Stillhouse Hollow Lake is a reservoir near the town of Belton and a great place to head to if you're looking for an RV campsite in central Texas. The reservoir was formed after the US Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Lampasas River back in the late 1960s to aid flood prevention and provide an additional water supply to the local communities. Almost large enough to be called an inland sea, the serpentine lake covers an immense six thousand plus acres of terrain in Bell County and is over one hundred feet deep in places. Stillhouse Hollow Lake is bordered by sweeping prairies on all sides with only Dana Peak and the low mounds of the Twin Peaks interrupting the views to the distant horizons. There are multiple park areas around the lake shores with corps campgrounds and day-use facilities for camping and recreational purposes.
The open waters of Stillhouse Hollow Lake attract all categories of boaters as it's ideal for all types of craft from paddleboards to sail-powered catamarans. There's an almost endless network of trails for hiking and mountain biking around the lake shores and running through the various parks as well as in the nearby Mother Neff State Park. One trail on Dana Peak has also been specially designated as a multi-use trail where horse riding is permitted. As the reservoir has two beaches and is less than fifteen minutes' drive from Belton, it's a very popular spot in summer for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Fishing at Stillhouse Lake is first class and there are many tournaments held there throughout the year. Once you've exhausted all the outdoor activity opportunities and want something else to do, there's always Belton Downtown to explore with its museums, historic buildings, and fascinating interpretive trails.
Whichever geographical direction you're heading to Stillhouse Hollow Lake from, you'll find it's easy motoring all the way on well-maintained state highways. If you've been up in the north of the state camping out in your RV for a few days at the Cedar Hill State Park near Dallas, you'll be at Stillhouse Hollow Lake after a two hour run on the I 35. For those RV campers traveling up from the Mckinney Falls State Park in the south of Texas, once you're through Austin, expect to be driving for around an hour on the I 35 northbound before you're pulling on the parking brake and pitching up camp.
The parks where the corps campgrounds for RV camping at Stillhouse Hollow Lake are located are widely distributed around the reservoir's fifty-eight mile long shoreline, but all served by minor county roads in good conditions. All the campgrounds have decent internal road networks with asphalted loops that won't cause you any problems no matter what size rig you're in.
The Dana Peak Campground is located midway along the northern shore of Stillhouse Hollow Lake. It's a campground with thirty campsites that operates from May through to the end of September only. The campsites are distributed around a small peninsula jutting out into the water so have great lake views. While the campground is surrounded by trees the individual pitches are more exposed and have very little shade. The campsites are all furnished with standard electric hook-ups and picnic tables.
The on-site amenities at the Dana Peak Campground are limited to vault and flush toilets, a shower block, a water hook-up for general use and a dump station. There is an entrance office manned by the camp host, a boat ramp and a children's playground. The campground is pet-friendly and offers riders the use of a hitching post for their horses.
The Union Grove Campground is located on the southern shore of Stillhouse Hollow Lake and can be accessed via the town of Salado on the county road 2484. The campground has over thirty campsites distributed around a double loop system some of which are right on the shoreline. The pitches all have standard electric hook-ups with water and sewage hook-ups being available on-site.
The Union Grove Campground is open twelve months of the year and operates a year-round reservation system. There's a swim beach inside the campground boundaries as well as a boat ramp. The site's facilities include showers, toilets, and a playground.
If you're RV camping at Stillhouse Hollow Lake towards the end of June, the Bell County Fair is an annual four-day event you won't want to miss attending. The fair is held in the suburbs of Belton and features truck and tractor pulls, free carnival rides, a car show, rodeo, and live music.
If you want some carnival fun for the kids, you'll find it at the Bell County Expo Center just outside of Belton. The center hosts multiple big events and various shows plus has a permanent fairground open the entire twelve months of the year.
The deep waters of Stillhouse Hollow Lake make it one of the best locations in central Texas for scuba diving. Suit up and go under the water there and you'll discover all sorts of wreckage beneath the surface as well as the lake's natural flora and fish life, including turtles.
If you haven't dived before but want to give it a go while you're on your RV vacation at Stillhouse Hollow Lake, you'll find a dive shop offering beginners courses with all equipment included at the marina in Belton.
Burn off all the youngster's excess energy with a day out at the Summer Fun Water Park in Belton's Heritage Park. They'll be thrilled with the seven acres of water slides, lazy river and all sorts of other aquatic fun. The inexpensive park is open from May through to around mid-October or later depending on the weather.
Teenagers will love the teens-only nights held frequently throughout the summer months and there are also adult-only nights for those who don't want the kids to hear them screaming as they whizz down the mega-high slides.
Boating is one of the most popular activities practiced at Stillhouse Hollow Lake. There are four, four-lane boat ramps in the parks managed by the Corps, Stillhouse Park, Dana Peak Park, Union Grove, and River's Bend Park. There is also a single lane launch in the Cedar Gap park and a hand launch in the Gravel Crossing Area. The lake is great for canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding too as well as jet skiing and water skiing.
Head out onto the multi-use Dana Peak Trail on foot, bicycle or mounted on your horse. The trail begins near the main entrance to Dana Park on Dana Peak Road and is a seven-mile-long loop that winds its way through wooded areas, along the shoreline of the reservoir and up the side of Dana Peak. There's also another five miles of trails near the Chalk Ridge Falls Environmental Center just below the dam which will take you over rope bridges, past waterfalls and through the forest.
Visit the award-winning Bell County Museum in Belton and explore the bygone days of Bell County through a collection of both permanent and temporary exhibits.
From the collection of miniature, doll's house-sized Bell County homes to the unique mustache cups dating back to the late nineteenth century or the reconstructed river log cabin, they're all fascinating. Don't miss the Passport Through Time exhibition which takes you on a journey through the area's history starting from the days of early settlers.
