Built on the Leon River and Nolan Creek, this town once named Nolanville was a place where merchants sold goods from wagons and tin cups of whiskey from barrels. Today, Belton is best known as the home of the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor. The Baptist college began here over a century ago and was once the women’s school for Waco’s Baylor University. Two lakes, Stillhouse Hollow and the larger Belton Lake, lie outside the city limits. Both provide fishing, boating, camping and a quiet getaway only minutes from the busy I-35.
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Best Places to Go in Belton
Bell County Museum.
Located right on Main Street, this National Register property was originally a Carnegie library. Today the Beaux Arts–style building and its newer glass addition house exhibits on Bell County’s first century, 1850–1950. Special displays remember Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, Texas’s first woman governor, as well as the history of Camp Hood, later to become Fort Hood.
Belton Lake.
Built on the Leon River, this winding 7,400-acre lake features 16 public parks within its 110 miles of shoreline. Trailer sites, camping, nature trails, and boat ramps are available. The lake is five miles northwest of Belton on TX 317.
Cochran, Blair and Potts.
This downtown store’s claim to the title as the oldest department store in Texas might well be true. Founded in 1869, it has remained owned by the same family for its entire history. It occupies an entire city block and sells a wide variety of wares.
The square hole in the ceiling through which cashiers raised the money to the office on the second floor is still there. But the basket and that change-making system are long gone.
Upstairs in the store museum (no admission charge), look for old ledgers, typewriters, store tokens, and an ad from a 1923 edition of The Belton Journal for the store’s Dollar Day Specials—eight towels for a buck, eight bath rugs for a buck.
Mother Neff State Park.
Named for Isabella Neff, the mother of Texas Governor Pat Neff, this park is nestled along the shady bottomland along the Leon River. (In fact, that river caused quite a bit of destruction to the park in 2007 when it jumped its banks; you’ll still see limited services in some parts of the park.) The park offers plenty of opportunity for quiet walks or a picnic.
Stillhouse Hollow.
Built on the Lampasas River, this nearly 12,000-acre lake has 58 miles of shoreline and numerous parks for camping, hiking and boating. The Chalk River Falls Nature Trail, known for its waterfall, is a favorite with nature lovers. Six public parks surround this lake operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. You’ll find the most facilities at Stillhouse Park, the first you’ll come to on US 190. Boating, fishing and camping are all good options here.
Summer Fun USA.
This water theme park water slides and rides to help you cool off in the Texas heat. Hop in an inner tube and enjoy the 750-foot Lazy River ride, or slide into the water from a 40-foot tower.