Smithville 

Follow the mighty Colorado River and—like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow—you're bound to come across Smithville, Texas. Not too far from Austin, Smithville exemplifies the small-town charm Texas is known for all over the world.  

Founded by the railroad in 1886 and made famous a century later as the filming location of “Hope Floats,” Smithville is just 50 miles southeast of downtown Austin. What will you find waiting for you? Oh, only delicious mom-and-pop restaurants, more than a thousand acres of state park, an 18-hole disc golf course on the Colorado River, and a lineup of events that take all the pressure out of planning your next trip.  

One visit to Smithville and you’ll be wondering what took you so long.  

The Katy Railroad and the Film That Put Smithville on the Map 

Smithville was a railroad town before it was anything else. The Katy Railroad—originally known as the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railroad—arrived in 1886, and it wasn't long before people came from all around to make their home along the tracks. The result is a downtown that still wraps around its rail history more than 140 years later, anchored by the James H. Long Railroad Park on NW 1st Street and the restored Railroad Depot and Museum next door. 

A century later, Hollywood came calling. Smithville stars as itself in the 1998 Sandra Bullock film, “Hope Floats,” and the town has leaned into that legacy ever since. That includes a downtown bakery called Hope Floats Ice Cream & Bakery, a self-guided Film Tour Map walking visitors past the locations where the movie was shot, and a steady stream of Hollywood productions that still use Smithville as a backdrop, including the critically acclaimed film, “The Tree of Life,” from native Texan, Terrence Malick.  

The Lost Pines and the Colorado River

Buescher State Park sits 1,100 acres just northwest of town, home to a stocked fishing lake and 7.5 miles of trails through the Lost Pines, an isolated stand of loblolly pines that exists nowhere else this far west in Texas. The park's recreation hall, cabins, and campsites make it a viable overnight option, not just a day trip. 

In town, Vernon Richards Riverbend Park hugs the Colorado River with a walking trail, fishing pier, sand volleyball, an 18-hole disc golf course, and 19 RV hookups. It's also the home base for Smithville's biggest annual event: the four-day Jamboree celebration in April. Bring the disc set or the fishing pole. You can’t go wrong with either. And you can’t go wrong in Smithville.