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Texas Outdoors: LCRA Rivers & Lakes

Lake Travis

7. Shaffer Bend Recreation Area, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: 17 miles west of Lago Vista or nine miles east of Marble Falls near Smithwick. Take FM 1431 to CR 343A, then travel about one mile.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for hikers. This free 523-acre park offers hike/bike trails. A favorite with day trippers looking for an undeveloped site, the park also has many good lake views.

    8. Narrows Recreation Area, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: upper south side of Lake Travis near Spicewood. From southeast of Austin, take Texas 71 west and turn north on Spur 191. Go about one mile to Spicewood; continue north approximately one mile on CR 410 to the intersection of CR 411, which is a gravel road. Once on CR 411, go approximately one and one-half miles north to the entrance of Narrows Recreation Area.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for boaters. This free recreation area is used by boaters looking for a site to launch into the upper south side of Lake Travis. The ramp, however, should be used with caution during low water periods. Only minimal facilities, primarily a restroom, are available here. This area should be avoided during heavy rains; the access road traverses a low water crossing that can become impassable.

    9. Grelle Recreation Area, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: upper south side of Lake Travis near Spicewood. From Austin, head west on Texas 71, turn north on Spur 191 and proceed about one mile to Spicewood. Take a right on CR 404 and travel about one mile to the intersection of CR 412, a gravel road. Turn left and go about a half-mile to the entrance of Grelle Recreation Area.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for hikers, swimmers. Grelle is often visited for its two-mile hiking trail, which leads visitors along a steep path to a plateau with views of Lake Travis. The site also is popular for its shoreline. Visitors will find minimal facilities: a restroom, picnic tables, grills, fire rings and a small parking area.

    10. Turkey Bend Rec. Area, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: north side of Lake Travis about nine and one-half miles west of Lago Vista. Take FM 1431 to Shaw Drive and continue about two miles to the site entrance.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for horseback riders, hikers, swimmers. This 400-acre park winds along two miles of north Lake Travis shoreline. The recreation area is popular for back-to-nature getaways because the site has been left mostly undeveloped. There is a composting toilet and Dumpster but no drinking water. Some primitive campsites are marked with fire rings. Horseback riders and hikers frequent the park for its loop trail with good views of the lake. One warning: During hunting season there is hunting on adjacent private land so be wary when hiking near fence lines.

    11. Muleshoe Recreation Area, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: upper south side of Lake Travis near the Ridge Harbor subdivision. Go west on Texas 71. Turn right on CR 404 and proceed about four and one-half miles. Turn right onto CR 414 and travel about one and one-half miles, then turn right before the entrance to Ridge Harbor. Drive about three-tenths of a mile on the gravel road to the entrance.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for hikers, horseback riders and campers. Muleshoe Bend is appropriately named: a two-mile looped trail is a favorite with those looking to take a four-legged ride through undeveloped hill country. Horseback riders and hikers enjoy the trail located on the upper area of the park. This is the largest property in the LCRA system with 1,000 acres and offers picnic tables, three restrooms, metal fire rings and a parking area.

    12. Gloster Bend Recreation Area, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: north side of Lake Travis, about six miles west of Lago Vista near Travis Peak. Take FM 1431 to Singleton Bend Road and continue about three miles to the site entrance.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for boaters, swimmers, hikers. This large, day-use-only park is divided into woodlands on the south and grasslands on the north. The site has two composting toilets, fire rings and trash cans. It has a boat ramp but is not recommended for use when lake levels are low. More than a mile of shoreline is easily accessible.

    13. Camp Chautauqua, Lake Travis

  • LOCATION: Take Texas 71 west to RM 2322, and go north about four and one-half miles to Pace Bend Park. Follow the signs to Camp Chautauqua.

  • ABOUT THE PARK: Recommended for campers, canoeists, anglers, swimmers and family reunions. The park includes a variety of individual and group sites with four covered pavilions for group picnics as well as restrooms, showers, hike/bike trails, two boat ramps, sand volleyball courts, a natural baseball field, a fishing pier and a small playground. The park also is popular for family reunions and meetings and includes a covered pavilion for about 75 people. Campers can select from 20 tent campsites, 20 RV sites with water and electricity and eight screened shelters. Reservations are required for camping. Write to Camp Chautauqua, Route 1, Box 30, Spicewood, Texas 78669, or call (512) 264-1752.

    Next: Lake Bastrop & Other Parks

    -- Compiled by Paris Permenter and John Bigley.
    Special to the American-Statesman


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