How to get there - local sites

Getting to local shore-entry diving sites

Lake Travis

Mansfield Dam Park, 4401 Commanders Point Dr, Austin, TX
From Central Austin, take Mopac (Loop 1) north, exit onto RM 2222, turn left and go 9.5 miles to 620. Turn left onto 620 and go 4 miles. At the end of the bridge in front of the dam is Mansfield Park Road. Turn right onto this road, then take the second road to your left into the park (it’s clearly marked). The ranger station is only a couple of hundred feet inside the park. Entry fee is $10 per vehicle (with as many people as you can get in your car, truck, or school bus). The designated scuba area is to the right and downhill at the crossroad inside the park.

To dive in or beyond the cove on the north side of the park, turn left at the crossroad and park in the day-use area. It’s a longish walk to either of two sets of stairs that descend to the cove. To dive off the end of the point, you can also drive down to the turn-around at the boat ramp, unload your gear, and then park in a designated area while your buddy watches the gear.

Windy Point: Bob Wentz Park & Bartsow’s Windy Point Park, 7144 Comanche Trail
From Central Austin, take Mopac (Loop 1) north, exit onto RM 2222, turn left and go northwest 9.5 miles to 620. Continue straight through the intersection (the road’s name changes to Bullick Hollow Road). You will come to a long, steep hill. At the first leveling of the road—not the bottom of the hill—turn left onto Oasis Bluff Drive. There’s a stone monument sign there for the Oasis Restaurant. Go uphill to the “T” intersection. Turn right onto Comanche Trail. In a few miles you will come to signs at the entrances to the Windy Point parks.

From South Austin, you can either:
1) Come north on Loop 360 to RM 2222 and then turn left onto 2222 and proceed as above, or
2) Take Hwy 71 north towards Llano to RR 620, turn right onto 620 and continue until you cross in front of the dam. About 2+ miles farther is a traffic light near the top of the long hill. This is Comanche Trail. Turn left onto Comanche Trail This is the road leading to the Oasis Restaurant and there is a sign which gives the distance to Bob Wentz/Windy Point park as well. Follow Comanche Trail to the parks.

1) Bob Wentz Park (a.k.a. LCRA, a.k.a. the 'public side'). Follow the paved road that goes to the left of the small store. At the entrance, pay your $10 per vehicle, and drive all the way across the causeway to get to the parking area.

2) Windy Point Park (a.k.a. the 'private side', a.k.a. Barstow's). Follow the unpaved driveway that goes to the right of the small store. There are carts at the parking lot that you can use to take your gear from your car to the diving area. Entry fee is $15 per person on weekends and $8 per person on weekdays.

Volente Beach
Take RM 2222 to RR 620, and cross the intersection onto Bullick Hollow Road. Stay on Bullick Hollow Road for about 3 miles until it ends in a “T” intersection. Turn left onto RM 2769. Go about 3.8 miles until you come to a very well marked development with Volente Beach signs everywhere. Inside the settlement, RM 2769 makes a turn to the right, while you should bear left and go down the road leading to the marina and Volente Beach The road just continues as a ramp into the lake (before the dam was built, it was a road to the river). There is limited parking along the right side where you can suit up and walk into the water. Takes about 45 minutes from central Austin.

San Marcos River, San Marcos
Water Temp: 70+ year round (spring fed); Depth 4-15 feet

Rio Vista Park
The easiest diving area to access is Rio Vista Park. Go south on IH 35 and exit at C. M. Allen Parkway (Exit 204B). Continue on the access road, crossing the river, until you see the baseball diamonds on your right. Turn right onto C. M. Allen. You will cross one intersection. Then, just before you cross the railroad track, there is a road to the right, which is the entrance to Rio Vista Annex. There is usually plenty of parking available by the picnic pavilion. You can enter the water right there, or a good alternative is a drift dive. Walk a couple hundred yards upstream past Rio Vista Park itself. You will reach a large basin that makes a good entry point.

Spring Lake Dam area
Another San Marcos dive: You can enter the water up by the restaurant at the Spring Lake dam. The entry is easy, but it can be hard to find a place to park. You can dive around the falls at the dam, even under the restaurant (be careful for strong currents) or drift downstream into the university’s park area and exit. For this, exit IH 35 at the Aquarena Springs Drive exit. Follow Aquarena Springs Dr. until you cross the river. Look to the left as you are crossing, and you will see the entry point.

Diving in Spring Lake itself is restricted to those who have completed the scientific diving course that Aquarena offers. (It’s a good course; consider taking it.)

Comal River, New Braunfels
Water Temp: 70+ year round (spring fed); Depth: 4-15 feet

Go South on IH 35. Get off at Exit 191, just before you reach New Braunfels and right after you pass an outlet mall on your left. Turn right onto FM 306. At the first intersection (it has a traffic light), turn left. You should now be on Commons Drive. Go straight on Commons Drive until it ends. There you will see a park in front of you, a tube rental place to your left and a golf course ahead and to the right. Take the road that slants straight to the right. There will be two sets of parking spaces, park at the second set.

To enter the water, walk as far as you can up the river, to the last set of stairs, then get in. You can make a nice 20 minute drift dive. Just surface once you feel the cold water that washes in from a creek, which means you are close to the dam.

North Park, Canyon Lake

Go South on IH 35 (from Austin). Get off at Exit 191. Turn right onto FM 306. Continue on FM 306 for 18.5 miles to North Park Rd. (You’ll think you’re never going to get there.) Turn left onto North Park Road. Park entrance is at the end of the road. Entry fees are reasonable but seem to change at the whim of the Army Corps of Engineers. North Park is set up for divers and also has overnight camping available.