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VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK - SPLASH PAD311 NW 2nd St., Smithville TX 78957
2nd St. at Fawcett behind Smithville Recreation Center
(512) 237-3282 ext. 2109Enjoy the Memorial to veterans as a "place to pay tribute; a place to pray for peace." The beautiful fenced park includes historical plaques of Bastrop County veterans from all wars, a splash pad, bathrooms, a detailed statue of an angel and a cherub, created by sculpter Bill McGlaun which watches over the fallen. As a fundraiser, families have requested bricks etched with their veterans name; space is still available.
The memorial started with a conversation between Mark Bunte and Patti Patton Bader, founder of Soldier’s Angels, a non-profit organization that supports tens of thousands of American military personnel across the globe with care packages from home, developed the concept for the park after a conversation about the fallen heroes from Smithville and the Bastrop County area. The community has lost more soldiers, for its size, than any other during the recent fight for freedom.
The concept for a children’s area as part of the memorial came from families of the fallen who expressed the desire to have youthful energy and joy as part of a tribute to soldiers who fell in the fight for freedom.Within two years of that first converstion, plans were drawn up, money was raised through fundraisers, donations, and scrap metal pickup. In-kind work and volunteer work helped created this beautiful, interactive memorial. The park was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 27, 2013. More photos of dedication are HERE on Facebook.
Please contact Jill Strube at City Hall if you would like to add a veteran’s name to the park, or if you would like to make a contribution.
Donations are still accepted online at the City of Smithville website: CLICK HERETexas Veterans Memorial Park
c/o City of Smithville
PO Box 449
Smithville TX 78957www.texasmemorialpark.org Facebook: TX Veterans Memorial Park
RAILROAD PARK100 NW 1st St., Smithville TX 78957
Located along NW 1st Street, the James H. Long Railroad Park includes the gazebo at the end of Main, and further west it enjoys playscapes, swings, tree-shaded picnic tables, and a couple of train cars from the past. Public restrooms are available on the west side of the park.
The park now also has the renovated Railroad Depot near the Railroad Museum. Contact the Chamber at 512-237-2313 to see inside the depot or the Railroad Museum.
KEILBURG PARK
“On the Hill,” Keilburg Park is located at the end of Fourth Ave on the west side of Smithville. The park, situated at the top of the hill, has a standard size baseball field. It is also used for softball and soccer.
For more information, call the Smithville Parks & Recreation Dept. at 512-237-3282, ext. 7.
VERNON RICHARDS RIVERBEND PARK 107 Hwy 71 W, Smithville TX 78957
Just west of the Colorado River bridge
(512) 237-3282 City Hall
Located on Hwy 71, Riverbend Park, officially named after former mayor Vernon Richards, is the city’s finest outdoor recreational spot and borders the Colorado River. Most of the annual Jamboree celebration is held here, as are the Thunder On the Colorado Biker Rally and Smithville Music Festival. This park is busy year round.
The park has a walking trail, fishing pier, barbecue pits and picnic tablesnear the river.
In the fenced in “Chuckwagon Square”, there is a covered stage and dance floor, and acres of old oaks for shade with picnic tables underneath; an ideal place for parties, reunions and special events. There are also washer and horseshoe pits for tossing a few with friends. And recently, a 9-hole disc golf course was added. MAP OF DISC GOLF COURSEOutside the fence are a lighted softball field and sand volleyball pits for team play.
A large playscape area, open to the public free of charge, is a favorite with the younger crowd and has tables and small barbecue pits, great for birthday parties.
The covered Park Pavilion, with kitchen facilities, hosts the FFA/4-H livestock show and may be rented for other events, such as carnivals and banquets, during the year.
A rodeo arena is also on site, where the Smithville Youth Rodeo Association rides once a month. Two buildings in the park have bathroom facilities.At the entrance, a train sculpture created by artist Jeff Snyder and the folks at LPAA, welcomes you into the park.
Nineteen RV hookups are available; call the Parks & Recreation Dept. at 512-237-3282, ext 7 to reserve space or to rent areas of the park for events. The park is open year round.
INDEPENDENCE PARK506 Texas 230 Loop, Smithville, TX 78957
(intersection of Loop 230 at Hwy 95 west of the traffic light)Thomas Jefferson Gazley was but the first of many outstanding individuals who pioneered and guided the evolution of a frontier wilderness area in the Mexican state of Coahuila e Tejas, into the fine city with the enviable quality of life, that we are privileged to enjoy today, here in Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas. This evolution would not have been possible without the independent spirit, the freedom of mind and body, and the integrity of action that our forefathers exhibited here
MLK PARKLocated at the corner of Marburger and MLK Jr. Drive, the park has a playscape, basketball court, picnic tables and barbecue grills, and is host to a number of community events. Public restrooms are open during the day.
The Smithville Little League plays at the baseball fields nearby with concession stands.
BUESCHER STATE PARK
Park Road 1-C, Smithville, TX 78957
Off FM 153, half mile north of Hwy 71
512-237-2241myfoxhouston.com | John Dawson, meteorologist
Nearby Park not casualty of Bastrop fires
The wildfire that has engulfed much of Bastrop County has also consumed most of Bastrop State Park, but Buescher State Park, is open and ready for some visitors... CLICK HERE for full story.
Buescher State Park, in an area known as the Lost Pines Region because of the abundance of pine trees, is over 1,100 acres just northwest of Smithville with the entrance on FM 153, a half mile north of Hwy 71. Activities include non-motorized boating (no ramp/small lake); fishing in a stocked lake for catfish, bass, crappie, perch and also rainbow trout; nature study; hiking on 7.5 miles of trails; andinterpretive programs.The scenic, 12-mile-long paved road between Buescher and Bastrop State Parks is winding and hilly. Ideal for biking, the road should be used only by experienced cyclists.
Plan to go for a leisurely drive with the windows down along the scenic 12-mile drive through the beautiful pines of East Central Texas. Or, rent a kayak orcanoe for $5 per hour and paddle through calm lake waters.
Interpretive programs are offered ten months out of the year and include evening campfire programs, guided hikes, geocaching clinics, bug-picking and much more. Check the online calendar for a schedule of programs and events.Camping and other facilities include restrooms with hot showers; campsites with water; campsites with water and electricity; screened shelters; picnic sites; a playground and group picnic pavilion (for day use only, capacity 35) with a fireplace and picnic tables; a 100-person capacity recreational hall is available for day and night use and has a full kitchen, heat, air-conditioning, fans, a patio, a fireplace, and a restroom.
Limited Use Cabins sleep four people and have two sets of bunk-beds, a table, chairs, AC/Heat, microwave, ceiling fan, refrigerator, kitchen counter top, and curtains. There is no plumbing in these cabins, but full restrooms are only a short walk away.
The park is open 7 days a week year-round. Approximately 6 miles between the parks is private land; no camping between parks or trespassing on private land.
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