Since we moved to outside the Austin area, we are visiting all the state parks. Today, we visited Bastrop State Park, which is home to the “Lost Pines” and 32 miles east of Austin.
Wildfire and flood damage
Major events damaged Bastrop State Park in recent years. The Bastrop Complex Wildfire in 2011 affected 96 percent of the park, while the Memorial Day flood in 2015 led to dam failure. Still another fire occurred in 2015: the Hidden Pines Fire.
There are still signs of the wildfire damage today, but I’ll have those photos in another post.
Scenic overlook
Near the northern exit of the park, close to the Civilian Conservation Corps water tower, is a scenic overlook of the loblolly pines and the park. There are a couple of picnic tables here, but the real attraction is the view. One bench, located close to the brick open shelter, has the perfect spot to see a panoramic vista.
We enjoyed our time at the state park. Today was a scouting trip to check out good locations for photography and videography, so we’ll go back several times.
