This episode of Albert's Texas Treasures takes you to Inks Lake State Park, an adventurer’s paradise just an hour west of Austin.
Since its creation in 1938 by the construction of Inks Dam, the lake has offered visitors the opportunity to hike, camp, fish and explore the Texas Hill Country.
"Inks Lake has something for every member of the family. You come here and you have hiking, boating, water skiing, fishing, just a little bit of everything for everybody in the family," said Park Superintendent Cory Evans.
If you're looking to reel in a big fish, Inks Lake is the place to be.
"It's a great fishing lake during the spring. We have white bass, hybrid striped bass & striped bass... so it's great for fishing during the springtime," Evans said.
With triple-digit heat in the forecast, a nice swim is definitely in order, and Inks Lake's "Devil's Waterhole" is just the spot to cool off.
"When you think of Inks Lake for the summer, Devil's Waterhole... that's where everyone kind of flocks," Evans said. "It's a great little inlet in the lake, has some high cliffs that people like the jump off and swim and cool off in there. There's also a hiking trail that leads around it too, if you don't want to brave the rocks and jump into the lake."
Inks Lake State Park also has an abundance of wildlife.
"Typical Hill Country wildlife, there's whitetail deer, coyotes, an occasional bobcat will come through. We have the ring-tailed cat, which is unique to the central Texas area. So you can see those things periodically through the park," said Evans.
The park is also a bird watcher's paradise.
"A lot of water fowl, a lot of birders that come out," Evans told KVUE. "We have a bird viewing blind, there's a lot of birding that goes on out here as well."
The state park is great for a day trip, but has all the amenities for a weekend stay.
"We have 125 water and electric hookup sites, we have 49 tent sites, and we also have some primitive backpack sites as well," Evans said.
So whether you love to fish, hike, camp -- or just want to watch the wild life -- chances are Inks Lake State Park has something for you, which makes it a true Texas Treasure.