Why visit Camp Swift
Townapedia lists 2 parks and trails, 1 place to eat and 6 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Lake Bastrop North Shore Park.
Weather in Camp Swift
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Camp Swift
Camp Swift is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. Its population was 7,943 at the 2020 census. Camp Swift began as a United States Army training base built in 1942. It is named after Major General Eben Swift.
From the Wikipedia article Camp Swift, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes1
Where to stay6
Lake Bastrop North Shore Park Campground
Campground · 1.6 mi
5 Airstream campers on-site available to rent.
603 Farm-to-Market Road 1441, Bastrop
Churches and places of worship2
Blessed Hope Christian Ministries
Church · 0.8 mi
265 Pershing Boulevard, Bastrop
History
The Army signed a $25 million contract in January 1942 to build a training camp on 56,000 acres north of Bastrop, Texas. The contract stipulated the project was to be completed in 108 working days. About 2700 buildings were built during World War II, but none of those remain on the site today. At the end of the war, they were sold or donated, and relocated. The gymnasium was relocated to Whitney, Texas. It is still in use today by the school district.
During World War II, German prisoners of war began arriving and at peak numbered 10,000. At the same time, the camp held 90,000 GIs, making it "one of the largest army training and trans-shipment camps in Texas" according to Krammer.
In December 1942, Sgt Walter Springs was gunned down by a military police officer following a dispute as Springs was reporting to Camp Swift. Springs was shot in the back, but the case remains largely unsolved to this day. A memorial scholarship in his honor has been active at his alma mater, Regis University, for most of the period since 1952 and has the backing of former NBA All Star Chauncey Billups.
The 10th Mountain Division trained at Camp Swift in 1944. The 2nd Infantry Division trained there mid-1945 to early 1946. The camp also trained nurses under battlefield conditions. The camp trained some 300,000 soldiers before the war ended.
From the History section of Camp Swift, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Map of Camp Swift
25 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Bastrop County has had 24 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2023-04-21: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-08-25: Hurricane Harvey (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Giddings-Lee County Airport (GYB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Circle D-KC Estates 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Bastrop 5 mi south, about 9 min by car
- McDade 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Elgin 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Cedar Creek 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Smithville 15 mi southeast, about 24 min by car
- Garfield 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Hornsby Bend 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Manor 20 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Austin 29 mi west, about 46 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- View of the Main Entrance at Camp Swift Texas, August 6, 1944, Unknown author, Public domain
- ISS063-E-104515 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-44002 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-104517 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS019-E-7339 - View of Texas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-104516 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS061-E-68582 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS061-E-68581 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Salero típico, Texas0202, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Bastrop (33930335133), Bureau of Reclamation, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Habronattus fallax, Michelle, CC BY 4.0
- Lake bastrop north shore, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Marceau Studio photo folder with copyright symbol, early 1900s, Feralpearl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kynlee3 (34607857711), Bureau of Reclamation, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kynlee2 (33930333753), Bureau of Reclamation, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Twin Bridges Lake Bastrop Texas 2026, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Power Plant Lake Bastrop Texas 2026, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Mushrooms South Shore Lake Bastrop Texas 2026, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Pier South Shore Lake Bastrop Texas 2026, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.