Hiking, camping, boat access...oh my!
Lake Travis boasts a bevy of multi-use parks. Many feature a host of activities to keep boaters and non-boaters occupied for endless excursions—from swimming, sunbathing, scuba diving, volleyball, hiking, camping, horseback riding and more. Below is a guide to the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) parks and recreation area, giving you plenty of ideas on where and how to play on Lake Travis. For even more ideas, clubs, and activities, see the More to Do page. Whether you live on the lake or are just visiting, have fun responsibly.
Arkansas Bend:
Located on the north shore of Lake Travis, Arkansas Bend is 323 acres with two miles of shoreline. Activities include hiking, camping, picnicking, mountain biking, swimming, and lake access via boat ramp. Amenities include picnic tables, restrooms, bbq grills, boat ramp, nature/hiking trails, and primitive campsites.
Directions: From Highway 183, take FM 1431 south 11 miles to Lohmans Ford Road. Turn left on Lohmans Ford Road and travel 4.5 miles to Sylvester Ford Road. Turn left on Sylvester Ford Road and travel 1.5 miles to the park entrance.
Bob Wentz at Windy Point:
Located in the basin area of Lake Travis, Bob Wentz Park is 211 acres. The shoreline area of the park is heavily used. Activities include sunbathing, boating, picnicking, sailing, scuba diving, swimming, windsurfing, volleyball. Amenities include restrooms, drinking water, bbq grills, boat dock (restricted to sailcraft only), picnic tables, sand volleyball courts, shower, enclosed pavilion, and wind/temp monitor.
Directions: From the intersection of RR 620 and FM 2222, take RR 620 south 1.3 miles to Comanche Trail. Turn right on Comanche Trail and travel 3.1 miles. Park entrance is on your left.
Cypress Creek:
Easy access makes this park popular with boaters and campers. Cypress Creek Park is eleven acres with a gently sloping shoreline, and cove that allows easy access to the main body of Lake Travis. Activities include boating, camping, fishing, picnicking, and swimming. Amenities include bbq grills, fire rings, restroom, boat ramp, and picnic tables.
Directions: From the intersection of RR 620 and FM 2222, take FM 2222 (Bullick Hollow Road) west 2 miles. The park entrance is on your left, just before the intersection of Bullick Hollow Road and FM 2769 (Old Anderson Mill Road).
Gloster Bend Recreation Area
Located on Lake Travis’ north shore, Gloster Bend has over a mile of shoreline and a boat ramp that is open 24 hours. Activities include hiking/walking trails, bicycling, horseback riding, fishing, and swimming. Amenities include 24-hour boat ramp, paved parking area, picnic tables, bbq grills, and waterless toilets.
Directions: Take FM 1431 west from Austin/Cedar Park or east from Marble Falls to Singleton Rd and continue approximately 3 miles to the site entrance.
Grelle Recreation Area:
Located on Lake Travis’ south shore, Grelle Park envelopes a small cove on Lake Travis and boasts a grassy shore that is ideal for swimming. Activities include hiking/walking trails, bicycling, horseback riding, fishing, swimming, and primitive camping. Amenities include a two-mile hiking trail, picnic tables, fire rings, and waterless toilets.
Directions: From Austin or Llano take Hwy 71 and turn north on Spur 191. In Spicewood take County Road 404. Continue almost one mile and turn left on to County Road 412. Continue approximately half a mile to park entrance.
Hippie Hollow:
Spread out over 109 acres, Hippie Hollow's steep, rocky shoreline is seculrey located in the basin area of western Lake Travis. Only 30 minutes from Interstate 35 this clothing-optional park—the only such public park in the entire state—presents a whole new way for locals and visitors to enjoy Austin. This spot has been famous for nude marriages and as a peaceful spot to soak up rays where the sun normally doesn’t shine. Additional activities include swimming, hiking, and bird watching. Amenities include concession stand, designated swimming area, nature/hiking trails, paved ADA accessible trail, restrooms, and drinking water. Day permits are $8 per person.
