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Paddle boarders and kayakers head to Lady Bird Lake every chance they get in the summer, like 22-year-old Zach Melton. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Are you really a local if you've never spent the weekend soaking up the hot summer sun and lounging on Lady Bird Lake? The pastime is so popular that if you find yourself cruising over one of the Lake's many bridges on a weekend, you're likely to see hundreds of people clumped together on the water in a formation locals call "Party Island."
With temperatures in the mid-90s this week, the Colorado River's cooling waters welcome paddleboarders, boaters and kayakers alike. Though it is well known that swimming is prohibited in Lady Bird Lake, nothing can stop partiers from perching on the shallow sandbar that leads into Barton Springs Pool—not even a global pandemic.
(Steven Joyner)
Like every sunny weekend, paddle boarders, kayakers, boaters, tubers and bridge-jumpers gathered at the intersection between Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The lake is adjacent to the Lady Bird Lake Trail, which is also a busy recreation destination for runners, bikers and lovers of nature.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Jumping from the bridge is prohibited by the city, though you can see groups jumping off the bridge nearly every weekend.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Dozens of lake-goers gather to jump the bridge—performing flips and tricks into the water below.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Zach Melton, a 22-year-old DJ that goes by the name Maniac, lives in the Zilker Park area and jumped the bridge for the first time on Sunday. A Dallas native, Melton said he loves the nature, scenery and people that live in Austin. "I love the vibes of this city," Melton said.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The love of Lady Bird Lake transcends species—dogs can often be spotted enjoying the lake with their humans.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Or spot some other four-legged friends—Lady Bird Lake is an excellent area to turtle-watch.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
People-watch long enough and you'll probably see a few people fall off their boards.
August is the hottest month of the year in Austin, so Lady Bird Lake season is in full swing. There's still time to enjoy the greenery and water sports that Austinites love so much.
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Popular
(Dullnig Ranch Sales)
You’ll have to leave city limits if you’re looking for a proper ranch property like 417 Acres Shipp Lake Ranch, aptly named for its acreage. The property comes built out with three farmhouses, one of which has bedrooms and two bathrooms and two of which have two bedrooms and one bathroom. The nearly untouched property, which surrounds the 100-plus-acre Shipp Lake, has remained in the same family since the early 1900s and gives you picturesque views for the making of a dream home. In fact, the previous owners ran a water ski camp on the property.
Sitting waterside on Lake Austin, this home gives you the unique opportunity to own a piece of the lush Hill Country with views of Mount Bonnell. The 2,750-square foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom house allows you to integrate indoor and outdoor life with large windows opening to an outdoor living area. The crown jewel is the .76-acre parcel of land that tapers off to your own lakeside resort, featuring an covered outdoor kitchen, fire pit, stone boat house to store your water sports supplies and veranda sitting at the mouth of the water, perfect for an entertainer.
Got dreams of becoming a real Texas rancher? 7814 Brown Cemetery Rd. is the perfect place to start with 40 rolling acres of land and its very own swimming hole. Just east of Austin in Manor, the modest-on-the-outside home clocks at 4,412 square feet with five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms, but there are an additional two living structures on the property. The horseshoe-shaped pond sits in the heart of the property and comes equipped with a water slide, diving board and a fishing dock.
