Lost Maples State Natural Area Campground

Do you like photography ? Do you like hiking in absolute serene natural surroundings ? Do you like autumn ? Do you like to do backpacking, fishing, bird watching ? Are you somewhere close to Vanderpool, Texas?

The more YES you answered to the above question the more likely is to fall in love Lost Maples State Natural Area. No wifi, no internet, no civilization the deeper you get into the park the closer you get to nature. This is one of the best natural landscapes in Texas for those who love autumn colors and falling leafs. You pay a reasonable fee at the entrance of the park, and then you are free to discover the magic of the nature.

More than 2,000 acres of pure natural landscapes, beautiful old trees and as the name of the park states, many maples !!! Ideal place if you want to regenerate yourselves in nature and get rid off all the negativity and stress of everyday life, especially if you are living and working in a big city. Yet one more great chance to get some serious nature study, because the ecosystem there is complex and very interesting !

Thumbs up !!!!

42' fifth wheel, Easily parked. Lots of trails well marked, fishing streams and ponds with tons of beautiful scenery with covered tables.

On our Nov 2017 RV trip we paid a visit to The Lost Maples State Natural Area. This is truly a unique place in the great state of Texas! Home of the Big Tooth Maple trees makes this a great park to visit in the fall when the trees are changing colors. Unfortunately our visit to Lost Maples State Park was highlighted by a gloomy overcast sky, chill winds and fog. This made for a fairly short visit to the Lost Maples State Natural area.

The Good
- It’s beautiful here!! It’s famous for Fall colors but it’s still great in Summer (albeit HOT).
- Covered picnic tables.
- There are some big shade trees (particularily between sites 10 and 11 near the restrooms where we stayed). - - - You can also walk behind these sites and sit in the (shallow) river to cool off.
- Pet friendly.
- Well marked, relatively easy, wide white rock trails that an ATV could get down in an emergency.
- Small campstore with a few souvenirs. (No ice!!)
- There is a decent country store 4 miles away for beer/ice/ice cream/whatever but the gas is ex-pen-sive since it’s way out there.
- Saw lots of hawks, birds, bats, lizards and deer.
- Can fish here without a license.
- There is a really pretty (deep) “pond” on the East-West Trail. It’s about a mile walk in. There is a bathroom out there. See photos.
- We didn’t even need bug spray!! (Just lots of sunscreen)
- They DO have recycling.
- Quiet
- Can see ALL the stars. (So far out there’s no light pollution or traffic noise).

The Bad
- Did I mention it’s hot and not that shaded?
- The river is low right now so a lot of it looks stagnant. You have to hike in if you want a good swimming hole.
- Sites a kind of close in some areas.
- $6 per person per day entry fee on top of camping fees (unless you have a state park pass which is free if you’re 65 or older... $70 annual otherwise.)
- NO CELL SERVICE FOR ATT OR SPRINT (but you can drive 5 minutes either way out of the park and get some.)
- No sewer hookups if you need those but there is a dump station on the way out.
- You can’t reserve an exact site (but can go look and move if you don’t like what they give you).
- not sure if this is good or bad but COME PREPARED bc the nearest good sized city with medical facilities (Kerrville) is 50 miles away. Bring plenty of ice and gas if you don’t want to drive and pay extra.

Lost Maples is a great campground that is often overlooked in people's eagerness to get to the more popular Garner State Park down the road. Lost Maples is known for it's fall color, but is great other times of the year.
30 amp service, water, no sewer, but a dump station.
Only 30 sites, back in only. Older shower house that is kept clean.
Great hiking trails, creek runs through campground, but not deep enough to swim in, splashing & floating enjoyable. Great small pond.
This park is deep in the hill country, don't expect long straight Texas roads, But curvy dips and beautiful vistas. Very popular with tent campers and motorcyclists.
Small park, not a party station. Nice day use area for hikers.
Very popular birding destination.
No cell service. Drive two miles south of park, you can get service.
WiFi at Park Headquarters.

Though we reserved our spot, it wasn't far enough in advance and as such, we did have to move a few times during our stay. We moved once because someone else had come in that reserved our spot and the second time we moved because the site was not what we like. Each site comes with a fire ring, lantern pole, picnic table and shelter. We love the shelter because it extends our living space in inclement weather. There is also water and electric at each RV site. Sites are asphalt. Bathrooms are complete with showers and though in need of some hardware and grout work, they were pretty clean overall. Great pressure and plenty of hot water. Women's & Men's room hand driers was inoperative for the must part of our stay there. They hand no paper/hand towels, so bring a small towel just in case. Drinkable water has a slight yellow color to it. We were told this is iron and is still drinkable. We used it for cooking and cleaning only. The park is very quiet and dark at night. Easy access for most RV's but check in advance for site size as they vary somewhat.
There is also a nice large day use section at the East Trail trailhead, and another good size parking lot at the East/West Trail trailheads. Trails vary in difficulty from easy to Challenging. Some of them can be quite rocky as well and have multiple water crossings. Good shoes are a plus. And if you're on the fence about trekking poles, bring em'. My favorite hike is to start off in the day use area and hike up East trail, then taking the connector to West trail and returning down the west side of West Trail. There are more cool water features on East trail then west, but all of the trails have something for everyone.
Cell reception is nonexistent here. We could not get a signal with either AT&T or Verizon. The closest place for cell service is down the road at the General Store.

The sites were level and spacious, the bathrooms clean. No Wi-Fi, no cell service for miles so we hiked! Nice place to stay and unplug. We only took one short easy hike and really enjoyed it.

We spent Thanksgiving here with our two young adult children and one of their friends. All five of us (and four dogs) had a blast hiking and seeing the fall colors. We were a week late for the peak of color, but we still had a wonderful time seeing the red, gold, yellow, and orange leaves, even those that had already mad their trek to the ground. The hiking is diverse with well over 20 miles of trails, some easy, some really difficult and steep. The park's trailhead areas are quite crowded, but the camping area was quiet and not overbooked at all. Check-in was easy, once we waited our turn as occupancy for the building is limited due to COVID. Don't just show up! Make reservations any time, but especially during fall foliage season.

This is our second time staying at Lost Maples. Gorgeous little park with great hiking trails. The first time we stayed at campsite 10, which is on the outer loop. The second time we stayed at campsite 22, which is on the inner loop. Highly recommend trying to book on outer loop. While both sites were fine, campsite 22's fire pit is basically directly behind the next door campsite's driveway. Super close together and a bit awkward, because you feel like you are encroaching on their space. On the outer loop, our firepit was at the back of the campsite and very private. More space at that site also.

Both sites required levelers, but neither was too bad.

Didn't use restroom so can't comment on it.

Everything else about the park is fantastic! Highly recommend it!

Beautiful park! There are 2 showers at the bath house & it can get busy in there so plan accordingly. There is NO CELL SERVICE at the park (which is actually nice to enjoy nature)! The park entrance station has public wifi so you can drive up there if you need to check your email or make an internet call on WhatsApp. $20 per night with water & electricity.