Grab a picnic basket, bathing suit, fishing pole and maybe even a tent and boat and head out to Black Rock Park, a secluded camping jewel at Lake Buchanan, just 72 miles from Austin and 21 miles from Marble Falls.

"The best thing about Black Rock is the peace and quiet,” say camp hosts Charles and Sandra White of Kerrville. The seasoned campers once pulled an RV on a 14,000-mile trip to Alaska and back. “It’s not as busy here as some of the other parks, and it’s so pretty looking out our RV at the hills, dam and water. The squirrels ─ and campers ─ are friendly. We can’t keep enough bird food out, and the fishing is good.”

A scenic beach along the shore of the 25-acre park offers water access for energetic swimmers and leisurely waders. The rocky sand is made from the granite that is so prevalent in the Hill Country. Across the beach, visitors can view the gently sloping hills and unique arches of the two-mile-long Buchanan Dam, which forms the lake.

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Lake Buchanan is known for striped bass and white bass, and anglers can put in a fishing line at the shore or on the lake. A free public boat ramp is next door at Llano County Park.

Wildflowers galore bloom in season and oaks, cottonwoods and cedar elms provide cool shade. Day use areas scattered across the park have picnic tables and shady spots. The grounds, rest rooms and showers are well-maintained and clean, and a park host is on-site to answer questions about the park and direct visitors to local areas of interest.

Overnight visitors can choose from these options:

• 25 tent sites with water
• 15 RV sites with water, electricity and use of the park’s dump station
• 12 air-conditioned and heated cabins.

The park has good-sized but manageable crowds on summer weekends and gets some overflow from busier Inks Lake State Park 12 miles away. Advance reservations are recommended, especially on weekends during the summer.