Grab rock outdoors and indoors in the Highland Lakes. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
If the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris put you in the mood for athletic glory, the Highland Lakes has your game. No medals await you at the podium, but you can test your mettle while swimming, mountain biking, paddling, golfing, shooting, and more.
GET IN THE WATER
Thanks to surprising summer rains, the Highland Lakes and its rivers are thriving. Lakes Buchanan, Travis, Marble Falls, LBJ, and Inks are perfect for watersports, competitive or not.
Improve your upper body strength and balance with paddleboarding on Lake Marble Falls or kayaking on the Llano River. Practice your swan dives and cannonballs at Devil’s Waterhole in Inks Lake State Park or get in a few laps at any of the Highland Lakes’ most treasured swimming holes.
RIDE A BIKE
Tear up the roads and hills of the Highland Lakes on two wheels.
Burnet County is arguably the mountain biking capital of Texas and home to three major venues: Spider Mountain, Station Mountain, and Reveille Peak Ranch. Or, you can take it down a notch with a relaxing ride through 8 miles of biking trails in Marble Falls.
SHOOT YOUR SHOT
Set your sights on a Highland Lakes shooting range and fire alongside Olympic hopefuls.
CLIMB HIGH
The Highland Lakes area has no shortage of rocks and climbing opportunities. Get a grip at local climbing meccas like Enchanted Rock and Milton Reimers Ranch or head indoors at Sheer Fun in Marble Falls.
HIT THE COURT
It’s not an Olympic sport—yet—but pickleball is a relaxed alternative to its vigorous cousin, tennis (which you WILL see in Paris). The Highland Lakes is a hotspot for the booming sport of pickleball, and you can pick up a paddle and find a game on several courts in the area.
Hidden Falls Golf Club in Meadowlakes is a good place to start and maybe even grab a lesson from a pro.
DROP IN
The Highland Lakes has at least three venues for one of the newest Olympic sports: skateboarding. Falls Creek in Marble Falls is probably the best known of the area’s skateparks.
HOLE IN ONE
The Highland Lakes has a long list of stellar golf courses and signature holes. For a more family-friendly outing, head to Putters and Gutters in Marble Falls or Lake Buchanan Mini Golf at Black Rock Park. You can also try a twist on the game at a disc golf course.
