Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Lake Travis, TX

  • Published 2022/05/20

Lake Travis is one of the world’s most gorgeous locations for water adventures.

It is a flood-control reservoir with 30 square miles of surface area and 65 miles of shoreline along the Colorado River.

In 2018, the depth of Lake Travis increased by 20 feet in a single 24-hour period.

The picturesque lake is Central Texas’ crown jewel, generating energy and providing recreational opportunities.

Lake Travis is the most visited freshwater recreational holiday destination in Texas.

Its limestone bottom creates azure waters that are crystal pure, making it a freshwater paradise for water enthusiasts.

On Lake Travis, you can enjoy your favorite outdoor activities with your family or yourself.

Here are the best things to do in Lake Travis, Texas:

Splash around Hippie Hollow Park

The waters of Hippie Hollow Park

Philip Arno Photography / Shutterstock.com

Hippie Hollow Park is more than just a place to get naked; it is also a beautiful location on the shore of Lake Travis.

Hippie Hollow Park opened in 1973 under McGregor County Park.

This park is the only officially sanctioned clothing-optional public park in Texas.

The park is on a somewhat steep hill above Lake Travis, with limestone steps that may be difficult.

Aerial view of Hippie Hollow Park

LoneStarMike, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you descend to the lake level, you’ll discover a wonderful beach with breathtaking views of downtown Austin and the hills.

After Woodstock, the neighborhood got the name “Hippie Hollow” due to the cultural upheavals in the 1960s.

Local governments have the authority to regulate nudity on public land within 200 feet of any beach or pool where minors are likely to be present.

Go on an Island Adventure at Waterloo Adventures

Are you prepared for a summer adventure?

Waterloo Adventures is a waterpark and obstacle course on Lake Travis.

The Waterloo Adventures park has a 600-foot water playground with over 20 obstacles, including climbing walls, monkey bars, slides, balance beams, bridges, etc.

The park is near Lake Travis Zipline Adventures, its sister park.

Your experience begins with a boat ride to the picturesque “Adventure Island.”

Once on the island, enjoy a 45-minute session on the 600-foot-long, advanced obstacle course.

A free-fall slide, a springboard leaping tower, and a 24-foot-wide trampoline are included in the price of admission.

Besides food and beverages, Adventure Island offers wine, beer, and frozen drinks.

Try Scuba Diving at Windy Point Park

Windy Point Park is the best-kept secret in Lake Travis.

It is an excellent area for families and parties to experience Lake Travis’s stunning environment and enticing, clear waters.

The park is also an excellent spot for camping and picnicking.

Divers from all across the state recognize it, and local firefighters use it as a training ground to help save lives.

It is near Mansfield Dam and offers a variety of things to discover and explore in Lake Travis.

Divers will discover shipwrecks and one-of-a-kind metal sculptures of a scuba diver, a sea turtle, a shark, and a manatee, among other intriguing artifacts.

Divers with advanced training and experience can appreciate the nearly 100-foot-deep underwater canyon wall.

Dress warmly, as temperatures at that depth might vary by 30 degrees from those at the surface.

Fly High at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures

Are you seeking a thrilling and entertaining adventure?

Texas’s longest and fastest zipline is at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures.

Lake Travis Zipline Adventures includes five zip lines ranging from 250 feet to the state’s most extended at over 2800 feet.s

While you wait between each zipline, you will see breathtaking vistas of Lake Travis and the Texas Hill Country.

Imagine leaping from a 20-story cliff for the dramatic finale and zipping over 2800 feet across Lake Travis.

The zipline park has rapidly become one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Lake.

Your Adventure includes all necessary equipment, water, boat transportation, and a light snack for the route.

You also have access to the Private Beach, where you may have a picnic, swim, play games, or rest in a hammock by the ocean.

Enjoy a Sunset Dinner at the Oasis

The Oasis restaurant with a view of the sunset

amadeustx / Shutterstock.com

You don’t want to miss eating at the Oasis on your Lake Travis adventure.

