Chalk Ridge Falls hides a waterfall below the Stillhouse Hollow dam

Most people drive past Stillhouse Hollow thinking 'boat lake' and never see one of Bell County's nicer surprises. Just off FM 1670, on the south side of the dam, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs the Chalk Ridge Falls nature area. A footpath follows the Lampasas River through limestone and cedar to Chalk Ridge Falls, a small natural waterfall.

It is free to get in, open year-round from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parking sits just below the dam, where the tailrace fishing is good, and there is a vault toilet at the lot. A few miles of trail connect through the area, so you can keep it short or make a longer walk of it.

Dam, river, falls, and trail in one stop makes this a true landscape spot rather than just another ramp. The Corps does close it from time to time for flood releases or maintenance, so check the Stillhouse Hollow pages before you go.