Bastrop Texas - By:

Bastrop County Texas is one of the 254 counties in the State of Texas which is the largest state in mainland US encompassing 268,820 square miles. Bastrop County itself has approximately 896 square miles of land along with approximately 8 square miles of water (lakes etc.) Bastrop County is adjacent to Travis County to its north with the county seat and State Capital city of Austin, to the southwest by Caldwell County and Lockhart, to the Southeast by Fayette County and the infamous county seat of LaGrange, Lee County to the northeast with county seat Giddings, and Williamson County also to the north with Georgetown. Bastrop County was formed in 1836 and was named after Filipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop who was one of the founders along with Stephen F. Austin. The major cities in Bastrop are Bastrop, its county seat, Elgin in the north, and Smithville towards the southeast. Both Bastrop and Smithville are along the Colorado River which traverses through Bastrop County from the Highland Lakes chain which includes Lake Travis, Lake Austin and Ladybird Lake along the way in Travis County. Bastrop County is served by five major highways: US Highway 290 which is a main though fare from Austin to Houston, State Highway 21 which provided access from Bastrop to the west to the I 35 corridor and towns of Kyle and Buda as well as access south to San Marcos and New Braunsfels. State Highway 71 also is used frequently for commuters headed south to Houston with its access to Austin to the north through Bastrop and Smithville and south down through West Point, La Grange, Columbus and Interstate 10 with access to Houston to the east. State Highway 95 is a solid north and south route from Bastrop County up into Williamson County and State Highway 304 offers southerly access through a corner of Caldwell County into Gonzales County to Interstate 10 with access to San Antonio to the west. Some of the popular areas/towns/historic communities in Bastrop County are Paige on Highway 21 with its popular Circle D subdivision in the pines, Mc Dade which is located between Elgin and Paige on Highway 290. Coming southeast from Austin on Highway 71 you will pass through Cedar Creek just before Bastrop and it's popular subdivisions River Crossing, The Forest at River Crossing, and The Colony. Bastrop hosts subdivisions like Hunters Crossing, Riverside Grove both close to local schools, Tahitian Village with its pines, river frontage, and golf course, as well as Colo Vista and Pine Forest. The Upton area just outside of Smithville is always sought after with it's gentleman's ranch properties boasting rolling pastures and elevated panoramic views. There are two parks in Bastrop County that are just north of Highway 71 near the Alum Creek area. The parks are connected with Park Road 1 C which is also a highly sought after area for rural residential living. Bastrop State Park is over 5,900 acres and has an 18 hole golf course. The CCC built the park entry and some of the facility buildings back in the '30s and some have historic status. Along with camping sites the park also has a swimming pool. Buescher State Park is a bit smaller with approximately 1000 acres total most of which was donated by the Buescher's on their passing. The highlight of this park is a lovely small lake that is stocked for fishing and perfect for non motorized boating such as canoeing or kayaking. With the Colorado River coursing through the county there are a number of parks that offer access to the river for fishing and kayaking also. Two of these parks are Fisherman's Park in downtown Bastrop and Riverbend Park just outside of Smithville along Highway 71. Included in the water acres total of Bastrop County are two small private lake subdivisions both just outside of Smithville, Indian Lakes and Lake Thunderbird. The flora and fauna of Bastrop County includes the largest most southerly stand of loblolly pines most commonly referred to as the "Lost Pines" of Bastrop. Bastrop County also has lots of oak trees both live and post. Mesquite is also present in areas. Bastrop County is along the Central Flyway for spring and fall bird migration and 250 bird species have been identified in the local parks. On any given day in Bastrop County you might see raccoon, armadillo, coyotes, deer, and even a bobcat or two.

About the Author

The author is the president and CEO of an Austin real estate company, with locals for Bastrop real estate and Cedar Creek

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