Easy Hike + Liege Waffles

A short, easy hike on a cold morning, followed by waffles in downtown Belton, Texas, provided an enjoyable family outing. After seeing photos of Chalk Ridge Falls at Stillhouse Hollow Lake along the Lampasas River, we decided to plan a half-day trip to Belton, Texas, to hike the short trail and get breakfast at a local restaurant. You can click on any of the images below to view them in a larger size. If any photos seem pixelated, it is because the file size has been reduced to improve page loading times.

There are 20 designated parking spots at Chalk Ridge Falls Park (along with at least 10 more spots along the road). This Army Corps of Engineers Park is located just below the dam the forms Stillhouse Hollow Lake outside of Belton. From the parking area, you pass through a turnstile that leads to the Lampasas River Trail. While the trail is roughly a mile in length, the falls are less than a half mile from the parking lot. You can either stay on the official trail or take one of the sets of wooden stairs down to a well-worn trail running directly alongside the Lampasas River. If you opt for the lower trail, shortly after the first river bend the trail widens and you’ll see a suspension bridge to your right – head that way, and the falls will be directly in front of you. While it was an easy and enjoyable hike, the water levels were low (so the falls were minuscule compared to the photos we’d seen) and the suspension bridge had a sign indicating it was closed. This meant that we couldn’t continue hiking the trail past the falls, so our total hike was less than one mile. We did walk a short distance up the creek above the falls to a small concrete dam, but we didn’t want to get our feet wet, so we got back on the trail and headed back to the car. If this had been our sole reason for driving 45 minutes, it would have been disappointing. However, we had other plans, so the hike was still enjoyable. Also, we’d hike this trail again if we were in the area for other reasons, such as hiking and/or camping at Dana Peak Park, and if we knew the water flow at Chalk Ridge Falls was more substantive (and/or the bridge was operational / passable). Also, we didn’t know it at the time, but the Miller Springs Nature Center (which has around 10 miles of hike and bike trails) is located below the dam that forms Lake Belton, so we might consider visiting the center on a future trip to Belton.

Following the hike, we drove into downtown Belton for breakfast at Water Street Waffle Company, which serves liege waffles. I’d never heard of this type of waffle before, and the restaurant provides an explanation in their menu that they are “made with a yeast-based brioche dough studded with special pearl nibs of sugar that caramelize on the waffle as it cooks.” The breakfast was outstanding, and we’d highly recommend this restaurant. Our son had the mini waffle platter with a side of bacon, my wife ordered the Little Terminator (a trio of open-faced “sliders” on waffles), and I had the Rue Chicken (a waffle topped with fried chicken and bourbon maple syrup). Everyone was happy with their order, and we would certainly go back in the future.

After breakfast, we walked on the hike-and-bike trail along Nolan Creek that runs through downtown Belton and connects several local parks. Our son enjoyed a little time on the playground, while we enjoyed the view of the creek. We only walked on the part of the trail across from the downtown, but it appears to be roughly 1.3 miles long, running from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor campus to Liberty Park (next to Interstate 35).

While the short hike at Chalk Ridge Falls Park wouldn’t be worth the 45-minute by itself (and the view is currently disappointing compared to photos of the falls you’ll find online), going into Belton for a meal made it a very enjoyable trip, and we’d recommend the combination to anyone looking for short, easy hikes. For longer and/or more challenging hiking in the area, you could visit Dana Peak Park, which has many trails of varying lengths and degrees of difficulties.