Lake Austin Parks Fun

How many ways can you enjoy the water close to Austin? Lady bird lake is awesome, but kind of weedy and busy. And can someone tell me how I’m supposed to paddle with an eastcider in hand? Life is rough for the weekend warriors sometimes. Lucky for you we have some suggestions to get on the water on the most alluring damned reservoir in Central Texas, Lake Austin.

Sure Lake Travis has Devils cove, Hippy Hollow, and the Oasis. But what if you don’t care about greasy bro parties, naked hippies or overpriced art and margaritas? Lake Austin is your bet! Lake Austin is within a 30 minute drive or less from downtown, has crystal clear beaches scattered throughout, and some of the most insane homes to oogle over from your private chartered Float On Bentley. Here are some of our favorite parks to hang out at on Lake Austin, free from greasy bro parties (mostly).

Emma Long/City Park

Ahhh Emma Long! What a hidden gem! Take a drive down to Emma long on the prettiest road in the city limits, City Park road. Winding past Ski Shores Cafe, Turkey Creek off-leash dog trails, and views of the Pennybacker Bridge and the hill country, this road takes you down to the booth at Emma Long Park. Pay $5 per car on weekdays to enjoy a huge park with camp sites, Volleyball courts, a swimming beach with bouyies to protect from boats, and a boat ramp. Feeling like some action or enhanced relaxation? Holler at Float On to rent one of our Captained Bentley boats to scoop up you and your buds to cruise Lake Austin in style.

360 Bridge/Pennybacker Bridge Boat Ramp and Park

The 360 Bridge is a quintessential Austin sight to behold. We’ve seen it on amazon screensavers, Toyata commercials, and just about every dang Austin T-shirt, post card, and hat. The bridge in the background of your sunset shot is a must for our guests, and our captains have those insta-famous camera moves to make sure we miss those tan lines. 360 bridge has a small beach on the south end of the park, but it is mostly used for fishing and hopping on boats. The park will charge $5 per person to enter, but it’s very convenient to downtown and easy to hop on a Float On Boat.

Mary Quinlan Park

For those of Y’all looking for a sweet spot to hang in the sun with some Barton Springs-like water, Mary Quinlan park is perfect for you. There is a small sandy beach and a few BBQ grills, as well as a large boat ramp to get your dad’s 1997 Bayliner in the Lake. Since Mansfield Damn is bottom release from Lake Travis, the water at the north end of the lake is in the 60’s at Mary Quinlan. Perfect for a sunny, hot, greasy Texas afternoon. Not so perfect for swimming that ’97 Bayliner in when you forget the plug, so holler at Float On and worry about the playlist and cooler instead!