Winkler Park
Belton Lake
Winkler Park is a small, primitive campground on the northern shore of Belton Lake in Central Texas. This park does not have electricity, but does have water hookups at each site, paved back-in sites, and a central water bourne restroom with flush toilets, sinks, and showers. There are 14 sites available for RVs and tents and a day use area. Truly sink into nature in the peaceful park full of wildlife and beautiful sunset/sunrise views!
This park is seasonal, and will close Nov 1st - February 28th.
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:
On-Site Park Hosts/Maintenance Volunteers
14 Campsites (Water ONLY)
1 Water Bourme Restrooms Facility (Flush toilets, sinks, and showers)
Day use area
Faciilities Description:
Winkler is a beautiful, rural and quaint campground with 14 primitive, sunny sites. Each site has water and a covered picnic table with a grill and fire ring. The park also provides water bourne restrooms with sinks, showers, and flush toilets.
Notifications and Alerts
Effective 1 April, 2025, fees at Belton Lake will be increasing for selected facilities at Belton Lakeview Park Boat Ramp Day Use, Cedar Ridge Park Activity Center, Cove Side Pavilion, Sunset Pavilion, Live Oak Ridge Activity Center, Owl Creek Park Day Use, and White Flint Park Boat Ramp. Reservations made before 1 April, 2025 will not be impacted by the price increases. A new QR Code scan-to-pay fee collection system will be added as a day use payment method at new locations for day use. For more information, please view Public Notice or contact the Belton Lake Office at 254-742-3050.
Contracted maintenance and repair activities are ongoing from March through June 2025 in multiple parks at Belton Lake. Customers with camping reservations that are affected by closures will be notified of impacts through Recreation.gov prior to their reservation date. Some day-use facilities may be temporarily closed for repairs. Signage will be placed at park entrances to alert customers of closures. For More information, please contact the Belton Lake Office at 254-742-3050. Affected Locations: Cedar Ridge Park, Westcliff Park, Temple's Lake Park, Miller Springs Park, Belton Lakeview Park, White Flint Park and other facilities lakewide.
Fire restrictions are currently in effect that prohibit all open-flame fires, to include propane fire pits. Covered charcoal and gas grills are permitted in designated areas.
Need to Know
Day Use: Winkler Park has a Day Use area. Parking is based on first-come, first-serve. Day Use hours are 6 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. Parking at campsite areas is prohibited without a reservation. There are currently no fees for day use at Winkler Park.
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.
Please visit the White Flint Park gatehouse to check-in with the park host upon arrival. If the park host is not available at the front of the park, please proceed to your campsite and the volunteers on-site will assist with check-in. White Flint Park is located directly before Winkler Park at 10718 White Flint Park Road, Moody, TX 76557.
*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: Winkler Park is open seasonally, closing from Nov 1 - March 1 and is a PRIMITIVE park, offering only water hookups at campsites.
Winkler Park will be enforcing a 2 car per-site rule. The first camper to check-in for each site will receive all parking passes. Additional day-use parking may be purchased for additional vehicles/visitors and will be required to park in overflow areas located throughout the park. Parking on grass or roadways is prohibited.
Swimming Pools/Inflatables/Bounce Houses/Etc.: Please be advised, waterborne structures such as water slides are not permitted. Also, new lake policy requires a lake activity permit for the use of inflatable structures such as inflatable slides, bounce houses, or moon bounces. Lake activity permits can be requested through the Belton Lake Office Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 254-742-3050.
Small swimming pools are permitted in the park. Swimming pools may not exceed a water depth of 5 inches, height of 7 inches, width of 48 inches and length of 48 inches. Swimming pools must be moved to a new location each day to prevent damage to the ground surface.
Golf Carts: By permit only, please call the Belton Lake Office for more information at 254-742-3050 Mon-Fri (8a-4:30p).
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 road-ways only and follow all vehicle regulations while operated in the parks.
Dumping: RV/Trailer tank discharging is only allowed in designated dump stations (White Flint Park offers a dump station free of charge for visitors with reservations at Winkler Park). Discharge of holding tanks to include "grey water" is probited 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.
Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit the DontMoveFirewood Website for further information. Cutting of trees for firewood is prohibited on USACE property.
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!
Natural Features
The campground is fairly isolated on the lake and tucked into the mouth of the Leon River. All sites are lakefront and provide a view of the water/lake. Though the campsites themselves are not shaded, the perimeter of the facility and parts of the shoreline are forested.
The lake area is a habitat for deer, wild turkey and water birds such as Great blue herons, ducks, geese, many species of songbirds and even an occasional bald eagle.
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. Winkler Park is most popular for it's close proximity to the shoreline for campers and fishermen alike and getting back to rustic style camping. The lake is also a popular fishing spot for hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish and sunfish. Winkler Park is nestled against the White Flint Wildlife Management Area, which boasts great opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing and hunting. A short way down the road, campers can visit White Flint Park, which has a day use area that provides a multi-lane boat ramp and courtesy dock.
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
Physical
11740 Winkler Park Rd Moody TX 76557
Phone Number
For campground inquiries, please call: 254-986-1579
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
From Interstate 35 in Temple, Texas take State Highway 53/36 west towards Gatesville (approximatey 10 miles). Just after Leon River Bridge, turn right on White Flint Park Road. Turn left on Winkler Park Road and follow it to the park entrance.
Available Campsites
- Site 004, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 009, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 012, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 013, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 007, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 006, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 003, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 001, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 005, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 011, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 002, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 008, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 014, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 010, Loop WINKLER PARK, Type Standard Nonelectric
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