abilene state park

Clean park! Drove in after close on a week night. Ranger still stopped to help us check in and give us details. It was around $25 which I thought was expensive for camping one night, but I'm glad we did it. Pulled in to find deer, clean camping spot, warm bathrooms, and discreet RVers. Gas station nearby and lots of scenic farms. Wished I had more time to explore this area but just popped in and out.

I will note that we stayed on december 24 and 25th so it was probably at 5% capacity which was nice. It was also cold and windy. We arrived late and was pleased to see that though the office was closed our reservation with our name boldly written on the outside was visible and taped to the office window. They even marked on our reservation/map a path to our site. The foliage was not what we expected but common for this time of year. It was dark and everything looked dead, but again not a big deal for us. The site, in Oak Grove was spacious and very private. The full hookups for our 25 foot trailer was perfect. There was a picnic table and fire pit but unfortunately there was a no burn ordinance in place so we could not have a campfire. Did not like that. About an hour after we set up we encountered a family of deer very curious and very close to our site. Over the next day we saw this family of deer and many, many others in this park often. Christmas Eve we left outside on a table a bowl of cookie dough because it was colder outside than in our fridge. We ended up leaving for a few hours that night to see the avenue of lights in abilene and when we returned something (raccoon) broke threw the tinfoil and consumed some of it. We didnt see any raccoon but they are out there! the trail system is great too. We hike around all of the park via the trails, went to the playground and pool (which was closed) and felt like we were the only ones. Also, when we checked in in person the next day the office lady gave my boys on loan a backpack full of explorer gadgets that they could use while we stayed. Also, the bathrooms were so clean, spacious and warm, yes warm (they had a heater on inside) that I could not resist taking a shower. I cant say whether they will be this clean during the busy season but this time they were spotless! Would comeback again.

This is a wonderful park to spend a weekend. Filled with a variety of trees, there is plenty of shade to set up you camp. Also, the camp sites are large enough you don't get to crowded when you have neighbors. While there are not a lot of trails, they are very nice, generally not crowded, move through varied types of vegetation, and with all the tree cover stay cooler even when it's hot. There is a very large pool open during the summer, but it does get crowded. Also, there are a number of 1930-era buildings built by the CCC that are worth checking out. However if you go, don't plan on doing anything at the lake. It has mostly dried up.

We drove out to ASP to enjoy a picnic by the lake that we saw on the map of Abilene State park. According to the map you could get to the lake from inside the park, but every time we tried we found a locked gate. We went outside the park to get to the lake and found that the lake has dried up. Yep, no water in Abilene Lake. We did find a nice picnic table inside the park to enjoy our lunch.

We chose to spend our family vacation camping in Abilene State Park. We arrived after hours and were given two campsites to choose from. Both were as far from the bathrooms as possible. One had no coverage for our tent, which was important since it was raining, and the other wasn't really big enough for our tent. We chose the second one and made it work. The trees and surroundings were wonderful. Even after the campground filled up, it was pretty quiet. We saw dozens of deer, a few armadillos, one raccoon, and several different types of birds. The disappointment was in the layout and upkeep of the campground. We received a warning on our car from the park ranger because we didn't park in a "designated area" when visiting a nature trail and bird blind in the park. However, there was no "designated area" to park in, and my daughter, who was recovering from a sprained ankle, was not able to walk very far at a time. I don't think the bathrooms were cleaned during the five days we were there. One of the toilets stopped up and the other went without toilet paper. The weeds and grass had grown up around some of the wonderful old picnic tables built by the CCC. Even though the season for swimming in the pool was over, the pool and buildings were needing some work. We tried fishing at Lake Abilene, but the water level was probably 1/4 of what it was originally and the water very red. There were plenty of fish, but none were biting. Not sure that we would choose to stay at this state park again.

Hit the pool with the family to cool off from the hot Texas heat. If you get there when it opens, you can avoid the crowds. As the day went on, all of the chairs became occupied and it was very busy. Pool has two diving boards, a low and a high. Water was a bit on the chilly side. Lifeguards do a good job maintaining order. Restrooms and a small playground are just outside the pool. I believe they had vending machines.

