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Mansfield Dam Park

Type: Trail

Length: N/A

Elevation Gain: N/A

Cost: $10.00

Rating:

(2.50)2

Difficulty: 3stars

(3.00)

Solitude:

(3.50)

ADA Accessible: Yes

Bikes Allowed: Yes

Dogs Allowed: Yes

Interpretive Guide: No

City: Austin

County: Travis

More Information: More Info

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Photos

Some of the many shells to be found on the peninsula, here arranged on a tree stump. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

From this set of bases you can look off in the distance straight ahead at another set of concrete pads closer to the shore. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Coppertone stands among the concrete bases that supported the tramway towers that were used to help build Mansfield Dam. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Coppertone came across this buoy during our hike. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Log Entries

Peninsula hike
By Austin Explorer on 12/28/2013
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: 3 hours

Coppertone and I went to the park today and hiked about 5 miles, but barely a foot on the park's official trails. Instead, we hiked the peninsula leading to what is typically known as Sometimes Island. The recent drought have exposed a large spit of land that used to be under the lake. Water levels now are low enough that there's a continuous land bridge from the park.

We spend a few hours looking at shells, the foundations of the old tramway that was used to construct Mansfield Dam and logging a couple of caches.

There's not a trail on the peninsula, but there's relatively sparse vegetation that's taken root, even with the extended drought, so there's little or no resistance to meandering in any direction that you want.

When the spring rains come (hopefully) the land bridge will resubmerge and your opportunity to explore this spot will disappear with it.

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