Woot! I did It! I swam from Volente Beach out to Starnes Island today! Ok I had to get that out! It…read morewas that exciting. The 5 stars is for the actual overall experience not the island itself. This morning 4 of my adventure friends and I met at 620/Bullick Hollow and piled into James' truck for the ride out to Volente Beach Water Park - since the Island does not have an address that is the address I used for the island. To swim out to the island pass the water park and turn into the first private driveway on the right pay 5.00 per car and drive all the way to the water - you will see the island out off shore. If you want to swim out to this island you must have swim fins a flotation device for water and dry pack and I highly advise some sort of flag since there are boats in the area. We swam up to a sandy beach and hiked over to the other side that has cliffs and huge boulders to jump off of. The guys jumped first to prove to Tracy and I that it was safe:) yes the water is still deep enough here. Even though the water is low it was a good 1/8 mile swim out to the island that took about 20 minutes. I highly recommend the island for anyone who likes to explore, swim or scuba dive.

A buddy and I decided to go kayaking on Lake Travis, little did I know just how far we'd go. We…read moreput in at Jones Brothers park in Jonestown and just started paddling. We were having a great time but neither of us wanted to be the first to say they were getting tired. Next thing we know we could see the main body of the lake and see Starnes island (isn't it aka "Snake Island?) and paddled furiously towards it. We got there and were well rewarded. I am totally going to pack the 'yak for an overnighter on the island, its a great place! That is, once my shoulder heals up. Next time I'll probably wuss out and put in at Volente. Great times had by all!

What a fantastic park to have just 5 mins away from our house! The moment you walk up, you…read moreinstantly notice how awesome this place is for kids of all ages. The park is not massive but more than enough area for all types of activities. The park is split between three sections. 1. Covered seating/rec area 2. Small Kids 3. Bigger Kids We loved knowing that our 2 year old could enjoy all the activities while also knowing that most of the bigger kids would be on the other side of the park. My only small negative is that some of the flooring is coming up in areas. I don't think it makes it any more dangerous, but it could get worse over time. I highly recommend this spot for kids and parents.

Love this little park, it's not massive but has just enough equipment for a good variety of ages. A…read moregreat toddler approved area!

Was in the lago vista area and decided to kill some time by going here. Totally worth my $5. It's…read moregot great hiking trails and even 1 small ADA trail. Has an awesome looking playground that makes me jealous that I'm not a kid. Has charcoal grills at almost every picnic tables that are in the shade. An area to go swimming. Can also drop your boats in and camp if you choose too

My first visit to Arkansas Bend Park was very enjoyable, pleasant and impressed with the over…read morelayout of the park. Due to COVID-19, it was one of the very few parks opened the weekend of my visit. It wasn't crowded, plenty of open space for social distancing. I was impressed with the cleanliness, even the picnic tables and park restrooms were well maintained. The park offers a nice view of the lake with lots of boating & jet skiing activities. Boat ramps are available on the park. The over night camping section of the park remains closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. I will definitely consider Arkansas Bend Park in the future for outdoor activities. Next time I'll be better prepared for some picnicking & BBQ, along with some extended fun in the sun.

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge makes for a great day trip if you don't mind about an…read morehour drive from central Austin, depending on traffic. I did a couple of stops while we were out there, Doeskin Ranch and Shin Oak Observation Deck. The main hike was Doeskin Ranch. There's a restroom right near the trailhead. It's not plumbed, just a chemical toilet, but it was clean, stocked with hand sanitizer, and being able to use the bathroom before starting the hike made the whole experience more relaxed. The hike itself was nice but very seasonal. I went in January, so the landscape was mostly golden-brown grass with limited greenery and not much tree cover. You're mostly enjoying bushes, rocks, and scattered trees rather than lush views. I'd really like to come back in late spring or late fall when things are greener and more alive. The trail is fairly rocky and there aren't many mile markers, although the trails seemed pretty easy to follow. After Doeskin Ranch, I stopped at the Shin Oak Observation Deck, which is very close by. There's a nice gazebo with a scenic outlook and a short, meditative gravel trail with three or four nature signs encouraging you to slow down and be present. It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk through depending on your pace. I recommend starting toward the left and going counterclockwise so you encounter the signs head-on instead of from behind. Overall, both stops were enjoyable. They're not hikes I'd feel the urge to repeat soon, but they made for a fun day hike and I felt worth the drive.

