Outdoors

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.

How to Avoid Getting Punked by a Lake Travis Skunk

Written by Cathy Hale | September 7, 2016

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?

Sailing Lake Travis with sailATX

Written by Todd Hower | July 28, 2016

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.

Lago Fest and Austin Yacht Club’s Turnback Canyon Regatta: Great Fun at Bar-K Park

Written by Sandra Spicher | June 1, 2016

If you happened to glance at Lake Travis on Saturday or Sunday, you might have wondered what was going on. Sure, it was Memorial Day weekend. Makes sense for people to flock to the lake. But why all the sailboats?

For the first time in years, the weather cooperated enough to hold a two-day race the Austin Yacht Club calls the Turnback Canyon Regatta. One sailor, whose team came in fourth in his division Saturday, explained that there has to be enough water in the cove at Bar-K Park to allow the sailboats to tie up overnight.

You may recall the Memorial Day weekend of 2015, when there was too much water (not to mention debris) to hold the race.

Outdoors in Lake Travis: 23 Things You Might Not Know About Mosquitoes

Written by Cathy Hale | May 23, 2016

It’s summertime in the Lake Travis area when uninvited guests start crashing your backyard barbecues — and we don’t mean those annoying neighbors that play their music too loud after 10 p.m. We’re talking about bloodsuckers of the winged variety. Mosquitoes.

As you probably remember from last spring, the rain and wet weather brings us more than just a full Lake Travis. It brings lots and lots of mosquitoes. To borrow a line from Poltergeist, “They’re heeeere!”

Do you know mosquitoes may ignore you if you’re lazy? Do you know girls do run the world when it comes to mosquitoes? Yep, the female mosquitoes bite, not the males. They need blood to produce fertile eggs. Male insects live off of nectar.

Here are 23 things you might not know about mosquitoes including tips to help you protect yourself and your family against these local bloodsuckers …

Summer Fun for Your Lake Travis Visitors

Written by Mandy Spivey | May 18, 2016

Summer is just around the corner — the days are starting to get longer and that famous Texas heat is already making a regular appearance around Lake Travis.

Before you know it, you’ll have summer visitors at your door, ready to see the best that the Lake Travis area has to offer.

That’s when it’s up to you, fellow Lake Travisite, to bring out-of-towners to the chillest swimming holes and local destinations that give your Lake Travis visitors a few solid hours of entertainment — Lake Travis style.

There’s something to do for everyone in Lake Travis, so grab your swim suits and some sunscreen — we might be out for a while.

Outdoors

Outdoor Recreation in the Lake Travis Area

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