Cedar Ridge (TX)

Overview

Cedar Ridge Park campground is located on the Northern side of Belton Lake. This year-round campground accommodates both tents and RVs and has several sites with screened shelters for those who do not have camping equipment. This family friendly park provides many amenities, including water-bourne restrooms with sinks, flush toilets, and showers, group picnic areas, and a concession marina within the park offers fuel and basic convenience store items, as well as a seasonal restaurant.

Belton Lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the construction of Belton Dam in 1954. The 12,300-acre lake is located on the Leon River, just upstream of the confluence of the Leon River and the Little River. Belton Lake is a long, narrow and winding lake with many curves and coves, providing some of the best camping, fishing, and boating in Central Texas.

Recreation

With 136 miles of shoreline, Belton Lake offers a wide variety of recreation activities, and there is no shortage of family activities at Cedar Ridge. The park has two, multi-lane boat ramps with courtesy loading docks, a designated family swimming beach, a playground, basketball court, volley ball courts, and a hiking trail.

White-tailed deer, hawks, great blue herons, ducks, geese, many species of songbirds, bobwhite quail, Rio Grande turkey, and even an occasional bald eagle visit the lake area, yielding year-round opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts. 

Facilities

Facilities List:
1 Gatehouse (Months, days, hours and pass availability subject to change)
On-Site Park Hosts/Maintenance Volunteers
76 Campsites (w/ hookups)
7 Restroom Facilities (Water-bourne)
Day Use Area (Day use fee applies*)
2 Boat Ramps (Multi-lane)
2 Courtesy Docks
1 Marina
2 Group Pavilions (Reservable on Rec.gov)
1 Group Campsite (10 RV/Tent Sites w/ water and electric)(Reservable on Rec.gov)
1 Basketball Court
1 Playground
2 Volleyball Courts
1 Activity Center (Reservable on-site)
1 Hiking Trail
1 Swim Beach (Seasonal)

2 RV Dump Stations (w/ Non-Potable Water)

Facilities Description:

All 76 campsites, have water and electric hookups, a covered picnic table, and a charcoal grill. Campsites range from heavily shaded to sun.
The campground has two sections: On the east side, campers will find a 2-lane boat ramp with a courtesy dock, designated swim beach, playground, and basketball court. This side of the park closes seasonally from Nov 1 to Mar 1. The west side offers a day use area with a 2-lane boat ramp with courtesy dock, a marina with fuel, and two group pavilions (w/ large grills), which can each host up to 100 people, in addition to volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, and a large charcoal grill. A group camping area (Turkey Roost) is also available, which features a group area that has water and electrical hookups in 10 camping sites for RVs or tents which surround a large pavilion. The group area includes a large charcoal grill, volleyball court, and horseshoe pit. A waterborne restroom is close by. Other park facilities include 7 restroom buildings around the park with sinks, showers, and flush toilets. The park offers 2 RV dump stations (W/ Non-Potable water). Day use fees are now payable via QR codes found in the parking areas by the boat ramp. 

The park is staffed with on-site volunteer campground hosts and maintenance hosts. 

* Day use fees are paid via QR code on the rec.gov app. Download the Mobile App .  

Natural Features

The campground is partially forested with a mix of sun and shade. It lies on the shores of Belton Lake and Cedar Creek, with its scenic white limestone bluffs. Some of the campsites are directly on the shore, while others are a short walk away.

The springtime brings an abundance of wildflowers that blanket areas of the park. Deer, turkey and other small game are commonly seen, and a man-made wetland on the opposite side of the lake provides an additional 25 acres of wildlife habitat in the area.

Nearby Attractions

Belton Lake is located adjacent to the Fort Hood Army Base, which has several points of interest for the military buff. The mural painted on the spillway wall of Belton Dam depicts the history of the Bell County area.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (254) 742-3050.

Charges & Cancellations

Changes and cancellations are subject to a $10.00 administrative fee. Refund requests are processed through recreation.gov website or app.

From Interstate 35 in Temple, Texas take State Highway 36 west towards Gatesville. Turn left on Cedar Ridge Park Road and continue into the park and campground area.