cedar breaks to cedar hollow
User: growly - 5/6/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 9.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Parts of the trail were pretty muddy due to rain the last couple days. I hiked roughly 9 miles roundtrip. Trail passes near some cliff drop offs so use caution also crosses a bridge with some planks missing. I had a great time and will return to cover more of the trail.

Finishing it off, sort of
User: Austin Explorer - 4/9/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 11.10 Miles Duration: N/A

Hiked the northwestern portion of the trail today, between Tejas Camp and Russell Park. It's flatter on the north side of the lake, though it does get a bit rougher near Russell. Lot's more Sun too.

Encountered an aggresive, but harmless dog on the trail. Seems that if an owner knows that the dog might do this and must hold the dog back by the collar upon encountering people then the owner should also keep the dog on leash in public. Not to mention that trail rules require dogs be on a leash!

With this leg I've completed all of the original 16.6 files of the trail. Now on to the extensions.

Nice Hike
User: Kim - 3/11/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 26.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Enjoyed packing around Lake Georgetown. We searched for the trailhead at Cedar Breaks Park (the attendent said it was just at the bottom of the hill) and ended up taking some deer trails instead. Bushwacking was quite fun. A detailed trail map, including the bike trails would be a big plus. There were few other hikers on the trail, except for some Boy Scouts preparing for Phillmont - Go Scouts! The lake water was a bit silty, we treated it and were fixing to start cooking. When the Scouters noticed and offered to filter it for us. What a wonderful good turn. If you're looking for quite this is not the place to go. There was plenty of air traffic and motor boat noise every day. At the end of the Good Water Trail, we followed mountain bike trails the rest of the way around. The trails were well marked with red tape and very nice, it was my favorite part of the whole hike. We saw only one or two bikes the whole day. Because of nice weather, walking over the dam was eazy. On hot days, it would be best to plan the dam crossing as early as possible.

User: dburatti - 2/1/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 2.90 Miles Duration: N/A
In responce to the person who started at Jim Hogg Park and hiked toward G-town on pavement: From Jim Hogg to Overlook Park, the next park to the east, is natural surface, singletrack trail all 2.9 miles. From Overlook Park toward the city is the Rivery Trail, a 5.5 mile section composed of crished stone, sidewalk-like pavement, and blacktop. It reads like you started at Overlook Park and took the Rivery Trail below the dam, not the Goodwater Trail that circumnavigates the lake. D3wayne

An excellent backpack, without a 10-hour drive!
User: peniro - 11/26/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 17.00 Miles Duration: N/A
My son and I hiked the trail the weekend after Thanksgiving, from Russell Park counterclockwise around the lake, camped overnight at Sawyer Camp, and finished up at Cedar Breaks Park the next day. Gorgeous weather, and pretty good autumn foliage! The trail is open, flat, and unshaded along much of the north side of the lake; I imagine it could be brutal in summer. The south side has a lot more trees, shade, rock, and elevation changes. We saw maybe a dozen people in the entire two days (plus about a half-dozen boats), all but one of them very close to either Cedar Breaks or Tejas Camp (where there is vehicle access). I was surprised to find a nice place to backpack, without a numbingly long drive to get to a trailhead!

a quiet, rocky hike
User: Chris and Holly - 11/11/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A
We started at Cedar Breaks park and hiked to Crockett Gardens and back. On this day, at least, the Good Water trail seemed beautifully isolated and quiet. We only saw two boaters and two other hiking parties. Pay close attention to the brush surrounding the trail; we spied two armadillos snuffling around in the leaves, completely oblivious to us. Also, check out the interesting cacti growing on the left side of the trial between 1.5 and 2 miles; they are small, pickle-shaped plants growing out of the rock. The springs at Crockett Gardens were interesting - around them grew a profusion of elephant ear plants and tiny ferns. Quite a contrast to the otherwise dry, rocky terrain of the Good Water Trail.

