Bastrop County offers lovely places and gorgeous surroundings, and with those two, great pictures are certainly included. Take a look at the 20 Great Pictures of Bastrop County, Texas that we have collected.
This is the entrance to McKinney Roughs Nature Park, right off Highway 71. It comes up quickly on your right if you’re coming from San Antonio! If you make it to the Hyatt, you’ve gone too far!
Downtown Bastrop is the cutest small-town vibe, with the vintage and restored buildings, still reading out “Chamber of Commerce” and the date of founding. You can imagine the streets were dusty, and you pulled upfront with your horse instead of your car! Quintessential Western Americana!
Driving around downtown isn’t a problem, and there’s plenty of parking. There is also a public transportation line called CART that has a stop right in the town center, too!
Bastrop is very walkable, so you can find parking quickly and walk around exploring the different shops and art galleries. Check out Silk Stocking Row: a tree-covered strip full of Post-Savannah, Victorian, and Prairie homes that are on the National Historic Register!
The Lost Pines Forest gets its name because it’s a 13-mile strip of loblolly pine trees that have no other genetically related plants around them. The closest is over 100 miles away, so the theory is that more than 12,000 years ago, the forest broke away and became now what is Texas.
Over the past decade, Bastrop has put a lot of effort into restoring and revitalizing its history. There is a great community here, and they are devoted to retaining its history – both past and future.
More of Downtown Bastrop. Each building is unique, and the old advertisements are still visible despite the aging of the Texas sun!
Being close to Austin, it’s not surprising that Bastrop is a very accepting, open community that leans more liberal than other areas of Texas despite its small size. Many shops and restaurants note that they are LGBTQ friendly, and display a variety of Human Rights flags and symbols for solidarity.
This is Highway 71, which runs through Bastrop County, hitting Bastrop, Cedar Creek, and Wyldewood. The speed limit is 70, so get out of the way!
Highway 71 is where you’ll find your big-box stores, like Walmart and TJ Maxx, as well as a variety of chain restaurants and fast-food joints. You can pretty much find everything you could need or want in these shopping areas: from Best Buy to Hobby Lobby, you’re covered! ANd yes, that’s an ER, as well in case you need it!
When I travel, I always need to know where the nearest pharmacy is. It’s a weird thing, I know, but it just is part of my routine, like finding the grocery store. CVS is located right off of Highway 71 in the larger shopping area of Bastrop.
When you’re in Texas, you need to visit Buc-ee’s! This institution is like a gas station/food emporium/convenience store/camping supply store in one, and then multiplied by 10! You’ll see Buc-ee’s locations all around Texas, and if you’re looking for an authentic Texan souvenir, a Buc-ee’s t-shirt is a perfect choice!
One thing to remember when visiting Bastrop is that even though the hustle and bustle of Austin are a mere 20 minutes away, Bastrop is a rural area. This is a bull that escaped his pen and decided to run down Highway 71. Fortunately, after many successful evasion attempts, the two Sheriff cruisers were able to stop the bull and get him back home.
The grocery store is the other thing I always need to find when I travel. H.E.B. is the predominant supermarket in the area carrying everything from fresh vegetables, freshly baked bagels, and meats to a Google Home, pajamas, and a gift for the baby shower next week. It’s amazing.
In Bastrop Center, you’ll find tucked behind Main Street, the apt name “The Yard.” With a handful of structures built in around landscaped paths, with twinkle lights hanging above. It’s a magical place where the community gathers for various events throughout the week.
Fun fact: Bastrop named itself “the most historic small town in Texas.” And it hasn’t been disputed yet!
Open spaces like these allow the community to come together and play Jenga and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a real community here!
As you come over the bridge out of downtown Bastrop towards Highway 71, you can’t miss the vast Texas flag painted on the roof of this building! The Sugar Shack has homemade chocolate truffles and fudge, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a variety of penny candy as well! Also, everything in Texas either has the Texas flag on it, a Texas University symbol, or a Texas Lone Star. Texans are very proud of their state!
Elgin is another historic small town just next to Bastrop and within Bastrop County. You’ll notice a similar small-town vibe. And the Dry Good store is still standing strong! This is another excellent shopping area where you can check out a lot of second-hand stores, too!
As long as you get to Highway 71, you can pretty much get around Bastrop no problem and have everything you need right where you are. Just be careful driving – the speed limit is 70!