Westcliff

Overview

Westcliff Park is a day-use area and campground located on the southwestern shore of Belton Lake. The lake provides some of the best fishing and boating in Central Texas in addition to amenities such as a swimming beach, boat ramp, playground and picnic areas for RVs and tents, including four tent-only primitive sites.

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. It is a long, narrow and winding lake with many curves and coves perfect for fishing.

Recreation

With 136 miles of shoreline, Belton Lake offers a wide variety of recreation activities. West Cliff Park is most popular for it's close proximity to the shoreline for campers. Westcliff Park offers a day use area complete with one multi-lane boat ramp, a playground, and campground. The lake is also a popular fishing spot for hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish and sunfish.

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 and kids alike!

Facilities

Facilities List:

1 Gatehouse (Months, days, hours, and pass availability subject to change)

On-Site Park Hosts/Maintenance Volunteers

27 Campsites (w/ hookups)

4 Primitive Tent-Only Sites (w/ water only)

1 Restroom Facility (w/ sinks, showers, and flush toilets)

2 Restroom Facilities (w/ sinks and flush toilets)

1 Vault Restroom Facility

1 Boat Ramp (Multi-lane)

1 Courtesy Dock

1 Playground

1 Swimbeach (Seasonal)

Facilities Description:

West Cliff Park boasts sunny campsites with excellent water access and convenient amenities, including flush toilets, day use areas with a playground, swimbeach, and a multi-lane boat ramp with a courtesy dock for easy loading. Let the kids enjoy the swim beach area and playground while you relax! This park is seasonal, and all but the main road and main boat ramp will close Oct 1 - March 1.

Natural Features

The campground is mostly open with a few trees providing shade at picnic areas and at some of the campsites. Westcliff is on a bluff overlooking the lake; while many of the campsites are directly on the shoreline, all campsites have a view of the lake.

The lake area is 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. A man-made wetland on the opposite side of the lake was constructed to provide an additional 25 acres of wildlife habitat in the lake 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.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (254) 742-3050.

Charges & Cancellations

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

Day Use: West Cliff Park has Day Use areas. Parking is based on first-come, first-serve. Day Use hours are 6 a.m. to 8:30 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 or from pay machine near the gatehouse. For additional information, you can download and sign into the free Recreation.gov Mobile App on Androi d or iOS prior to your arrival to make sure you can access the site when you scan the QR code to pay your fee.

Reservations: Reservations for campsites, group camping, and pavilions can be made on recreation.gov for Belton Lake.