Directions: From the intersection of RR 620 and FM 2222, take RR 620 south 1.3 miles to Comanche Trail. Turn right on Comanche Trail and travel 2 miles. Park entrance is on your left.
Mansfield Dam Park:
Located on the main body of Lake Travis adjacent to Mansfield Dam, this park's boat ramp serves as one of the main entrance points for boaters to Lake Travis. Mansfield Dam’s boat ramp is the deepest and most accessible boat ramp on Lake Travis, and since renovations in 2000, the park can now accommodate 112 trailer towing vehicles. One of the unique attractions at Mansfield Dam Park is the dive park. There are dive stairs, a wheel chair accessible ramp, and a courtesy dive lift. In addition, four dive platforms have been installed a various lake levels. An underwater trail and compass course has been installed to connect attractions such as sunken boats, geological points of interest, and historic dam construction materials. Activities include boating, picnicking, scuba diving/night diving, sun bathing, wind surfing, and swimming. Amenities include bbq grills, boat ramp, designated swim cove, drinking water, pay phones, picnic tables, restrooms, concessions, under water dive park, playscape, covered shelters, hiking trail, and swim platform.
Directions: From the intersection of RR 620 and FM 2222, travel south 4.9 miles. Turn right onto Mansfield Dam Road, just south of Mansfield Dam. The park entrance is on your left.
Pace Bend Park:
Located in far western Travis County in the Hill Country, Pace Bend Park is one of the most popular areas on Lake Travis. Pace Bend Park boasts more than nine miles of shoreline. The west side of the park is comprised of high limestone cliffs, popular for cliff jumping when the water levels permit. Most of the 1,368 acres are easily accessible by car from the seven-mile road that runs throughout the park. The interior of Pace Bend Park is a nature reserve and is only accessible by foot, bicycle, or horseback. Activities include boating, camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, sailing, swimming, sunbathing, and horseback riding. Amenities include 20 improved campsites with water, electrical hookups and showers, bbq grills/fire rings, two boat ramps, designated swim coves, drinking water, nature/hiking multi-use primitive trails, picnic tables, 400 primitive campsites, RV dump station, and wave runner rental.
Directions: Pace Bend is approximately 30 miles west of Austin on Lake Travis. From the intersection of RR 620 and Hwy 71, take Hwy 71 west 11 miles to RR 2322 (Pace Bend Park Road). Turn right on RR 2322 and travel 4.6 miles to the park entrance.
Sandy Creek Park:
Located on a quiet cove on Lake Travis, Sandy Creek Park is 25 acres, and offers easy access to the basin area of the lake. Free of the heavier boat traffic that many other areas of the lake experience, Sandy Creek Park attracts overnight campers, boaters and hikers. Activities include birding, boating, camping, fishing, hiking/nature study, picnicking, sunbathing, and swimming. Amenities include bbq grills, boat ramp, drinking water, picnic tables, primitive camping, and restrooms.
Directions: From the intersection of RR 620 and FM 2222, take FM 2222 (Bullick Hollow Road) west 2.5 miles to FM 2769. Turn left onto FM 2769 and travel 4 miles to the town of Volente. In Volente, turn right onto Lime Creek Road and follow Lime Creek Road 6 miles to the park entrance. Park entrance is on the left.
Tom Hughes Park:
Located in the basin area of Lake Travis near Mansfield Dam. Tom Hughes Park is one of the less visited parks due to its rough terrain and lack of parking. A few primitive trails lead to the shoreline where visitors can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, hiking, and even scuba diving. Amenities include portable toilets.
Directions: From the intersection of RR 620 and FM 2222, take RR 620 south 2.3 miles to Marshall Ford Drive. Turn right on Marshall Ford Drive and travel 0.2 miles to Park Drive. Turn right and travel 2.8 miles to the park entrance.
