Austin Community Profile – Spicewood

OK, Spicewood is not exactly an Austin community, but it is close. Spicewood is a large area geographically and is defined more by a Zip Code (78669) than a town. Located anywhere from around 40 minutes to an hour west of downtown Austin, Spicewood sits in the Central Texas Hill Country and has Lake Travis running along one side of it.

Real estate in Spicewood varies. Some areas will have developed communities with strict restrictions, some will be in Travis County where almost anything goes and some will be in between. Briarcliff is an actual city, but the county lists homes in Briarcliff as being in Spicewood. Briarcliff has a small golf course, a marina and Lake Travis view and lakefront homes.

To try to define the geography of Spicewood, think of an area west of Bee Cave on either side of Highway 71, except for the area south of the Pedernales River and west of Highway 71, with Lake Travis on one side and the county line on the other going west to Marble Falls. On a map, Spicewood shows to be about half way between Bee Cave and Marble falls roughly at the intersection of CR 404 and 191.

In unrestricted parts of Spicewood you can still find mobile homes on acreage. In more developed and restricted neighborhoods like Travis Settlement you will find some nice homes, many having great Hill Country views or distant Lake Travis views. You will also find fine Lake Travis waterfront properties in the area. One community even has its own private airstrip.

Out Thurman Bend Rd., which takes off heading east from Bee Creek Rd., you will find some stunning gated communities. These communities include The Coves on Lake Travis, Angel Bay and Thurman Bend Estates. There are some amazing waterfront homes in these communities. These Lake Travis communities, being gated and out of the way, are very private. Very close to these communities is the new equestrian community called The Reserve on Lake Travis.

Also in Spicewood will be the gated golf communities of Lakecliff and Barton Creek Lakeside . Lakecliff features golf and tennis and has waterfront homes. Barton Creek Lakeside features golf and a community marina.

In addition to Lake Travis offering water frontage, the Pedernales River also flows through Spicewood. Many homes on the Pedernales sit high above the river and others have gentle slopes to the water. I sold a home on Lois Lane (yes, you read that right) a few years ago that has Pedernales River frontage and it sits on a 40 foot high cliff above the river. The view is stunning. As the river flows into Lake Travis, this area also has Lake Travis access.

In addition to Lake Travis for recreation, there are some amazing places to visit in the Spicewood area. Krause Springs is a wonderful natural swimming hole. There is a place in Spicewood where you can ride zip lines through tall Cypress trees from platform to platform. Also not far and closer to Dripping Springs are Reimer's Ranch Park and Hamilton Pool. Westcave Preserve is also close by.

As you can see, Spicewood has a little of everything. You can be in a city, an exclusive and private gated community, in a gated golf community or out in the country.

Author Bio:

Sam Chapman is an Austin real estate agent who has lived and worked in the Austin and Spicewood area since 1987.