Bastrop named top Texas family, outdoors travel destination

The City of Bastrop won three Texas Travel Awards this year, beating out larger cities and metros. Bastrop was awarded for the city’s attractions including music, family-friendliness, and outdoor adventures. 

In the Music Festival or Event category, Bastrop dominated the small/midsize market for its four-day live music festival. Bastrop was also named the People’s Choice for the Best Destination for Families because of its kid-friendly attractions like Dinosaur Park, historic landmarks, museums, and  downtown sector. 

The city was also won People’s Choice Destination for Outdoor Adventures. With its location along the Colorado River, Bastrop offers a wide variety of outdoor adventures for visitors and locals alike, including birding, hiking, zip-lining, fishing, swimming and more, according to the Texas Travel Awards website.  

The Bastrop State Park, better known as “Lost Pines,” is an outdoor space filled with scenic hiking trails, scented trees, and campsites, perfect for a secluded getaway. The city is also home to over 277 different species of birds and is located along the prolific route that millions of birds take on their way to South America and back during their biannual migration, making the Bastrop State Park ideal for bird watchers. 

Bastrop also has a prime Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa with trap shooting and pony rides, adjacent to McKinney Roughs Nature Park connected by way of a trail system where tourists can explore wildflower meadows, lazy river bends, go horseback riding or plan a guided kayak trip.

For those with RVs, Lake Bastrop North Shore Park, features Airstreams, 11 RV campsites and eight tent campsites. And if you’ve always wanted to sleep in a treehouse, The Hobbits Nest, can fulfill your childhood dreams in the city.

About 33 miles west of the small town, Austin won Best Big Market Hotel for The Otis Hotel near the University of Texas campus. Bastrop is located about 100 miles north of San Antonio.