Six Ways Onto Waco Lake, and Which Ones Charge a Fee

Waco Lake doesn't have one front gate; the Army Corps of Engineers spreads access across six day-use parks ringing the water: Twin Bridges, Airport Beach, Koehne, Bosque, Flat Rock, and Lacy Point. Where you go depends on what you're after, and so does whether you pay. Twin Bridges and Airport Beach are the developed ones with the swim beaches, and they run $5 per vehicle to get in. Bosque, Flat Rock, Koehne, and Lacy Point are free under normal conditions.

Each has its own character. Twin Bridges, on the west shore, has two swim beaches and 64 covered picnic sites and a four-lane boat ramp — the one for a big family Saturday. Bosque Park sits up near the spillway and is a known fishing spot with a small-boat and kayak launch. Koehne is a two-lane ramp with covered tables and some of the prettiest lake views.

If you'd rather move than sit, Lacy Point is the one to know: it opens onto roughly 20 miles of trail for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, no launch fee required.