It is the ideal site to see the sunset over Lake Travis and listen to live music.

The Oasis is a restaurant on the western side of Austin noted for its live music and stunning views of Lake Travis.

The building of the Oasis

Thitinan Ananchaiphattana / Shutterstock.com

It is the largest outdoor restaurant in the area, situated on a bluff 450 feet above the lake.

The 30,000-square-foot restaurant is known as the Sunset Capital of Texas due to its location and breathtaking view.

It features eight event rooms and numerous eating terraces facing the lake, so it is suitable for any style of celebration.

Houston entrepreneur Beau Theriot built the Oasis in 1982, and it has mesmerized travelers for almost 25 years with its beautiful sunsets over the lake.

Tables and chairs of the Oasis

majicphotos / Shutterstock.com

Spend Family Day at the Volente Beach Resort & Waterpark

The Volente Beach Resort is the ideal destination for children and adults to spend a day of summertime pleasure.

With its sand beach, three volleyball courts, and pools for both children and adults, the resort offers something for everyone.

They are located in Volente, Texas, within walking distance of numerous marinas and restaurants.

The Volente Beach Resort features Beachside Billy’s Lake Travis Restaurant and Water Park.

There are pools for youngsters and a pool for adults with a swim-up tiki bar.

Bring the whole family for a day at the beach and enjoy their burgers, steaks, and an abundance of seafood.

One-bedroom bungalows are also available for families or large groups wanting to bring coolers and enjoy the great outdoor area.

Enjoy a Barbecue Party at Arkansas Bend Park

Arkansas Bend Park offers convenient and economical camping for all travelers.

They provide 18 campsites with water and power connections.

Each camp has a picnic table, grill, lantern hook, and fire ring.

There are three restrooms on Roadrunner Loop, with ten individual bathroom and shower combinations.

The camping area is staffed by camp hosts and restricted to paying campers.

Every site is back-in only.

On-site parking is provided.

Ground fires are permitted when the season allows.

In all Lake Travis County Parks, cutting or gathering firewood, including kindling, is forbidden.

Unwind at Mansfield Dam Park

Aerial view of Mansfield Dam Park

Nicholas Zehnder / Shutterstock.com

Mansfield Dam Park in Lake Travis is the ideal destination for anyone needing a spot to unwind and enjoy the outdoors.

This park offers everything you need, including picnic tables, BBQ grills, and hiking trails against a picturesque backdrop of trees and water.

The day-use part of the park features picnic tables, BBQ grills, and various covered shelters arranged behind the natural tree canopies.

Picnic tables near the water of Mansfield Dam Park

Blake Burklund / Shutterstock.com

You can easily access picnic areas and lake access by strolling down the winding hiking and biking trail to your desired position.

When you visit Mansfield Dam Park, you may immediately enter the water no matter where you park.

They have constructed a dive ramp and stairs to facilitate the descent from the slope to the lake.

The dam has more to offer once you’re in the water, such as four underwater platforms at varying lake depths that make diving accessible to everyone.

You’ll have a great time exploring all of Lake Travis!

The structure of Mansfield Dam

Philip Arno Photography / Shutterstock.com

Take a Morning Walk at Pace Bend Park

Scenic view of Pace Bend Park

Ricardo Lesmes / Shutterstock.com

Pace Bend, a nature sanctuary, provides numerous recreational options.

The west side of the park comprises steep limestone cliffs and several rocky bays that provide some of the most breathtaking views of Lake Travis, especially after sunset.

The six-mile paved roadway that circumnavigates Pace Bend Park provides easy access to the park’s majority.

Aerial view of Pace Bend Park's cliff

Ricardo Lesmes / Shutterstock.com

The park’s heart is a nature preserve, only accessible by foot, bicycle, or horseback.

Numerous routes lead into the hills and offer spectacular views of the Lake and Hill Country.

