This realistic Grelle Recreation Area Guide helps you plan your next trail adventure in this lakeshore park.

Grelle is a small park on the Colorado River in Central Texas. It is a nice place to reconnect with nature, relax your mind, and build some strength.

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Sights & Places of Interest

Grelle is one of the lesser known destinations in Central Texas. The park is less than an hour northwest of Austin. Yet, most Austinites would find it hard to describe this park or point it on a map.

The nearby parks of Pace Bend, Muleshoe Bend, Hamilton Pool, and Pedernales Falls are more popular visitor spots. But Grelle deserves its fair share of attention. The park has over 8 miles (13 km) of trails.

Most trails in Grelle are multi-use paths. They are open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. The Wild Turkey and Two Bucks Trails are off limits to horseback riders. Only hikers could take the Broken Spur.

This Grelle Recreation Area Guide describes the best trails in the park. Its sections walk you through the things to expect on the trails in Grelle.

1. Wild Turkey

• Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
• Type: out-and-back
• Difficulty: easy

The Wild Turkey is a great first trail in Grelle for most visitors. Its trailhead is at the very end of County Road 412 between campsites 17 and 18. There is a small trailhead parking lot for day visitors.

This hiking and mountain biking trail starts with an uphill climb. It is no Enchanted Rock or Old Baldy in Garner. Still, you should not underestimate its incline. Wear sturdy shoes if you are hiking.

The Wild Turkey trail follows the lakeshore almost the whole time. But do not expect great views of the lake. There are no viewpoints on this trail. In fact, there might not even be a lake when you visit.

The ongoing drought is to blame. On the bright side, you will be exploring this trail in the shade of live oaks. They will make your trail adventure quite enjoyable year round.

2. Bridle Pass

• Distance: 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
• Type: out-and-back
• Difficulty: easy

You will arrive at a trail intersection at the end of the Wild Turkey Trail. There are two options. You could take a hiker-only Broken Spur or a multi-use Bridle Pass. Both trails are as short as a trail could be.

Rarely do such paths make it to any list of best trails. Most visitors would not give a connecting path a second thought. But Bridle Pass deserves its place among the Best Trails in Grelle.

An area around this trail is home to a bluebonnet meadow in the spring. It is one of the best places to see these wildflowers in Grelle and Central Texas.

3. Cottontail Loop

• Distance: 1.3 miles (2.1 km)
• Type: loop
• Difficulty: easy to moderate

The Cottontail Loop is the next great trail to take in Grelle Recreation Area. This trail shows you nearly everything there is to see in this park.

It brings you from the inland meadows to a hill top before continuing on a ridge along Lake Travis. You will see oak and cedar groves, dirt paths and rocky patches, uphill climbs and quick descends.

The Cottontail Loop is an exciting trail for both hikers and riders. A bit of elevation gain near the Coyote Crossing and Chaparral Run makes it a good workout, too.

4. Chaparral Run

• Distance: 0.9 miles (1.5 km)
• Type: out-and-back
• Difficulty: easy to moderate

The Chaparral Run is another nice trail in Grelle Recreation Area. There are a couple of short paths that connect the Cottontail Loop with the Chaparral Run.

The name of this trail is quite accurate. This multi-use path is straight as an arrow between the Cottontail Loop and Comanche Trail intersections. It then takes a gradual turn west while going downhill.

The Chaparral Run looks more like a dirt country road than a trail. Old Gorman Road in Colorado Bend and the Service Road Trail in McKinney Falls are most similar to this path.

5. Mustang Ridge

• Distance: 1.4 miles (2.3 km)
• Type: out-and-back
• Difficulty: moderate

There is an alternative path if you prefer a more challenging way. The Mustang Ridge is the longest trail in the park. It goes along the ridge from the Fox Run near the park’s boundary to a scenic viewpoint.

Get ready for winding turns, drops, and climbs. This path will keep you on your toes no matter what direction you take it. An north-south path has more climbs, while the opposite way has longer descends.

As you approach the peninsula, you will start to catch sight of Lake Travis. This will be a nice change in scenery after a handful of inland trails.

6. Overlook Trail

• Distance: 0.7 miles (1.2 km)
• Type: out-and-back
• Difficulty: moderate

The Overlook Trail is a must-do path in Grelle Recreation Area. This hiking and biking trail leads you to a scenic viewpoint on a peninsula. You will reach the northernmost point of the park on this path.

The Colorado River and Lake Travis will be on full display. You will see wildflower and grass meadows on both shores. Ranches, houses, and Turkey Bend Recreation Area are across the river.

The rest of the Overlook Trail is somewhat similar to the Mustang Ridge Trail. It also goes on top of the cliffs. But the path is on the opposite side of the rugged peninsula.

7. Hawkeye Point

• Distance: 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
• Type: out-and-back
• Difficulty: easy

The Hawkeye Point is the last trail to consider in Grelle Recreation Area. Just like the Bridle Pass, it is a short trail. But, instead of connecting two longer paths, it brings you to another scenic viewpoint.

