Adventures in Burnet, TX

Burnet is the base camp town for one of the best weekends in the Hill Country. Within twenty minutes of each other you can tour a cave that stays 68 degrees in August, jump off a cliff into a lake that never drops, and scramble over pink granite that looks nothing like the limestone the rest of Central Texas is made of. Three adventures is enough for a full weekend here.

Why Families Love Burnet

Inks Lake State Park is the anchor. The lake is spring-fed and holds a constant level even in a drought year, which in Texas means your swimming plans never get cancelled. There is a designated swim area with a small sandy beach for younger kids, and then there is Devil’s Waterhole, the cliff-jumping spot that older kids and teens plan their whole summer around. Canoe and kayak rentals are available right at the park, and 7.5 miles of trail wind through pink granite terrain with lake views most of the way. The campground is one of the best in the Texas parks system. Entry runs about $7 a day for ages 13 and up with kids 12 and under free, and campsites are roughly $15 to $30 a night. Book ahead.

Longhorn Cavern State Park is fifteen minutes away and is the most kid-accessible cave tour in Texas. The guided walk covers about a mile through a system carved by an ancient underground river, and unlike most cave tours the path is mostly flat, dry, and well lit, which makes it manageable for kids as young as 4. The cave holds a constant 68 degrees year-round. The history is the part that hooks older kids: the cave served as a Confederate gunpowder factory, a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and a hideout for Sam Bass’s gang. The standard tour runs about 90 minutes and costs around $18.50 for adults and $11 for kids 4 to 11, with under 4 free. A wild cave tour with headlamps and undeveloped passages is available for adventurous kids 10 and up. Closed-toe shoes with grip are required, bring a light jacket even in July, and no food, drinks, or strollers go into the cave. Above ground, the 1930s CCC stone structures and the hilltop observation deck are worth an extra twenty minutes.

Reveille Peak Ranch is the wild card: 1,300 acres of private Hill Country with granite bouldering and rock scrambling on terrain unlike anywhere else in the region, plus mountain bike trails running from a flat family loop around the private lake to technical routes over the granite domes. Canoeing and fishing round it out. Around $10 for adults and $5 for kids 6 to 11, under 5 free. It is gated and open Wednesday through Sunday, so check the schedule and plan to check in at the office. Ages 5 and up, closed-toe shoes required.

A Perfect Burnet Weekend

Day 1: Morning cave tour at Longhorn Cavern, and book ahead if it is a weekend. Drive fifteen minutes to Inks Lake, set up camp, and spend the afternoon at Devil’s Waterhole.

Day 2: Full day at Inks Lake. Paddle in the morning when the water is glassiest, hike the granite trails once the sun is up, and swim until you are done.

If you have a third day: Reveille Peak Ranch for bouldering and mountain biking, weather permitting. Skip it in high summer, when the exposed granite gets brutally hot.

Getting There

Burnet is about 90 minutes northwest of Austin on US 281 and roughly four hours from Dallas. The town has restaurants, groceries, and gas, so resupply there before heading out. Longhorn Cavern and Inks Lake are both on Park Road 4, one of the prettier drives in the state.

Best Time to Visit

Longhorn Cavern is truly year-round, since the cave sits at 68 degrees no matter the weather, and weekday mornings get you the smallest tour groups. Spring and fall are the best camping and hiking seasons at Inks Lake, and April brings bluebonnets across the whole area. Summer is peak swimming season. Save Reveille Peak for fall through spring, since there is no shade on the granite.