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.

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

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. 

Nearby Attractions

Contact Info

Important Notices

• Gatehouse: Gatehouse attendant available Thursday-Saturday (2:00p-6:00p) and Sunday (2:00p-4:00p) beginning March 1st through October 31st. Limited quantities and types of America The Beautiful and USACE Passes will be available.

  NO CASH/CHECK PAYMENTS ACCEPTED, Credit Card Only.

• Day Use: Cedar Ridge Park has a Day Use Boat Ramp. Day Use hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily *Day use fees apply* (No cash). Visitors are required to physically arrive at the park to claim a parking space and pay the fee. Once on-site, follow the posted instructions to pay via QR code at the boat ramp parking areas. For additional information, you can download and sign into the free Recreation.gov Mobile App on Android or iOS prior to your arrival to make sure you can access the site when you scan the QR code to pay your fee.

• Camping Check In/Out: Check-in time is 3 p.m. and check-out time is prior to 2 p.m. Early check-ins will not be permitted. See your recreation.gov confirmation e-mail for your 4-digit gate code, which will be located at the bottom of the email. *Camping at any one or more sites at any one water resource (Lake) project for a period of longer than 14 days during any 30-consecutive-day period is prohibited without written permission of the District Commander.*

• Park Specifics: Cedar Ridge Park is open year-round with partial closures from Nov 1 to March 1 (Sites 1-40 and Screen Shelters close). 

  Additional Vehicles/Campers/Trailers/Boats to Campsites: Campsites are allowed: One (1) Recreational Vehicle (Motorhome, travel trailer, 5th wheel, conversions [any type], etc.), Two (2) Vehicles (Car, Truck, Van, Etc.), and One (1) Boat. Any additional vehicles will need to pay an additional $5 day use fee/vehicle per day AND be parked in overflow parking. Additional Recreational Vehicles must pay for an additional campsite which has the allowance of the above capacities. While these vehicles are permissible at the site, if they do not fit properly (fully on pavement and in boundaries of site), they will need to be parked in overflow. Parking on grass or roadways is prohibited.

• Swimming Pools/Inflatables/Bounce Houses/Etc.: Please be advised, the use of water slides or inflatable structures such as inflatable slides, bounce houses, or moon bounces and not permitted without a lake activity permit. Lake activity permits can be requested through the Belton Lake Office Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 254-742-3050 (Except Federal Holidays). 

  Swimming pools are not permitted in the park, with the exception of kiddie pools. Kiddie pools may not exceed a water depth of 5 inches, height of 7 inches, width of 48 inches and length of 48 inches. Pools must be moved to a new location each day to prevent damage to the ground surface. Pools may not allow constant flow of water onto ground.

• Golf Carts: By permit only; please call the Belton Lake Office for more information Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 254-742-3050 (except Federal Holidays).

  Off-Road/Motorized Vehicles (UTVs/ATVs/OHVs/Motorized Bikes): Off-road vehicles are not permitted in Corps parks unless they are registered, insured, and highway legal. If applicable, they are restricted to paved roadways only and follow all vehicle regulations while operated in the parks. 

• Events/Pavilions: Pavilions require a reservation prior to use. Reservations can be made for Belton Lake at Rec.gov or call l 877-444-6777. For reservation of Pavilions on weekdays, please call the Belton Lake Office Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 254-742-3050 (except Federal Holidays). Fishing tournaments, vendors and sale of food/products, or large events/parties, especially those with inflatables or special equipment, require an approved Lake Activity Permit from the Belton Lake Office. Lake activity permits can be requested through the Belton Lake Office Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 254-742-3050.

• Dumping: RV/Trailer tank discharging is only allowed in designated dump stations. Discharge of holding tanks to include "grey water" is prohibited in all other locations, to include campsite areas. 

  Washing of Vehicles/RVs/Trailers/Boats is considered dumping of "grey water" and is not permitted in the parks.  

  Dumping of household trash (to include vehicle/boat/trailer parts) on USACE properties/parks is prohibited, including park dumpsters. 

  Violations of the aforementioned rules may result in a citation.

• Rules & Regulations: Title 36 CFR (EP 1165-2-316) governs the public use of water resources development projects administered by the Chief of Engineers. Visitors to any Corps project are bound by these Title 36 regulations, which are enforced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Visit the Title 36 section of this website for a copy of the rules and regulations or visit the local lake office.

• For More Information: For more information, call the Belton Lake Office at 254-742-3050 Mon-Fri (8a-430p) or visit the Belton Lake website .

  ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE-JACKET! 

Available Activities

• Swimming Site - Swimming Site
• Camping - Camping
• Boating - Boating
• Day Use Area - Day Use Area
• Fishing - Fishing
• Wildlife Viewing - Wildlife Viewing
• Water Activities - Water Activities
• Picnicking - Picnicking
• Hiking - Hiking
• Birding - Birding

Directions

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.

Cancellation Policy

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

Contact Information

Phone: 254-986-1404

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip