Passport to Texas

Biking in Buescher State Park

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Located adjacent to Bastrop State Park, Buescher State Park in Smithville is home to towering pines, picturesque yaupons, deer, raccoons and even mountain lions.

We work as the Lost Pines Complex. And, we work hand-in-hand with our guests. If they come to Bastrop, they’re more than welcome to come to Buescher with their pass.

Adam Bain is site manager at this Central Texas getaway.

We have a scenic corridor; it’s a 12-mile road. A lot of that was burned with the wildfires in 2011, but people still like to take that road between the parks. They also use that for biking; we get a lot of bicyclists between the parks, and they use that road as a bicycling path.

Although lesser known than Bastrop, Bain says Buescher is a popular destination, offering camping, fishing, hiking and mountain biking—something not available at Bastrop.

It is very much a destination. Our revenue has increased over the past four years significantly. Ten to 15 percent a year; that is a big increase. And where do the people come from who visit Buescher? We do get a lot of people from the Houston and Austin areas. And San Antonio as well—Boy Scout groups come from San Antonio. But mainly Houston and Austin.

Next time you’re traveling on Texas Highway 71 between Houston and Austin, Adam Bain invites you to drop by Buescher State Park. Currently the trails are closed due to the wildfire in October of 2015, with plans to have them open this August.

We’re off the road enough that people may not know we’re there. So, come out to Buescher; take in fishing, get on a kayak or go running and hiking on our trails.

That’s our show for today… Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.