Day Trips: Bend, Texas
Five reasons to take the Bend in the road
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., May 31, 2024
When you come to the Bend in the road, take it.
The tiny settlement of Bend, 24 miles west of Lampasas, offers several reasons to make the scenic two-hour journey from Austin.
The Bend General Store, for all intents and purposes, is downtown. Closed on Monday and Tuesday, this country store carries a few staples, but it’s the classic burgers that attract the locals. How cool is this place? They hosted Ray Wylie Hubbard for a recent Saturday-night concert. Most weekend afternoons there is free music in the beer garden.
If you want to spend the night on the river, Barefoot Fishing Camp and RV Park is a few miles up the county road. This is a multigenerational cattle ranch with a riverside campground offering RV hookups and primitive campsites. The red chocolate waters of the Colorado River churn against the towering limestone cliffs on the opposite bank.
What Barefoot lacks in amenities – the showers are nearly as rustic as the campground – it more than makes up in natural beauty. The clicking croak of frogs fills the night air, and in the morning birdsongs serenade campers. If you’re more into glamping, the park has the Leaning Bluff Lodge overlooking the river.
Colorado Bend State Park is 15 minutes away from Barefoot. Popular with hikers and mountain bikers, this is one of the more rustic parks in the state’s inventory. All of the campsites are primitive, but within walking distance of the river.
Within the state park is Gorman Falls, one of the prettiest waterfalls in the state. It’s a rugged three-mile round-trip hike, so come prepared.
Finally, as you’re headed back home, stop by Fiesta Winery on FM 580. The tasting room has snacks and a deck overlooking the fields. It’s a nice place to think about the Bend in the road that was taken.
1,705th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