This refuge is a bit spread out, we went to both the Doeskin Ranch and Warbler Vista portions and…read morehiked a few miles. There wasn't any shocking moment of awe, but there's lots of birds around and a neat little creek, it's a good place to get some appreciation of the Hill County and get (mostly) away from development.

This is a perfect getaway for a weekend camping! We live in round Rock it was hardly 11 miles!…read moreSince we picked a weekend where the weather was perfect and breezy it was amazing. The camping sites are nice and the restrooms are clean. Overall it's a great place to camp or hike.

Very strange that this place has the word "sandy" in its name. The beach looks like a rocky…read moreconstruction site. Not exactly child friendly. If the folks that curate this park would just clean up the strand and actually get some real sand on this beach it would get a 5 star rating. Otherwise, save your money.

Hippie Hollow Park. The only nude "beach" in Austin. "Beach" in parentheses because it's not a…read moresandy beach where you lay out flat in the sugary sand. It's rocky. Cliffs. It's a hike down and hike back up. So be prepared. When you drive into the parking lot. It's $8.00 and it's CASH ONLY. You are told about the rules. And if you see something, say something. You're given a phone number to call if you see something lewd. You can bring in alcohol, but be discreet about it. Obviously no glass! And put it in a Yeti or something. Be discreet with alcohol. The parking lot is massive! With handicap parking spaces. And porta potties. There are bathrooms on the paved pathway. Which are down below in the nude "clothing optional" area. And off the main paved pathway, there are numbers 1 through 14. These are stairs to get down to the water. The stairs only go part of the way. The rest is up to you. Looked like as the numbers went up, 4, 5, and so on, it got worse. When the stairs ended it was rough getting down. I went all the way to stair pathway 10, then turned back around. And ended up at stair pathway 1. 1 is the easiest, But it still was hard. I got here around 10:30am. It was cloudy and actually sprinkled a little, but this is Texas, that sun came out and shone down on my bare butt! Yup. 55 year old Birthday suit, no shame. Found a spot that was level enough. Got out my beach blanket. And chilled. Had my music and head phones, lots of Kangen drinking water. Just enjoyed Mother Nature, the water, the view, parasailing way out in the distance. You can see the Mansfield damn. Which I've never seen from this side before. Was pretty cool. There are big orange buoys out in the distance. Water was wicked choppy. I didn't swim out too far. I'm a strong swimmer, but I don't need to risk it. I did wear water shoes when I went in the water. The rocks are slippery and it was hard for me to get out. With the waves knocking me down, the rocks being slippery even with shoes on, I actually had to be rescued by a guy that was laying out near me. I'm sure he must have said, should I help or not, cause, we're nude and being respectful. But he did help and that was very nice of him. I was laughing the whole time and thanking him. I mean, seriously Shannon! Haha Later "he" went in the water and invited me to join him. Which he also offered to help me out too. We both laughed. Had a great time. Talked with each other. Got a little more busy with beach goers around noonish. But we were the only ones in the water. The water was absolutely gorgeous. Was the perfect temp! Some people have beach tents. A saw a hammock. Umbrellas. Coolers. So people get right into it. I'll try to be better prepared next time. But my point is, it's a nude optional beach, and yes people keep to themselves. No one is really walking up to you and talking about the weather. I will say watch out for those little ants. My blanket wasn't long enough when I laid out, and I got ant bites on my toes. So mental note, bigger blanket. Of course you can't take pictures of people. And people are very respectful of your privacy and private parts. No one is just there goking at you. Was a great 3 hours. Totally come here again. But better prepared. Honestly I didn't think I'd be there that long. But I was having the best time being free.

My hubby and I were running early to a holiday brunch, so we decided to visit some nearby parks to…read morekill time. First stop, Hippie Hollow Park in Austin. This park is unique park from the standpoint that it is the only legal clothing-optional park in Texas overlooking Lake Travis. We thought we get to go in and snap a few pictures of Lake Travis and zip out. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed because of the nude visitors. So we made a quick spin out of Hippie Hollow park. According to the guard, the terrain is rocky, yet scenic. However, stunning views abound from Lake Travis. Hippie Hollow is located in northwest of Austin on Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country.

