Drove to eat dinner on Lake Travis from a meeting at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. It was so…read morebeautiful and peaceful to watch the sun set while waiting for dinner on a floating dock. Loved watching the groups of ducks swimming and feeding the hungry catfish waiting by the dock. Lake Travis is known for everything related to water. Fishing, boating, swimming, camping. It is one of the clearest lakes in Texas. It supplies water to nearby Austin. Like fishing? If you are lucky, you can catch a variety of bass, catfish or sunfish. Remember the Alamo. Lake Travis is named after William B. Travis. During the Siege of the Alamo, Travis wrote the Victory or Death letter pleading for reinforcements. When Travis and his colleagues were defeated, killed and burned, it made him a martyr. He was only 26 when he died. "Remember the Alamo" became a battle cry for Texas Independence.

It's about time I review this beautiful Texas hill country lake. I first layed eyes on lake Travis…read moreexactly 50 years ago. All of our lakes in Texas( with the exception of Caddo) are man made. Travis is one in a chain of lakes snaking through the hill country and known as the highland lakes. Some of our man made reservoirs are prettier than others, depending on the surrounding natural topography,geology etc. Travis sits on top of limestone and as a result is normally very clear with a beautiful terraced and rocky shoreline. Steep hills of oak surround the circumference. It's a very long lake with hundreds of bends and coves. My initial visit was to scuba dive the clear waters,which I did in summer of 1975. There was only one other person on that part of the lake that day. Hardly any homes had been built out here and the 45 minutes drive from Austin was mostly desolate and undeveloped. Jump forward a mere 50 years and the place is unrecognizable. Every hill is covered with homes and the drive out feels like any other suburban area. Well,Travis is full again for another cycle. It's a beautiful lake and everyone that lives here and uses it is ecstatic. But more importantly,Travis is one of the main water sources here and it was threatened. This new relief will hopefully give the powers that be time to develop a better water conservation plan for the area.

It's called a park but, basically a parking lot with a porta John and a trail head leading down to…read morelake Travis. That's what a lot of these parks are. After decades of development it's getting harder to get to the lake free. I came here today to hike down to the lake which has gone from an almost all time low to almost full in a matter of weeks due to recent flooding.

Yay, a "new" place to get in the water. I'm always looking for somewhere new to go cool off in the…read morewater. A friend told me about this little park, so I headed out there. Let's start with the cons: it's seriously off the beaten path- there's nothing out there. Bring everything you need- water, food, sunscreen etc. Secondly, there is literally no beach- just rocks, lots of rocks. Lastly, it is not dog, kid, or "out of shape" friendly. You have to climb around and over all those rocks to get to the water. (Oh, and there is a fee per person, if there's someone on duty). Now the pros- it is seriously off the beaten path, which means there's parking and very few people. Secondly, the water is clear and beautiful as are the views. It is near a marina, so boaters give nice waves every so often. Lastly, I loved sitting in my float just listening to the water hit the rocky shore. Very peaceful. I enjoyed it, but it's not for everyone. Let me know if you go- enjoy!

Nice park tucked away on Lake Travis! Love that you can jet ski, kayak, picnic, people watch or…read morejust simply fly your kite as I love to do! Last year the lake was so full the water was up the sidewalk but it was beautiful! To get to the lake take the driveway all the way down to the 2nd level. Theres only a small older playground on the upper level where the little viewing gazebo area is. There's plenty of picnic tables and BBQ pitts as well I think I saw. Lakeway Police does patrol for safety. It definitely a beautiful view and very peaceful! I live on the upper part of the lake in the hills without access so it's rare that I get a chance to get down and this gives me my fix!

Park is small, but great if you have toddlers as the equipment is geared towards them. There are…read morerestrooms onsite and a short hike to see Lake Travis. While there, a man let his large dog defecate near the children and equipment. He didn't even think twice to curb his dog, but rather continued on with his walk.

Nice park area for the kids. Appears well maintained although we were only in the SCUBA area and…read morethe playground. Bring water, several of the water fountains were out of order. Apparently they broke after the freeze but still haven't been fixed so that's a bummer.

Mansfield Dam Park located in Austin, Texas, is a beautiful lakefront park that offers a relaxing…read moreoutdoor experience. The park is located on Lake Travis featuring spectacular panoramic views, access to boating and water sports, and areas for picnics. Park visitors can swim in a designated cove, go fishing, launch boats and water skis onto Lake Travis or simply have a delightful picnic in the great outdoors. The park is well-maintained and includes amenities such as playgrounds, picnic tables, barbecue grills, restrooms, and walking trails. It also has a scuba diving area to observe fish, marine plants and other items underwater. The park also provides life jackets, which you do not see very often. In addition, there is an EMS helicopter pad available for air evac if an individual gets hurt at the park. You could easily spend an entire day at Mansfield Dam Park. The park is so serene and calming with wide views of Lake Travis. It was a great place to meditate and reset.

