Cedar Ridge (TX)

Belton Lake

Cedar Ridge Park Campground is located at Belton Lake, which provides some of the best fishing, camping and boating in Central Texas. This year-round campground accommodates both tents and RVs and has several sites with screened shelters for those who do not have camping equipment.

The facility provides many amenities, including hot showers and group picnic areas . 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.

Facilities List:
1 gatehouse (Months, days, hours and pass availability subject to change)
On-Site Park Hosts/Maintenance Volunteers
76 Campsites (w/ water and electrical)
7 Restroom Facilities
Day Use Area (Day use fee applies*)
2 Boat Ramps
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)

Facilities Description:

All 76 campsites, including screened shelter sites, have water and electric hookups, a covered picnic table, and a charcoal grill.
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 Oct 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, which can each host up to 100 people, in addition to volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, and a large charcoal grill.
Other park facilities include 7 restroom buildings around the park with flush toilets, sinks, and showers, 2 RV dump stations, and 2 pavilions.
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.

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.

Need to Know

Day Use: Cedar Ridge Park has Day Use areas. Day Use hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. *Day use fees apply.* Please pay user fee via QR codes available on site. Parking is based on first-come, first-serve.
*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. 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.*
Gatehouse: NEW FOR THE 2025 SEASON - Cedar Ridge Park will have a gatehouse attendant available Thursday-Sunday during check-in times beginning March 2025. *Months, hours, and pass availability to be announced and are subject to change*
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 project for a period of longer than 14 days during any 30-consecutive-day period is prohibited without written permission of the District Commander.*
Dumping: RV/Trailer tank discharging is only allowed in designated dump stations. Discharge of holding tanks to include "grey water" is probited in all other locations, to include campsite areas. Dumping of household trash 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.
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).

Effective March 1, 2023, Cedar Ridge Park will be enforcing the 2 car per site rule. The first camper to check-in for each site will receive all parking passes which will be 2 camper passes and 2 visitor passes.
Pavilions/Group Shelters/Activity Centers: Pavilions and group shelters require a reservation prior to use. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov or call 877-833-6777. Large events/parties, especially those with inflatables or special equipment, require an approved Lake Activity Permit from the Belton Lake Office with reservation of pavilion. Park Activity Centers can be reserved with park hosts on site and are first come first serve with a current camping reservation.
Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
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 .

Natural Features

The campground is partially forested with a mix of sun and shade. It lies on the shores of Belton Lake and Cedar Creek, with its scenic white limestone bluffs. Some of the campsites are directly on the shore, while others are a short walk away.

The springtime brings an abundance of wildflowers that blanket areas of the park. Deer, turkey and other small game are commonly seen, and a man-made wetland on the opposite side of the lake provides an additional 25 acres of wildlife habitat in the area.

Nearby Attractions

Belton Lake is located adjacent to the Fort Hood Army Base, which has several points of interest for the military buff. The mural painted on the spillway wall of Belton Dam depicts the history of the Bell County area.

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.

Changes & Cancellations

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

Contact Information

Mailing

3790 Cedar Ridge Park Rd. Temple TX 76502

Physical

3790 Cedar Ridge Park Road Temple TX 76502

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 254-986-1404

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving 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.

Available Campsites

Photo Gallery

Camp, RV, and Explore Outdoors

Recreation.gov is your gateway to explore America's outdoor and cultural destinations in your zip code and across the country. We provide tools and tips to discover new adventures through a one-stop shop for inspiration and ideation, trip planning, information sharing, and reservations. Find incredible places and experiences that help you bring home a story through Recreation.gov!