Oct. 28-29 RESCHEDULED to NOV. 11-12: Inks Lake State Park
We will be camping at Inks Lake State Park near Burnet, Texas, on October 28-29 November 11-12. This campout will feature hiking, fishing, canoeing, and stargazing—weather permitting.
ARRIVAL : Plan to arrive Saturday at NOON to set up your family’s tent before opening ceremony. Allow 90 minutes for the drive from NW Austin. See the map and street address at the bottom of this post for directions. We recommend getting lunch en route or bringing a picnic lunch to eat upon arrival.
OPENING CEREMONY : Opening ceremony will begin at 1:00 PM. Please gather in the central open area near our campsites as the 1:00 hour approaches. Scouts should wear their Class A uniform for opening ceremony and for the Scouts Own service and closing ceremony on Sunday. At other times, the pack T-shirt should be worn (with jacket or long-sleeve shirt over it if needed).
CAMPSITES : For Saturday arrivals, our group has campsites 41 thru 57, except not 51 or 52. We need to accommodate two to three family tents per campsite, so when setting up your tent, please allow space for other Scout families that will arrive after you. All campsites have water and electric service. Click here for a map of our campsites.
FRIDAY CAMPING : If you signed up for camping on Friday night, you may arrive as early as noon on Friday. For Friday night arrivals, we have campsites 49 thru 57, except not 51 or 52. Again, please leave room for two to three family tents per campsite. (Leaders with parking permits may not arrive until later in the afternoon on Friday, but probably you won’t be bothered if you arrive earlier. Please be aware that one campsite TBD will be claimed for the pack trailer and kitchen, so it is advised to wait on setting up your tent until a leader arrives and determines where the pack trailer and kitchen will go.)
PARKING : When you arrive at the state park, drive directly to our reserved campsites. Refer to the park map to find your way. If you’re stopped at the park entrance gate, tell them you’re with a Scout group that’s camping in the park and will get your pass when you get to the campsite (see “Parking Permits” below). Parking in driveways at each campsite is limited to 2 vehicles, but there is overflow parking nearby, which we will need to use. The state parks strictly enforce parking rules, so avoid parking on roadways, grass, or anywhere that is not a designated parking space.
PARKING PERMITS : Every parked car needs a parking permit that should be taped to the inside front windshield. When you arrive at the campground, find a pack leader and we will give you a pre-printed parking permit with your license plate number on it. Please submit this online form with your vehicle details no later than noon on Friday, November 10.
MEALS & DRINKS : The Pack will provide Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast with lemonade, tea, coffee, and water available to drink. Reduce waste by bringing your own reusable cup or canteen. Email the AoL Den Leader at least a week in advance if any member of your family has food restrictions. You may bring your own snacks and drinks, but please be discreet (or generous) if any items could be perceived as special treats by your kid’s fellow Scouts.
HIKING : Inks Lake has over 9 miles of hiking trails. Every Scout should plan to spend some time on the trails with their den. Hiking boots are the best footwear, but any sturdy pair of closed-toe shoes are acceptable. Crocs, sandals, and flip-flops are not appropriate footwear for a Scout campout, except in the showers. Scouts in the Wolf den and higher are expected to pack and carry their own Cub Scout Six Essentials for hikes.
FISHING : Optional. If your family wants to fish, we recommended bringing your own gear. The camp store at Inks Lake sells live bait or you can bring your own. The camp store also has a few fishing rods that can be borrowed after a bit of paperwork, but availability is very limited; don’t count on it. A fishing license is not required for fishing from piers or shores at any Texas state park, but other restrictions may apply. See the park website for details. We will not be fishing from canoes.
CANOEING : Optional. We will offer two one-hour canoeing sessions on Saturday afternoon from 2-3 PM and 3-4 PM. The park only has 25 canoes, so families that are interested in canoeing should sign up in advance using this online form. Please note:
Every participant must wear a life vest, including adults. The park has plenty of life vests on-hand in various sizes that we can use. You don’t need to bring a life vest unless you want to.
The max capacity of each canoe is 4 people or 760 lbs. Canoes have only two seats, so any additional passengers above 2 must sit on the floor in the middle of the canoe; the park has cushions that we can borrow.
Each child must be in a canoe with their own parent or guardian, unless YPT requirements are satisfied by other means.
The adult piloting the canoe (i.e., in the rear seat) must be a capable swimmer and have prior experience in canoes or similar small paddle craft. Please contact a pack leader in advance if you have questions or doubts about your ability.
Each canoeing session will begin with a short safety briefing and review of basic paddling skills. Our plan is to paddle as a group from the boat launch area to Devil’s Waterhole and then back, a scenic 45-minutes round trip.
For Cub Scout canoeing, the BSA requires a ratio of one adult trained in “Safety Afloat” per every 5 participants. We need volunteers to take this training. It can be completed online in the BSA Training Portal at my.scouting.org and takes about 30 minutes. In the canoeing sign-up form, please indicate whether you are willing to complete the “Safety Afloat” training. If we don’t get enough volunteers, then every family that wants to participate in canoeing will be asked to designate one adult who will take the training.
We recommended wearing dedicated “water shoes” and dedicated shorts/pants for canoeing since you might need to step in the water to launch or land the canoe. There could also be some (surely unintentional) splashing. Capsizing is not likely, but the possibility cannot be excluded. Bring an extra set of clothes and shoes to change into after canoeing, just in case.
