Sit in quiet reflection in front of ‘Prince of Peace’ at Beloved Gallery in Marble Falls. Courtesy photo
The Highland Lakes has some hidden wonders, if you know where to look. These “Easter eggs” might take you off the beaten path, but they’re worth the hunt. Search high and low for the following Highland Lakes treasures.
UP ABOVE
Watch the Texas Hill Country unfold on the chairlift at Spider Mountain Bike Park on Lake Buchanan. You don’t even have to be a mountain biker to take a ride: The park sells scenic chairlift tickets. Once at the top, either stay on for a return trip, ride down on two wheels, or hike down the pedestrians-only trail.
Spider Mountain is the first year-round, chair-lift-served mountain biking park in the country, making it a one-of-a-kind find in the Highland Lakes.
DOWN BELOW
Venture beneath the Highland Lakes at Longhorn Cavern State Park on Park Road 4 in Burnet County. You can tour the cavern stretching out below the 645-acre park any day of the week. Tours range from a tame 90-minute walk to a wild trip through tighter, darker spaces.
The cave was carved out millions of years ago by an underground river. It has a unique history, having been a meeting place for Comanches, a gunpowder storage for the Confederate army, and a nightclub during Prohibition in the 1920s.
Above ground, you can hike for free, visit Civilian Conservation Corps structures, and hunt for actual treasures in a gemstone mining sluice. Climb the spiral-staircase observation tower for a view of an actual castle—you definitely don’t see THAT every day.
RIVER OF GOLD
The Kingsland Slab is a treasured (and somewhat secret) swimming hole for locals. It’s also a top site for gold panning on the Llano River.
Llano County is permitted for panning along the banks of the river in the city of Llano and about a mile both up and downriver from the Slab, so hobbyists can sluice to their heart’s content.
You probably won’t fill your pockets with gold, but you will fill your day with a fun experience. You might also find precious stones, including jade, agate, and jasper, or even fossils.
Seek out the experts on the Texas Gold Prospectors’ Facebook group page for guidance and equipment.
The Slab is located around the FM 3404 water crossing in Kingsland in Llano County.
BLUEBONNET HOUSE
Photos of this iconic structure spring up in every online search for bluebonnets. You probably know the “Bluebonnet House” is in Texas but not that it’s a piece of Highland Lakes history.
The 1853-built stone homestead, located off of U.S. 281 in north Marble Falls, is surrounded by a sea of bluebonnets every spring, making it a prime photo-op stop in March and April.
The house is also on Preservation Texas’ most endangered list, so see it sooner rather than later.
The homestead’s history is too long for this article, but you can read it in full here.
QUIRKY CASTELL
The Castell General Store is a big, yellow hive of activity and the heart of the tiny Llano County hamlet of Castell, population 43ish.
The isolated business, located on the Llano River at 19522 RR 152, is surprisingly busy most weekends, with scheduled and unscheduled events attended by a myriad of quirky charactors. It’s home to the Testicle Festival (held the third weekend in May) and Cockaroo, the late rooster of store owner Randy Leifeste that loved to love on a singing, robotic bass. The bird is now stuffed and prominently displayed for curious visitors.
Learn some general knowledge about the Castell General Store, and a couple of others, before you head out for goods and good times.
CYPRESS SPOTTING
While the bald cypress is native to Texas, the water-thriving tree isn’t common in the Highland Lakes, which often suffers from droughts and dry creekbeds. However, you can find them in abundance at Krause Springs, a Spicewood oasis and campground where 1,000-year-old cypresses tower over spring-fed swimming holes.
Swimmers climb over and around the “knees” of the trees or hang off of them while soaking in the crisp, 68-degree water.
In the land of lakes, the park’s 32 springs and cypress trees are rare sights.
FIND ‘PEACE’
An internationally famous portrait of Jesus hangs alone in a room at Beloved Gallery in Marble Falls, where visitors are encouraged to sit and reflect. “Prince of Peace” was painted by Akiane Kramarik when she was only 8 years old.
The portrait is a mysterious case of lost-and-found. It was misappropriated twice and missing for 20 years before being secured for public viewing at the Marble Falls gallery, which was built in partnership with the Kramarik family.
“Prince of Peace” is an “Easter egg” of biblical proportions.
These aren’t the only hidden wonders in the Highland Lakes, but you’ll have to look around 101HighlandLakes.com or in person in the Highland Lakes to find them all.
Read our story on “Instagram-worthy Highland Lakes” for even more secret and unique spots to stop for a photo.
