Texas / Williamson County / Georgetown / Georgetown Lake Recreational Area

Russell Park

Closed — The park is currently closed for scheduled youth hunts and will reopen December 29, 2025. Another closure is scheduled January 19-26, 2026. Camping is open year-round outside closure periods. The day-use swim area operates seasonally March 1 through October 31. Reservations are available through Recreation.gov.

About

Russell Park sits on the west side of Georgetown Lake, a 1,200-acre reservoir on the North Fork San Gabriel River in the Texas Hill Country, just 25 miles north of Austin. Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, this campground provides a more primitive camping experience compared to the area's other lakeside parks. The park offers 27 non-hookup campsites: 17 traditional tent sites and 10 screened shelter sites, each accommodating up to 8 people with parking for one vehicle per site. All sites include a covered picnic table, fire ring, and grill. Restrooms with hot showers and flush toilets are centrally located. The park's day-use area operates seasonally from March through October and features a popular swim beach with a washed pebble surface, 39 first-come picnic shelters, and a boat ramp for easy lake access. Georgetown Lake is particularly celebrated for its smallmouth bass fishing, though anglers also target black bass, white bass, hybrid stripers, white crappie, and channel and flathead catfish. The San Gabriel River Trail, a 26-mile rugged path, winds through dense juniper forest, hardwood bottomlands, and prairie grasslands, forming a complete loop around Georgetown Lake. The trail is open to both hikers and mountain bikers. Payment or valid passes must be purchased online through Recreation.gov or by scanning QR codes at park entrances, as cash is no longer accepted. Gates close at 10:00 PM and reopen at 6:00 AM. The nearby historic town of Georgetown offers dining, shopping, and services, while Austin's attractions are a short drive south.

Directions

From I-35, take FM 2338 west 7.5 miles to FM 3405, then go south 2 miles to CR 262. Go east 2 miles to the park entrance.

Nearby Campgrounds