PARAGON
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Lost Pines forest, post oak pasture, and Colorado River acreage east of Austin.
Bastrop County lies about 30 road miles east of downtown Austin. Its landscape is different from the Hill Country: sandy soils, post oak savanna, and the Lost Pines loblolly forest, with the Colorado River running through Bastrop and Smithville.
The county offers acreage at a wide range of prices, from pasture and hay land to wooded homesites. Parts of the county are habitat for the endangered Houston toad, which the county's Lost Pines Habitat Conservation Plan addresses.
The entire county is inside one groundwater conservation district, which sets well registration and spacing rules.
Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District
Covers the entire county
Surface water in Texas belongs to the state, so river or creek frontage does not by itself carry a right to divert water. Confirm any existing surface-water permits and well records as part of due diligence.
Texas open-space (1-d-1) valuation taxes qualifying land on its agricultural productivity instead of market value. In this county it is administered by the Bastrop County appraisal district.
A buyer must apply in their own name, generally by April 30, to keep the valuation. Wildlife-management use requires land already under agricultural valuation and at least three of seven qualifying practices. Changing the land to a non-agricultural use triggers a rollback tax for the previous three years, according to the Texas Comptroller.
Lost Pines Habitat Conservation Plan: The county's plan covers about 124,000 acres of known and potential Houston toad habitat and offers landowners a simplified way to comply with federal rules for construction, agriculture, forestry, and wildlife management.
Bastrop County is outside the TCEQ Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.
Hill Country ranches, working farms, and Texas acreage from Unlock MLS
Listings provided by Unlock MLS via IDX Broker. Paragon Realty Group, brokered by eXp Realty, LLC.
Yes. The entire county is inside the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District, which sets rules for well registration, spacing, and production. Before closing, confirm that existing wells are registered and ask the district about any permit conditions that would affect your plans for livestock, irrigation, or new homes.
Texas open-space (1-d-1) valuation taxes qualifying land on its agricultural productivity rather than market value. The Bastrop County appraisal district administers it. A new owner must apply in their own name, generally by April 30, to keep it. Wildlife-management use requires land already under agricultural valuation and at least three of seven qualifying practices. If the land changes to a non-agricultural use, the Texas Comptroller describes a rollback tax for the previous three years.
They can. The county's plan covers about 124,000 acres of known and potential Houston toad habitat and offers landowners a simplified way to comply with federal rules for construction, agriculture, forestry, and wildlife management. An environmental consultant can tell you whether a specific tract is affected before you plan improvements.
Bastrop, the county seat, is about 30 road miles from downtown Austin. Drive times vary by route and traffic, and individual ranches can be well off the highway on county roads. Confirm road access and travel time to the specific property as part of your visit.
Information compiled from public agency sources and last reviewed 2026-10-16. District boundaries and rules change; confirm details with the agencies linked above. Paragon Realty Group, brokered by eXp Realty, LLC, does not provide legal, tax, survey, or environmental advice.