Hippie Hollow is a nice winding drive in North Austin. The park is $8.00 CASH ONLY…read more Lake Travis is 100% full, since 2019! So thrilled that we have the water level back. But with that, you loose space to lay out. And then there becomes no place to walk around. Not complaining. Thrilled we have the water level back to 100% Hippie Hollow is the only nude beach in Texas. So I'm told. Started many decades ago when the catch phrase "keep Austin weird" actually meant something. Weddings have actually been performed here. Maybe someday mine will too. Haha. I went all the way down to trail 6 to see if there would be an easy way down, and easy to get out of the water. Now that the water level is so high, it just becomes a cliff. Easy to get in, just jump. But climbing out, can get a little tricky. Picking a trail to go down can be tricky. Of course you want to give people their private space. You need a spot where you can lay out on a blanket. And getting out of the water easily where you don't have to be rescued. I needed rescuing last time, and luckily I was able to get in and out fine on my own. The second time a gentleman was walking past, and offered his hand to help me out. People are just so friendly here. I met two gentleman separate occasions. Very nice. Apparently they are regulars here. Water was choppy again. It's hard to just float and relax. You just have to keep treading water and keep your head up. Super freeing. Natural. Water is refreshing, the Texas sun is like no other. But the ants! Oh my word, they bit. Next time ant spray. They're brutal. Till next time Hippie Hollow, stay weird.

The park sits on a rugged stretch of Lake Travis, and the scenery alone is worth the trip. The…read morecliffs, the water, and the wide‑open views make it one of the more striking spots around the lake. The hike down to the shoreline is rocky and uneven, so it's not the kind of place you wander into by accident -- you earn the view a little, which honestly fits the whole atmosphere. When you arrive, the staff makes sure you understand the rules, especially the one about no sexual activity. They're clear, direct, and they repeat it enough times that you'd think no one could possibly forget. And yet, once you're inside, you occasionally encounter someone who seems to have the memory retention of a goldfish or the attention span of a distracted squirrel. Thankfully, the vibe of the park is mellow enough that these moments are more eye‑roll than incident. The crowd is a mix of regulars who clearly know the place well and visitors who show up curious or just wanting a quiet spot by the water. The atmosphere is laid‑back, nonjudgmental, and surprisingly calm. Even with the clothing‑optional reputation, it doesn't feel chaotic or wild; it's more like a group of people who collectively decided they're done pretending swimsuits are mandatory. The water access is great once you get down there, and the rocky shoreline gives you plenty of places to set up without feeling crowded. The views across Lake Travis are some of the best you'll get without renting a boat or owning one of the massive houses perched above the lake. If you're looking for a typical beach park, this isn't it. But if you want a quiet, scenic spot with a very specific kind of freedom baked into its identity, Hippy Hollow delivers exactly what it promises.

No where to park, everywhere there are private neighborhood signs, just wanted to see the lake and…read moreit was not great.

This place is a hot spot on Lake Travis. It tends to be a popular place to tie boats together and…read morethrow loud friendly parties. Being here on memorial day is an experience like none other. Sometimes there are even barges that sell things like BBQ, Ice Cream, Pizza, etc. and will even deliver it to your boat in a little Dingy! I've had many good times in this cove and will continue to visit here regularly on Lake Travis boating trips. I tried to give latitude/longitude coordinates in the "address", but more general directions are that it's the first cove west of the volente fork off the main lake. Check this link for more detail: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=lake+travis,+austin,+tx&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.885545,81.123047&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=30.445936,-97.948737&spn=0.025639,0.039611&om=1

Was in the lago vista area and decided to kill some time by going here. Totally worth my $5. It's…read moregot great hiking trails and even 1 small ADA trail. Has an awesome looking playground that makes me jealous that I'm not a kid. Has charcoal grills at almost every picnic tables that are in the shade. An area to go swimming. Can also drop your boats in and camp if you choose too

My first visit to Arkansas Bend Park was very enjoyable, pleasant and impressed with the over…read morelayout of the park. Due to COVID-19, it was one of the very few parks opened the weekend of my visit. It wasn't crowded, plenty of open space for social distancing. I was impressed with the cleanliness, even the picnic tables and park restrooms were well maintained. The park offers a nice view of the lake with lots of boating & jet skiing activities. Boat ramps are available on the park. The over night camping section of the park remains closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. I will definitely consider Arkansas Bend Park in the future for outdoor activities. Next time I'll be better prepared for some picnicking & BBQ, along with some extended fun in the sun.

"Lake" Austin is actually PART of the Colorado River. Other than rain, it gets its water from Lake…read moreTravis, beginning at the Mansfield Dam and extending all the way past the iconic Pennybacker Bridge down to the Tom Miller Dam. A constant flow from LT ensures that LA maintains the same constant water levels year-round. Because of the vastness of Lake Austin, essentially meandering down the Colorado River (something like 20 miles long!), there are several different areas, with different landscapes with some areas better suited for certain lake activities than others - while all are great. The "top"of Lake Austin, right by the Mansfield Dam, is a fantastic spot for paddle boarding, kayaking, and swimming. Boats are not allowed in this particular area, so the water is not choppy at all and is extra cool in temperature from the direct LT flow - so refreshing on the 100+ degree Texas scorchers.. It is also very clear - you can see all the way to the bottom on most days! Other parts of Lake Austin are also conducive to personal water sports; however, are better for larger watercraft and great for fishing enthusiasts. The lake has been stocked with catfish, largemouth bass, and a few other varieties. Don't have a boat? No problem. Have actually had decent success while doing some shore fishing (catch & release; that's just me). And water-skiing - weeeeeeeeh! Lake Austin also backs up against several great parks for playing with the D.O.G., friends, kiddos, and maybe even a little picnicking or grilling (e.g., Mary Quinlan Park, Fritz Hughes Park, etc.). So, whatever area you choose to visit, or whatever you choose to do, just remember to bring drinking water, sunblock, and maybe some bug spray...and just have fun! ;) [155 in 2015]