Lake Travis Lifestyle

Your Guide to Lake Travis, Austin TX

Outdoor Recreation in the Lake Travis Area

Austinites are known for their health-conscious attitudes, and the communities surrounding Lake Travis are no different.

You can always spot cyclists and runners in the area, whether in neighborhoods or even on the more busy roadways. You'd almost have to work at not being active considering the many miles of hiking and biking trails, swimming spots and array of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed all year long.

Recreational activities aside, the Lake Travis area is home to all manner of athletes, including various championship teams at the high school level. Among them is the Lake Travis High School football program which boasts six state titles.

But you don't have to be in training for a marathon to enjoy the great outdoors in the Lake Travis area. Check out some of the Lake Travis area outdoor activities you and your family can start enjoying today.

Growing the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge One Volunteer at a Time

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If you choose to live around Lake Travis, chances are you appreciate the area’s natural beauty. Your eyes feast on verdant hills in the distance. Your ears thrill to the insistent songs of springtime birds.

As more people move to the area, though, things change. The hills get bulldozed. Squares of St. Augustine replace native trees and grasses. Wildlife has nowhere to go.

Between Lago Vista and Marble Falls along 1431 lies a national treasure: the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

But it’s not all refuge, at least not yet …

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River Place Nature Trail: The Most Underrated Hike in Austin

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If you ask most Austin area hikers about their favorite destination, they’ll likely give you one of three responses: the Barton Creek Greenbelt, the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, or the trail at Turkey Creek.

There’s nothing wrong with any of these answers.

With eight miles of trails conveniently located near the intersection of Mopac and 360, the Barton Creek Greenbelt is the city’s most popular hiking location for a reason.

The Wild Basin Preserve, meanwhile, features a peaceful waterfall and a few breathtaking scenic views.

And few dog-lovers can resist Turkey Creek’s unique mix of off-leash culture and winding creekside paths.

Yet, somehow, a place that harmoniously melds the best features of these three trails often goes unmentioned — and it’s located just a hop and a skip away from Lake Travis.

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4 Weeks to Fit: Camp Gladiator in Lake Travis

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Yup, you read that right. Camp Gladiator’s calendar is a little different.

This outdoor fitness program is built on relationships and community. It offers high-energy, challenging workouts to help everyone reach their fitness goals.

Camp Gladiator’s primary North Shore trainer Danna Ferris invites you to give it a try. “Age, gender, size, race.” She ticks them off on her fingers. “None of that should stop you from taking your fitness into your own hands.”

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How to Avoid Getting Punked by a Lake Travis Skunk

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If you’re familiar with the notoriously noxious smell that tends to waft through neighborhoods in the Lake Travis area, you know skunks are afoot.

Did you know their scent can be picked up by your human nose from more than a mile away?

They can also spray their victim from up to ten feet away with accuracy that rivals precision rifle shooters. In fact, they can control the amount of mist they spray and spray up to six times consecutively.

This isn’t good news for those of us with functioning noses and/or pets.

But in all fairness, the skunks were here first. This is the Texas Hill Country. It’s full of all sorts of wild critters who have been happily living here long before we showed up.

So how do we co-habitat with these smelly polecats?

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Sailing Lake Travis with sailATX

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sailing lake travis 5

Back when I was a kid growing up near the waters of Lake Michigan, my parents had a friend with a sailboat. I was too little to be interested in learning anything about how to sail, but always remember the excitement when the opportunity came to be out on the water in a sailboat.

The waves on Lake Michigan are notorious for making the hardiest of sea captains lose their lunch. At my age, I couldn’t be compared to any sort of skipper, so I had no problem losing my lunch every time we headed out of the breakwater and got into the rhythm of the Lake Michigan waves. But that never stopped me from getting completely surrounded by water and in a boat powered by the wind.

When Steve from sailATX asked me if I was interested in sailing on Lake Travis, the excitement of sailing — something I haven’t done for 20+ years — came alive again. This time it would be without the Lake Michigan waves that stole my lunch. If you can handle being in a boat on an inland lake, you can sail on Lake Travis.

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