Get ready to admire the views of Lake Travis. Or you might see a beautiful meadow that is growing on its former riverbed. Either way, the views are worth a short detour.

The Hawkeye Point is also a prime birding spot in Grelle. This viewpoint is at the end of an out-and-back path. You need to return to the Cottontail Loop and hike the Wild Turkey Trail back to the parking lot.

If you have more time in Grelle, check out the Two Bucks, Fox Run, Comanche Trail, and Porcupine Path. These trails bring you inland along the park boundaries. But the scenery is similar to the Mustang Ridge.

Continue with this Grelle Recreation Area Guide. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Grelle

Grelle is a park on the shores of Lake Travis in Central Texas. The park is within Spicewood community. It is a 10-minute drive west from Muleshoe Bend. Grelle is 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Highway TX-71.

This major highway connects Brady with Blessing. The names of these towns might not tell you much. But TX-71 goes through Austin, Texas and crosses two Interstate Highways (I-35 and I-10).

As a result, this route makes Grelle Recreation Area more accessible than most other parks in Central Texas. You could reach the park in less than 50 minutes from the Capital of Texas.

San Antonio is the second closest large city to Grelle. A drive from the Alamo City takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. Houston is slightly over 3 hours from Grelle.

These three cities are the best options to consider for out-of-state travelers. AUS, SAT, IAH, and HOU airports give you a good variety of direct and connecting flights.

As you probably guessed, a car is necessary to visit this park. There are no bus routes that bring you anywhere near Grelle. But Grelle’s location could help you make the most from a trip to the Hill Country.

The park is near other sights of the region. You could visit Balcones Canyonlands across the river. Drive north to Inks Lake and Longhorn Cavern. Or explore the LBJ Ranch and Enchanted Rock out west.

Where to Stay near Grelle

Grelle is not a major tourist destination. It is hardly a surprise that renting a campsite in the park is the only way to stay in Grelle. All other places to stay close to the park require a drive.

A few places to stay are a few dozen miles (km) upstream in Marble Falls. You could choose from La Quinta by Wyndham Marble Falls and Hidden Falls Inn.

Your other options are downstream from Grelle Recreation Area. Follow Highway TX-71 east to reach Lakeway, Bee Cave, and Austin. There are plenty of places to stay in these cities.

Check out La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lakeway and Hampton Inn and Suites Austin – Lakeway. Both places to stay are among the closest hotels to the park.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Austin West/Lakeway and Sonesta Bee Cave Austin Hill Country are not much further away. These hotels are also worth a closer look.

Consider AC Hotel by Marriott Austin Hill Country, Aloft Austin Southwest, and Hotel Viata. These places to stay have great reviews. You should expect to have a wonderful stay.

Once you pass Sunset Valley, you will be in Austin City Limits. You could choose to stay south of Colorado River, in the Downtown, Domain, or near the airport.

There are chain hotels and boutique vacation rentals. Places to stay with free amenities and the ones that charge for parking and breakfast. Pay attention to these details to find a perfect stay near Grelle.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

Grelle is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. The park facilities, like the headquarters and the host site, operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) manages Grelle.

The entrance fee is $5 per adult and $2 per senior or disabled visitor. Kids 12 and younger visit the park free. Horseback riders need to budget $12 to enter the park with their horse.

You could visit other LCRA parks for free on the same day. Make sure to stop by Muleshoe Bend next door or drive to McKinney Roughs Nature Park.

There are annual passes available if you see yourself frequenting Grelle and other LCRA parks. These passes cost $150 (adult), $100 (disabled and senior), and $240 (horseback riders).

Each pass is only valid for one person. There are no free admission or discounts if you bring any guests. This is a high price to pay to visit at most 18 parks within this park system.

For comparison, there are 88 Texas State Parks. Yet, the annual pass costs $70. The pass also admits all guests entering the park in the same car.

America the Beautiful annual pass follows similar rules for guests. You get admission to 2,000+ federal recreation sites for $80 a year.

It is nearly impossible to break even on a LCRA annual pass. You need to take 30 trips in a year for the pass to pay for itself. That is a park visit every other weekend. Grelle is certain to get old after a few trips.

Takeaways: Grelle Recreation Area

Grelle Recreation Area is a nice park to visit in the Texas Hill Country once or twice. But it is difficult to recommend it over other, more scenic sights in the region.

First-time visitors to Central Texas will find Enchanted Rock, Pedernales Falls, Colorado Bend, and McKinney Falls more memorable.

But Grelle has its target audience. Most visitors are local residents who are looking to explore a new park and like camping. This makes Grelle quite similar to Guadalupe River State Park near San Antonio.

Beginner hikers will also find Grelle a worthwhile destination. 15 hiking trails give you plenty of options to build endurance. It is a great training ground for hiking more challenging trails in state and national parks.

Take a look at this Grelle Recreation Area Video Guide. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Safe realist travels!