The gate staff was super, answered all questions. The sites were very large and private, awesome trail systems, wonderfully clean restrooms, great showers, good water, lots of shad e, volenteers were really nice and helpful. The lake and most creeks were dry or going dry, thd lake looked like nothi g but and large mud pit. Water doesnt even reach the botton of the dam. Wildlife was super abundant, deer, birds, squirrels, raccoons, signs of wild hogs(not good). Enjoyed the local sightseeing and museums.

We stayed on night in our class C RV on our way to somewhere else. Good site lots of trees not noisy at all. Full hook ups too. We enjoyed our brief stay.

This is a pretty good park to camp. The bathrooms are very nice and clean. The pool is a salt water pool. It does become very crowded quick. The pool hours are 11am-3:30pm so get there early! The only drawback is the treatment center that is close by to the tent camp site. It continually makes a "hum" noise ALL the time. Very distracting when your trying to enjoy a campfire or sleep. Lots of racoons and deer. Overall good place.

people at the gate are very rude and weren't at all nice or helpful to our family. We've had our family reunion there for over 30 years and this year they wouldn't even give the group discount even though we've always had a large group. Also I told them I had a family member who was disabled and they needed proof of which nothing I had was sufficient - disabled people are supposedly half price but I guess you would need a notorized Dr statement!! So a weekend visit for just my family was $60!!! You have to pay everyday - no weekend passes! The manager was very unwilling to cooperate or help anyone in the least, it was like she enjoyed being rude!! Hopefully if we ever go back she and the rude people will be gone!!

Abilene State ParkWe loved our stay at this park. It is a wonderful place for quiet and peace in the great outdoors. We found that even when it got busy on the weekend, it was still quiet. Most of the campsites are private with brush and trees on either side of the site. The sites are mostly covered with gravel and the larger ones are level. The small trailer & tent sites do have a bit of a ramp drive going onto a flat pad, so it would be important to call ahead & ask about the best sites for your length of camper.The lake was dry when we were at the park, so fishing is not possible, BUT bird-watching is terrific. We saw two woodpeckers and heard so many birdsongs. It was wonderful. The other wonderful thing about this campground is that it is so close up the very charming town of Buffalo Gap which has antique shops, the famous Perini Steakhouse (which we didn't try since we are vegetarians), and a super flea market on the third weekend of the month. This was truly one of the most interesting flea markets we've ever enjoyed -- full of farm animals, what-nots, and amazing farm stands.The Abilene State Park is very affordable, the bathrooms are older but clean and the showers have nice privacy doors. The park staff were all friendly to us. We can't wait to camp here again! Highly recommended!

I enjoyed the weekend here (camp in small TT) but this park is not without some issues. Trailer pads are elevated and you have a steep angle to back over. Our small trailer scraped bottom backing up onto the pad and broke a shower drain off ($5 repair). Drought has had an impact on the park and especially the lake which is also part of the park. Lake is about half full. Fishing still seemed to be pretty good according to one party we spoke to. Numerous short trails but the park supplied map is out of date and trails are bascally unmarked. Bird feeding station/blind appeared to be ignored (I'm sure they depend on volunteers for this service). The pool was closed but it looked like a really nice pool for summer guests. Feral hogs have torn up a lot of ground as they have all over the state. Some world class eating close by near Buffalo Gap. Nice weekend market in Buffalo Gap too. Bring some spare cash... (-:}

This is a perfect setting amoung oak trees. Camping is fun and it's acoss from Lake Abilene. A great place to make memories.

A nice little park to visit. We stopped there for two nights. RV, three adults (one in wheelchair) and two dogs.Lots of shade. Large, level campsites (ours was anyway) and looks to be well maintained. Clean and accessible bathrooms. All of the facilities we checked out were clean and well maintained. Friendly Staff. The trails we went on were easy going. Good for a sport wheelchair.One drawback was that access to the lake was something that had to be planned. Never made it since we were there only two days. Since it is outside of the park an access code is needed I assume from the park office. For a fishing lake the hours seemed kind of strange. It's probably not that hard to get in once you know the system and take the time to plan.A trip to Abilene is about ten to twelve miles one way. For the price, a visit to Frontier Texas at the visitors center in Abilene is worth the time. Also be sure and include a stop in Buffalo Gap, TX on the way; a neat little town.Abilene State Park wouldn't be an end destination for us but is certainly a good stopping point on the way.

A good place to spend a few hours while you are around Abilene. Its great to get out and enjoy nature.