MEDICAL FORMS : Every person (youth and adult) needs to turn in a completed set of BSA medical forms, Parts A B1 and B2, to the pack’s designated camp “medic” as soon as you arrive at the campground. These forms must be printed and submitted on physical paper. If you forget, you will have to fill out the forms when you arrive, and this takes time away from other activities like setting up your tent and having fun. BSA medical forms are valid for 12 months, so we will keep them on file for the NASA overnight and Spring campout.
YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING : Every adult is required by the BSA, before going on any overnight Scouting trip, to complete Youth Protection Training (YPT). This training takes about 72 minutes and is available online at my.scouting.org. YPT certification is good for 2 years, so if you are not sure when you last took it, please go online to my.scouting.org and check that your certification is up-to-date. Bring a printout of your YPT completion certificate with you to the campout and turn it in with your medical forms. See the pack’s Training page for more details.
PACKING : Refer to our pack’s standard Packing List. Note that the weather is likely to be colder than you expect, so bring multiple layers, including long pants, a decent jacket or coat, and a warm hat, to wear after dark. You can always shed layers if it ends up being warm, but it is miserable to be cold and have nothing to put on. Keep in mind that sleeping bag temperature ratings are for survival, not comfort. If your family has only summer sleeping bags (50-degree rated, as opposed to 30- or 0-degree rated), then bring blankets or comforters to lay over your sleeping bags to provide extra insulation. Also, make sure every member of your family has a foam sleeping mat, inflatable mattress, or cot to go under their sleeping bag to prevent heat loss into the ground. If necessary, consider reaching out to friends, family, or other Scouting families to borrow extra gear that they might have.
WEATHER CONTINGENCY : Cub Scout camping is supposed to be fun and easy. A chance of light rain or moderately cold weather is not a problem, but non-trivial chances of thunderstorms or extreme cold temperatures is a concern. If by Wednesday night (or at latest Thursday night) the weather forecast for the weekend looks doubtful, the pack leaders will send an email announcement with a decision about whether to go.
CAMPOUT AGENDA:
Sat, NOON / Arrive and set up family campsite
Sat, 1:00 - 1:30 PM / Opening ceremony and announcements
Sat, 2:00 - 4:00 PM / Hiking, fishing, canoeing, etc.
Sat, 4:15 - 5:45 PM / Den-organized hike or activities
Sat, 6:00 - 7:15 PM / Dinner and practice den skits
Sat, 7:30 - 8:30 PM / Campfire, s’mores, taps
Sat, 8:45 - 9:30 PM / Stargazing talk
Sun, 8:00 - 8:45 AM / Breakfast
Sun, 9:00 - 9:15 AM / Scouts Own service
Sun, 9:15 - 9:30 AM / Closing ceremony
Sun, 9:30 - 10:30 AM / Strike camp, cleanup, depart
CAMPFIRE: Scouts and parents are invited to contribute to the campfire program by telling a joke or leading a song. If you have a favorite song or joke you’d like to share, get ready! All contributions must be approved in advance by a Cubmaster; find one of us on the day of the campout and run it by us. Note that there is currently a burn ban in effect for Burnet County, but it will hopefully be lifted before our campout. If not, then we will set up a “simulated” campfire and find an alternative way to roast s’mores. The show must go on!
PREP & PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST:
☐ Youth Protection Training (YPT): REQUIRED FOR EVERY ADULT WHO WILL STAY OVERNIGHT. See our Training page for instructions. If any adult staying overnight is not the parent or legal guardian of a Scout (e.g. a grandparent, aunt/uncle, or sibling aged 18+), please contact the pack leaders at info@pack421austin.org for additional requirements. Bring a printed copy of your YPT completion certificate to the campout.
☐ BSA Medical Forms: Bring a physical paper copy of completed BSA Medical Forms (Parts A, B1, and B2) for every person in your family who will attend the campout, including all adults, scouts, and siblings. Turn these forms in to our designated camp “medic” upon arrival, together with a printed copy of your YPT completion certificate.
☐ Vehicle Registration: Before noon on Friday, October 27 November 10, register your vehicle for a parking permit using this online form. Pick up your parking permit from a pack leader when you arrive at the campground.
☐ Canoeing Sign-up: Optional. If your family wants to participate in canoeing, submit an online form to reserve a canoe. Availability is limited, so don’t wait, and consider volunteering to take the BSA “Safety Afloat” training to help us meet BSA ratio requirements.
☐ Reservation for tent and food: If you have not already reserved your tent and food for the campout, please RSVP using this Google form or contact pack leaders at info@pack421austin.org. This campout is now sold out, but we will try to accommodate everyone if additional headcount or campsites becomes available.
☐ Food restrictions: If you or any member of your family has food restrictions, email the AoL Den Leader with the pertinent details at least a week in advance. (The AoL den is hosting our meals.)
☐ Packing: Review the Packing List and get everything packed before Saturday morning when you need to leave because packing will probably take longer than you think. Encourage older Scouts to help with packing so that they can learn how to do it. If you have never set up your tent, practice doing it at least once at home before showing up and trying it for the first time at the campout.
Contact your den leader or the pack leaders at info@pack421austin.org if you have any questions.
Inks Lake State Park
3630 Park Road 4 West
Burnet, TX 78611
Latitude: 30.737356
Longitude: -98.369007
(512) 793-2223
