Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown
My visit to Lake Georgetown was another one of those unexpected stops in which I ended up somewhere completely different than the previous night’s plan. No matter, it worked out just fine. I started the day doing a 5.5 mile out and back along the segment of the San Gabriel River Trail at Cedar Breaks Park heading towards Crockett Gardens/Knight Springs. The hike starts by crossing the juniper-filled bluff to the lake (another area reservoir) where you then follow the shore along the rocky cliffs for most of the way. The first part was mostly shaded as it led through the stunted forest but once the trail emerged to the lake’s edge the Texas sun made its presence known. I could hardly complain though since the views of the lake were stunning.
Goodwater Loop, San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Lake Georgetown, Texas
Goodwater Loop along the cliffs, San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Lake Georgetown, Texas
Me on the San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Lake Georgetown, Texas
The trail then briefly crossed more forest before winding down to water level, crossing meadow and passing a semi-abandoned homestead before entering wetland habitat where Crockett Garden Falls (also known as Knight Springs) is located.
Abandoned farm in Crockett Gardens, Goodwater Loop, San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Crockett Gardens Falls/Knight Springs, Goodwater Loop, San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Closeup of Crockett Gardens Falls/Knight Springs, Goodwater Loop, San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
I am willing to admit that I have an obsession with taking pictures of waterfalls from below. Crockett Gardens Falls/Knight Springs, Goodwater Loop, San Gabriel River Trail, Cedar Breaks Park, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Obviously the views were really nice so I’m pretty happy I ended up there plus the falls from the spring were pretty interesting. The whole loop around Lake Georgetown is only 28 miles so maybe on my way to Austin next year I’ll backpack it. But we’ll see since there’s plenty in the area that I haven’t seen yet.
Your pictures are beautiful!! I will go visit. But your first picture of the cedar trees is exactly the photo I need for my book on the trees since it shows a side by side comparison of the old-growth trees that used to be more common next to a gaggle of the young one we more often see today. Tell me what you need me to do to get the rights. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth,
I skimmed your website and I’m impressed with your integration of permaculture techniques into landscape design. You are most welcome to use the image for your book. Best of luck!
-Meghan
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The abandoned farm makes me curious to what happened. Oh – I’m a nosy parker 🙂
Good question. All I could find is that it was a farm originally built in the mid-19th century near the freshwater spring and that it produced the first strawberries in the county. It’s still privately owned (the farm was fenced off from the trail by the Army Corps of Engineers which maintains the reservoir and trail) so who knows why its not in use. I would guess the land just isn’t profitable enough to maintain a working farm.
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