This region hosts numerous white-tailed deer, raccoons, foxes, ringtail cats, and bird species.

Pace Bend Park offers more than nine miles of gorgeous Lake Travis shoreline.

A bird on a tree at Pace Bend Park

Julie Huser / Shutterstock.com

Enjoy Outdoor Recreation at Shaffer Bend Recreation Area

Are you looking for a place to ride your horse?

You might want to trek into the woods and absorb the breathtaking views of the Shaffer Bend Recreation Area.

The Shaffer Bend Recreation Area is a 508-acre park in Lake Travis with varied topography ideal for horseback riding and hiking.

While touring this lakeside park, take a moment to appreciate the breathtaking vistas surrounding it.

There are picnic tables and grills accessible at the campsites in the park.

Camping, water recreation, fishing, swimming, outdoor recreation, and picnicking are popular amenities.

Try Windsurfing at Bob Wentz Park

Bob Wentz Park is where to go if you want to hit the water and enjoy some of the most beautiful views.

Bob Wentz Park is a popular spot for water sports, situated in the basin area of Lake Travis in the beautiful Hill Country of central Texas.

Picnicking, swimming, windsurfing, and scuba diving are popular activities in the park due to its amenities and proximity to Austin.

The coastline sections, especially the sandy peninsula known as “The Point,” see frequent visitors, while a 150-acre tract adjacent to the shoreline is preserved as a natural area.

The park features two sand volleyball courts, a jogging trail along the shoreline, a boat ramp, and a rentable pavilion.

Enjoy Food and Music at Canyon Grille Rough Hollow

Canyon Grille Rough Hollow has become a favorite for many years.

The Rough Hollow Yacht Club, where the restaurant is located, is tucked away in Lakeway.

Besides mouthwatering fare and breathtaking views of Lake Travis and the Hill Country, this restaurant also features a live music scene.

Take your pick from the broad menu while sitting back and enjoying your meal.

There is no way you’ll miss the extensive selection of moderately priced wine, delectable meals, and exquisite sweets.

The Rough Hollow Marina’s courtesy dock provides access to Canyon Grille.

Go Fishing at Camp Creek Park

Lake Travis Camp Creek Park is the ideal location for camping with your buddies.

Lake Travis Camp Creek Park is on the lake’s northern side, close to Marble Falls, Texas.

It is a 40-acre park with enormous pecan trees that provide shade for the canopy.

Guests can cook meals on the park’s grills and tell tales around the fire rings.

There are 16 campsites, water recreation, a boat ramp, fishing, swimming, outdoor recreation, and picnics.

Enjoy a Total Adventure at Devil’s Cove

The Devil’s Cove is a big, long cove facing north-northwest under the authority of Jonestown.

This party cove in Lake Travis became famous for its vastness, central location, and absence of development on the lake’s northern bank.

For years, the occasionally huge, boisterous, and unruly boat-snake groups have annoyed the few lakefront residents.

In 2011, at the request of several new lakefront property owners, Jonestown passed an ordinance to help mitigate the noise at the cove.

Surprisingly, the ordinance was moderate and did not portend the demise of the cove.

Today, it remains among the most visited cove in the area!

Camp with Family at Cypress Creek Park

Cypress Creek Park is near Lake Travis in the central Texas Hill Country.

This modest, easily-accessible park is a popular site for boating, picnics, and fishing.

The park’s main body has a gently sloping waterfront with BBQ grills and picnic tables for people who like to eat outside.

The boat ramp offers convenient access to the basin region of Lake Travis.

There is also a fishing pier stretching into the gorgeous lake if you want to fish.

Admission to Cypress Creek Park is free, except during special events and holidays when fees may apply.

Final Thoughts

You’ll never go wrong with a trip to Lake Travis.

Lake Travis provides more than simply outdoor activities; it also provides warmth and welcome.

Keep this list of places and activities in mind as you plan your Lake Travis trip and discover the most incredible place to make memories.

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