Rocky trail with nice lake views
User: ruskinmi - 10/16/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 15.00 Miles Duration: N/A
We hiked up to Sawyer Camp and back starting from the Cedar Breaks Park trailhead. The hike offered much variety: lake views, creeks, bushes, interesting rock formations, lots of cacti, and meadowy areas around the camps. Most of the trail was fairly uneven with lots of rocks and stones on the trail - but that was exactly what I was looking for, so I enjoyed it a lot. Also, the trail is fairly narrow at places, so we got to have a lot of contact with the neighboring plants and sometimes cacti. If you don't enjoy this sort of thing, wearing long pants is recommended. Wildlife was more than what I had expected. We saw many deer, an armadillo, and lots of birds. One disturbance during the hike was the annoying and loud sound of way too many boats on the lake. Not only they created sound pollution, but there was much pollution due to fuel from the boats, especially around the still water below the Crockett Falls area. Another serious problem was the trash -cans, plastic and glass bottles, covers of food products- that were lying on and around the trail, the camps, and even at the parking lot! It is amazing how people can hike and still be so insensitive and idiotic to throw away their trash in the face of the nature. Please do NOT be one of them! Overall, this hike has perhaps been the best I've done in Central Texas. I cannot wait to return there in the spring to see the wildflowers blooming and the springs gushing.

Nice hike in the woods around Lake Geo'town
User: iskarl - 9/20/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Hiking to the ruins at Crockett Springs and back was a pleasant outing even in 95 F heat. The trail is fairly shaded through the cedars and oaks from the trailhead parking to the ruins. [Hint: be sure to indicate that you are only hiking the Good Water Trail when you pass through the Corps of Engineers fee booth. The trail parking is free, but the rest is $4 for day use]. Additionally, there is a good spot to cool off in the lake for yourself or your dog companion just before the 1 Mile Marker. The water is really refreshing and surprisingly clear. Unfortunately, this is also the spot where party-boaters come ashore to jump the cliffs and throw their cans and bottles in the process. The first mile is also the most difficult with the washed out loose gravel and stones. So watch your footing here. The closest approach of the trail to the lake shore is also very overgrown due to the abundant 2005 summertime rain. Just after the 2 Mile Marker listen for the spring-fed waterfall across the cove. You can see the falls by taking a few strides into the woods toward the lake. At about the equivalent of 2.5 miles from the trailhead, the ruins at the Crockett Springs area will be seen on the left. The trail actually goes right through the foundation of what was apparently the spring house inside the old fenced corral. BTW, dogs are allowed (leashed) on the trail. If you are quiet, you may see several deer browsing nearby the trail. Question: Does anyone know what the small rock structure is at the point where the trail nears the lake for the first time (about 3/4 mile)? Seems like it was once a marker of some kind, but there is nothing attached to it now. -- Karl V (and canine companion Caesar)

Finished off the south shore of Lake Georgetown
User: Austin Explorer - 4/24/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 10.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I hiked the western half of the south shore of Lake Georgetown starting at Tejas Camp. Now I just need to knock off the northern shoreline. Overall the western side is not as rocky and rough as the eastern side, but there are some rough spots between the large open areas. I think there might tend to be fewer people here than on the eastern half and fewer boats venture this far west.
I saw three mountain bikers on the trail, which surprised me because I thought bikes weren't allowed on the southern shoreline.

Great all-day trek
User: Austin Explorer - 3/19/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 12.50 Miles Duration: N/A
Did an out and back on the first 6 miles of the trail, for a bit over 12 miles total. Saw only a handful of people on the trail, but a lot of boaters. The hovering helicopter was the biggest annoyance though.

The weather was pretty right up until the end of my hike when the rains rolled through. Almost perfect timing. Unlike my previous trip, the vegetation here was well under control. A few spots of high grasses, but nothing annoying.

The water flow at Crockett Gardens Falls was the best I had seen there. The wetter weather earlier in the year does have its advantages.

Beautiful short hike
User: dburatti - 9/20/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 4.30 Miles Duration: N/A
This section of trail I hiked is the newest extension of the Goodwater Trail. It starts in Russell Park & ends at Jim Hogg Park. It includes lake views, a rolling crown switchback, an armored creek crossing, an old rock wall, and the typical limestone, cedar, and cacti. This section was built & is well maintained by the Austin RIdge Riders Mountain Bike Club. The next extension between Jim Hogg and Overlook Park starts in October and will complete the loop around the lake. For more info, contact me at dburatti@grandecom.net. Dewayne

Nice Lakeside Falls
User: Riff Raff - 4/18/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Hiked out from Cedar Breaks Park to Crockett Falls (about 2.5 miles out). Fairly rough terrain for a lot of the trail, nice scenery overlooking Lake Georgetown, and a very interesting area around Crockett Falls. Saw about a dozen people on the trail on a Sunday afternoon, which wasn''t bad. Much more intrusive were all the powerboats, jet skis, and fishing boats with loud music cruising around. All in all a very nice hike though, and I''ll have to try going farther out and/or a different part of the big loop another day.