Exploring Canyon Lake

What do you need to be happy and balanced? For me the answer is definitely: water. Every time I am near or in the water, I feel calm and replenished. I would have been planning a beach trip by now if it wasn’t for Covid-19. But since traveling abroad is still very risky, I have been taking the opportunity to explore local area attractions. 

I was looking at Google Maps for bodies of water near me, and I saw that Canyon Lake wasn’t too far from home. After some more googling, I found that Canyon Lake is actually a reservoir on the Guadalupe River. It serves to provide flood control and water conservation for the communities downstream. According to a 2019 report by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Canyon Lake ranks 2nd in water clarity. I am a sucker for crystal clear, turquoise water so that was enough to make me plan a trip. 

Overlook Park

Canyon Lake is huge and there are many parks to choose from. After additional researching, I decided on Overlook Park for my first visit. I wanted to go early in the morning to beat the crowds, but I wasn’t able to wake up early enough. After finally getting everything packed and ready, Luna and I hit the road! It was an only an hour drive and we were there in no time. We parked along the road leading to the entrance and started the short hike down to the water. Sure enough, it was PACKED! By the time we arrived, it was 3pm and all the spots by the water were taken. So we continued walking along the water’s edge. The terrain started getting more rocky and rough as we walked further along. It was very scenic though, so we trudged along. Luna is such a trooper! She followed me without hesitation climbing up and down the boulder rocks.

We kept hiking until we finally found an empty spot. The water was near and the area was perfect for diving and swimming. So we set up camp and spent the rest of our time there!

Check out the gallery below for some photos from the trip. I have also included a map with the location of our hangout spot and the route to get there. 

CONCLUSION

This was a great day trip and I 100% recommend it. However, if you want to avoid the crowds or get a good hangout spot, get there early or go during the week. Also, take plenty of water and snacks if you plan on being there a while. Sunscreen and a cap is also a must. There is hardly any shade there, so just be prepared for a lot of sun exposure. And lastly, please make sure you throw all of your trash away properly. I saw so many beer can bottles and trash on the ground. It was so upsetting. Let’s all do our part in keeping these parks clean so that we can continue using them. Hope y’all can make it out there!

xoxo – Marce