Under an hour’s drive from Austin, the lakefront community of Horseshoe Bay, Texas, is an overlooked destination with a surprisingly tropical vibe. Located just west of one of the prettiest swimming holes in Texas — and less than 60 miles from Austin’s International Airport (ABIA) — arriving at Horseshoe Bay on Lake Lyndon B. Johnson brings you to a completely new side of the Lone Star State. It’s hard to believe that a bayside town in the Texas Hill Country, adorned with palm trees and clear blue waters, has only about 5,000 year-round residents, but the secret isn’t very safe as the Horseshoe Bay resort community grows.
Horseshoe Bay’s positioning in the Highland Lakes region allows Lake LBJ to enjoy a rather unique constant level that is ideal for developing and maintaining the most luxurious of homes along the miles of shoreline. The Texas Hill Country landscape combines with a lake life culture built for vacationers. Add in a world-class golf resort destination on the water, and it’s clear that Horseshoe Bay is becoming a desirable playground for Texans and travelers from all over to explore.
Horseshoe Bay’s lakefront homes offer a new taste of Texas
Naturally, Lake LBJ is named for former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texas native who had a home on the lake during and after his time in office. The lake stretches up to 2 miles wide and runs northwest for over 85 miles, beginning at Horseshoe Bay. Due to its geographical location (and the lake’s storage), there is no room for extra water intake, hence why it remains at a mostly constant level throughout the year. As Central Texas regularly works through drought conditions and hot summers, Lake LBJ has proven itself a reliable lake destination for boaters and water sports enthusiasts.
The constant level also allows for Horseshoe Bay residents to display a very unique architectural feature on lakefront properties: boat driveways for homeowners. Whether visiting Horseshoe Bay for a lake life vacation or staying at the resort, boat rentals and tours are available year-round. Coast through posh alcoves like Applehead Island, where residents pull boats of all sizes into the water-level driveways and boathouses attached to multimillion-dollar homes. With properties along the water shaded by palm trees, it more so resembles the tropical Texas scenery found along the Gulf Coast.
Horseshoe Bay’s lakeside resort has something for everyone
