Public meeting on Inks Lake State Park Complex is December 12
Inks Lake State Park is located at 3630 Park Road 4 in Burnet County. Staff photo by Jennifer Greenwell
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants to hear your thoughts on plans for the Inks Lake State Park Complex.
A public meeting is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 12, at the Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St. in Burnet. It is the third in a line of presentations on the complex, which includes Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, and Park Road 4.
“As the result of the second meeting, there were some concerns of the placement of a new boat ramp in the area that used to be the golf course,” said Corey Evans, superintendent of Inks Lake State Park. “We pushed pause on the plan and went back and got feedback from boaters on the proposal. Now, we’re bringing the plans back for public comment.”
The TPWD plan still includes changing the former golf course area located on about 60 acres into day-use. Evans said one of the issues the park has faced over the years has to do with the high number of visitors. Currently, the day-use and overnight or camping areas overlap.
The state began looking at how to utilize that area of the park in 2010 after the nine-hole golf course closed. Evans said the area could be a day-use area with parking. Plans would include building a second boat ramp, while keeping the current one for campers and overnight visitors.
The proposed day-use area would include Devil’s Waterhole.
By carving out a specific day-use area, state park officials hope to relieve congestion at the park and enhance visitor experience.
When the parks department began looking at improvements to Inks Lake State Park, Evans said they also took a step back to look at the entire Inks Lake State Park Complex, which includes Longhorn Cavern State Park and the Park Road 4 corridor.
The December 12 meeting will include a presentation by TPWD officials along with maps of the proposed facilities and recreational use. After the presentation, Evans said they’ll take comments from the public.
If all goes well, a formal plan could be in place in early 2020, but funding would take more time. Evans said the Inks Lake State Park Complex Plan would eventually go before the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for funding, ranked along with other capital projects. He estimated it would be at least a couple of years before work began at Inks Lake State Park or on the rest of the complex.