Tucked away in the Texas Hill Country on the Guadalupe River, Canyon Lake is all about water sports. Folks flock to cabins here to boat, swim, sail, parasail, scuba dive, fish, and more. No boat? No problem: Marinas and boat rental shops around the lake offer all manner of watercraft, including pontoon boats, ski boats, jet skis, and kayaks. Families and college students come to go tubing on the Guadalupe River, and anglers enjoy fishing for largemouth bass, catfish, and, at certain times of year, rainbow trout.

With 80 miles of shoreline, there’s plenty to do on land here as well. Picnic at one of the nine parks around the lake, three of which have beaches; tee off at a lakeside golf course; or hike some of the 31 trails in the area.

Canyon Lake is about halfway between Austin and San Antonio and just 20 miles west of New Braunfels. Fly into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) or San Antonio International Airport (SAT), then rent a car to drive the final leg of your journey. San Antonio is a slightly closer city, 35 miles away, but the additional 21 miles from Austin won’t add much to your driving time.

Most GPS maps will bring you along the most direct route, but it’s worth going a little out of your way to arrive at Canyon Lake via the scenic River Road, which winds along the Guadalupe River and is canopied by cypress trees. Access River Road from Texas State Highway 337, which is off Interstate 35 just outside New Braunfels.

It gets hot in Hill Country! The summer months of June, July, and August are regularly around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the weather can get muggy. Since you’ll want to spend most of your time cooling off in and around the lake, be sure to pack your bathing suit, sunscreen, a hat, and a refillable water bottle. Spring and fall are drier and much more comfortable but can still be warm enough for water sports, with temperatures in the 70s and into the 80s. Winters are short, windy, and cool, with temperatures in the high 60s that can drop down into the high 30s, and you can expect regular, partly cloudy skies throughout the year.

Canyon Lake Gorge

Believe it or not, the Canyon Lake Gorge was created only about 20 years ago. A major flood in 2002 caused the lake to spill over its dam and into the Guadalupe River, creating the 64-acre gorge. Book a spot on a guided tour to visit the area’s waterfalls, lagoons, geologic formations, fossils, and dinosaur tracks.

Scuba dive

Canyon Lake may be a few hundred miles from the nearest ocean, but scuba divers still love to swim along the limestone bottom in search of fish and the occasional submerged car or boat. Rumor has it there’s an underwater ghost town here, complete with a church, post office, and cemetery. And while there were two small towns here before the lake was built, no diver has yet found a trace of them.

Heritage Museum of Texas Hill Country

Walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs — literally — at the Heritage Museum of Texas Hill Country on the southern shores of Canyon Lake. The museum displays around 350 dinosaur footprints in indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as exhibits highlighting Native American artifacts and antique farming equipment from early pioneers.