Ann was truly confused by him giving him a very perplexed look. How telling of her humbleness: It did not dawn on her that Mr. Letterman was in awe of her; she didn't even realize it.

The quotes of Ms. Richards:
I am delighted to be here with you this evening because after listening to George Bush all these years, I figured you needed to know what a real Texas accent sounds like. [1988 keynote address, Democratic Natinal Convention]
I thought I knew Texas pretty well, but I had no notion of its size until I campaigned it.

And, of course, the most-remembered quote:
Poor George. He can't help it - he was born with a silver foot in his mouth. [1988 keynote address, Democratic Natinal Convention]

[RochelleInAustinTexas]

are amusing. Sorry, this reply got a little long. I'll keep the topic to the subject from now on. Rochelle

It would be nice if the following phrase's origins proved to be a Texan original: It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs.

Sometimes I feel it's so hot and dry in Texas, I pray the rice farmers return their water to Austin. As that's never goin' to happen, I just remind myself that Barton Spring's and the Comal are just but a wee bit away. Moving on to Texas phrases and quotes ...

Let's not forget quotes from our beloved Ann Richards who was one of first (and probably still few) who could make David Letterman squirm. Ann was a quest on Dave's show about a yr or yr and a half after her speech at the '88 Demo Convention. The topic quickly went to discussion of her "born with a siver spoon" quote and Dave asked her how her and George Bush Sr got a long now. She replied with something very close to this:

I get a long with him just fine (fine pronounced with two syllables); we're good (two syllables again) friends.

David Letterman was visibly surprised and, unusually, didn't have a response. He then looked to be embarrassed and stuttered something less than completely coherent. Ann was truly confused by him giving him a very perplexed look. How telling of her humbleness: It did not dawn on her that Mr. Letterman was in awe of her; she didn't even realize it.

The quotes of Ms. Richards:
I am delighted to be here with you this evening because after listening to George Bush all these years, I figured you needed to know what a real Texas accent sounds like. [1988 keynote address, Democratic Natinal Convention]
I thought I knew Texas pretty well, but I had no notion of its size until I campaigned it.

And, of course, the most-remembered quote:
Poor George. He can't help it - he was born with a silver foot in his mouth. [1988 keynote address, Democratic Natinal Convention]

[BillyLandry]

Welcome Rochelle!!!! Thanks for the Info. My wife and I are hoping to go to Amarillo sometime in October to hopfully see a new Grandbaby( #19).
We are planning on pulling our tear drop with us so that we can stop off
at the Louisiana Cypress Gathering at Lake Bistineau On the way back home. Well good luck whether you build or buy.

[RochelleInAustinTexas]

You are very fortunate to have such a large family. I've never been up to that part of Texas save for a drive-thru on my way back from Colorado. It's terrain is similar to South Dakota's as is it's environment. I pulled up to a gas station to find a group of teenagers finishing their soft drinks and saddlin' up again to ride. I never had a horse but my girlfriend would take us out on our birthdays. As the guest was on back sans saddle, it wasn't unusual to fall off while galloping. It didn't matter; we were so young our bones were like rubber.

Rochelle

[Laredo]

Amarillo and Austin are indeed as different as night and day, and a nine-hour drive apart.

There are wonderful camp sites near and in Amarillo as well as Austin (Lone Star RV Park is a "retired" KOA park, with lots of full-timers in big rigs; but whenever I go to Austin I try to get a cabin there). For tenting (and probably teardroppin') McKinney Falls is *the* place, provided you'd rather have deer peeking in your window than kids from two campsites down. It's the piece de resistance of Wildlife Expo to have a campsite in McKinney and hike over (it's a shorter walk than much of the parking lot) for the exposition.

Back to the Panhandle: there's a nice little municipal campground at the north end of town, next to the zoo, on US 97;, and Palo Duro State Park as well as Caprock Canyons State Park (a half hour east, in the same canyon!) as well as the Corps of Engineers campgrounds and the lakes (McKenzie and Meredith) offer plenty of places (and levels of amenities; those $6 nightly campsites at Meredith are essentially wide spots on a jeep trail). Some links to get you started:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/caprock_canyons/

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/palo_duro/

http://www.nps.gov/lamr/