Pictures don't do this place justice!…read more On this beautiful Saturday, I was seeking adventure! This tour is such an amazing deal. My tour guide Eryn was amazing and so funny. Caves are so interesting and there is so much to learn about them . Longhorn Cavern offer 3 different tour options. The cavern walking tour is just like a casual walking tour. The black light tour is where you wear hard hats and walk with a light. The Wild Cave tour is for the extreme explorers who are okay with tight spaces . I chose the cavern walking tour. I highly recommend shoes that have a tight grip. The gift shop has really good options for keepsakes. Also, if you get thirst drinks are available to purchase. I saw a section for pizza, but it was sold out. I had amazing time during my visit. The cave is beautiful and there is so much to see.

This isn't the best caverns I've visited within a Texas State Park, but it is pretty darn cool. The…read morebest caverns tour is at Kickapoo Caverns. I did a wild cave tour without the extra charges that Longhorn collects. At Longhorn, our guide, Johnson did an amazing job with our small group of six people for the 10:45 AM tour. My brother and I initially registered for the 11:00 AM tour and am glad that we were suggested another time. We passed by the 11:00 AM tour and they had 40+ people in their group. Johnson showed us cool geological formations. We saw dolomite, calcium bicarbonate, chert, limestone, geodes, stalagmites, stalactites, and quartz crystals. Johnson is somewhat funny; he had a bit of quirky and dry humor. I enjoyed the history of the caverns, but some of it I thought was interesting. It was really delightful to learn that in the 1800's, before the CCC got involved, the locals would dance and play music turning the cave into an auditorium of entertainment. Johnson said that if certain geological formations glows, it is growing. Very catchy phase for memory. I got to see a few bats hanging out. They were tricolor bats which are smallest bats. The cave is cool, but thankfully not slippery. I was wearing no grip support shoes, but I didn't fall or have the urge to fall. There are mats on the floor of the cave to prevent falls. Johnson gave us more time to look around and admire the geology. My brother and I weren't required to bring our own flashlights. Johnson had a flashlight, but forgot to grab the blacklights. What I find is strange is that this is a state park that you cannot renew your state park pass at. This park headquarters is very different than the rest considering that there's a third party company handing the cave tours, they sell ice-cees, popcorn, and the gift shop is very big and vast. The others don't have this. It is questionable to me. I was told that I needed to go to Inks Lake to renew my pass. The cave tours are very pricey. Kickapoo Caverns tour was very affordable at $10. You can use the park pass. You can't get your state park passport stamped at Longhorn Caverns either. It seems like Longhorn Caverns is more for profit and the history about the cavern could be overly exaggerated to attract customers. My opinion. It was hard to believe half of the things what Johnson was telling us. There's one portion of geological formation in the cave that is "dead" because in year 1919, the locals went exploring by touching the formation it "killed" it. I preferred Kickapoo Caverns and the Caverns of Sonora a lot more. Even Inner Space Caverns and Natural Bridge were very exciting to see. Longhorn is cool, but didn't give me that WOW-factor, but I still had a ton of fun on a Sunday morning.

Such a beautiful tour! Mara was amazing! I booked an 11 AM tour . It was a hot day, but still not…read moretoo bad. Some areas have steep steps. The trail isn't a circle, so you would go back the way you came. There are several beautiful sites to see along the way. The steps headed to the cave can be a bit slippery Stay hydrated and be ready to take beautiful pictures. I had an amazing time, I hope you do too!

What a great nature preserve! I went on the Grotto Tour and our guide was very informational. West…read moreCave Outdoor Center is located in the middle of nature so there's no phone service available. Prior to our tour, they sent us instructions on how to get to the center and they were very clear. They had signs at the entrance and they were very easy to follow. We booked the 11AM tour and the hike was relatively easy with West Cave and the Grotto at the end of the trail. Our guide was very informational and was able to teach us about the different species of trees and the geography of the area.