Fall is the perfect time to spend a family weekend in Marble Falls.
Whenever I want to see breathtaking views and rolling hills, I head to the Texas Hill Country. This time it was to Marble Falls – located about 86 miles north of San Antonio. There are many things to do in the small towns of the hill country and a perfect place for a weekend getaway with the family.
It’s hard to beat the Texas Hill Country views any time of year, but you never know what the weather will be like in October in South Texas. However, hot or cool, it’s still beautiful. Our family weekend was nothing short of fun, despite the 97 degrees heat.
Marble Falls is a huge part of the Texas Hill Country for outdoor adventures, exploring nature, and visiting wineries. It’s the perfect place to see all the beautiful lakes in the area. The lakes make a chain at some point and include Lake LBJ, Lake Buchanan, Lake Travis, Inks Lake, and the further it goes down, it all runs into the Colorado River. If we only had a long weekend, we definitely would have done a fun watercraft.
How To Spend A Family Weekend In Marble Falls
There are plenty of places to stay, including a hot tub, but because my son was with me, I found a tiny rustic cabin on Airbnb. It had a few vacation rentals to choose from, and the one I chose was the less expensive one, but it was so darn cute, a bit on the small side, but doable for our dogs and us. The owners have a beautiful property with pretty flowers and plants growing all over the backyard, and the butterflies love it. The sounds of trickling water right outside our cabin door made sitting on the outside patio peaceful. I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of it. No pics of my dogs, either! I did manage to get a photo of the human-made trail the owners made.
Related: Tiny Cabin Camping in East Texas
Historic Downtown Marble Falls
The Historic Downtown District has everything to love, from antiques to art galleries to candy shops to restaurants and Fiesta Winery! So, the kids can have candy, and you can enjoy a glass of wine on the patio—a perfect combo, don’t you think? Also, an essential part of walking around is having clean public restrooms available—they’re there, too! Downtown is an easy walk to the lake and Lakeside Park, which has a nice picnic area.
Even though I loved the downtown area, I was told I had to eat at Blue Bonnet Cafe…and that it’s the best restaurant in town. Great food was consumed!
Related: Quick Family Weekend Getaways Near DFW
We Stuffed A Scarecrow at Sweet Berry Farm
Sweet Berry Farm offers sweet fall activities for the whole family, including pick-your-own flowers and a stuff-a-scarecrow activity. We did both. It was so fun that we ended up going back the next day. There is no admission fee, and free parking – a win-win in my book!
We did the hayride and a corn maze and picked zinnias, but the farm offered way more than that. It was the largest pumpkin patch we’d ever been to. Activities were on both sides of the road too, and people were everywhere. Stuffing that scarecrow was the best $20 I have ever spent …and we made some cute memories. From its appearance, it’s a popular place for families to come out and spend the day.
If you go In the spring, you can pick berries, cut your own tulips, feed the goats, have a picnic, and have more family fun. We might go back just to do this!
Meander Around Lake Marble Falls
It was so hot that Brody and I waded in the water. He could have gone swimming, but I didn’t bring his swimsuit, and he didn’t want to swim in his clothes. PS. Bring bathing suits – yes, even in October!
There are two parks on Lake Marble Falls, and one of them has a leash-free dog park inside the park. Dogs are always welcomed in Marble Falls, and Westside Park has a leash-free dog park (Ruff Park). Kayaking and other water sports are available to rent year-round, and you could certainly have a fun kayaking weekend. Still, I elected to do other stuff, even though Brody and I enjoy kayaking. But stuffing that scarecrow was entertaining enough for us.
Longhorn Caverns Cave Tour
Longhorn Caverns State Park offers a guided walking tour, and though the stairs were steep, and you had to walk like a duck several times, it was probably the best cave I’ve ever been in. It was wide open inside and was a nice and pleasant 68 degrees, not too stuffy or humid like some caves I’ve visited. If you go, get there early to take a walk on one of the many well-maintained nature trails out there.
I’ve never seen bats on a cave tour until now. We saw at least nine bats – all sleeping except for one. It flew right above a lady’s head and about scared us all to pieces. I didn’t realize how cute these little mammals are.
Scenic Drive on RM-1431 in Marble Falls
Besides venturing downtown on Main Street and to the lake, everything else we did was located off RM-1431. This road happens to be very curving and hilly, with spectacular views of the hill country with a couple of lookout stops. The Sweet Berry Farm and the Longhorn Caverns are both off RM-1431. Even our sweet rustic cabin was off this road. So, I’m very familiar with the area and can attest to it being a beautiful scenic drive with natural beauty on both sides of the road. Neither one of us ever got tired of driving that road!
I’ll have to come back this way solo just so I can take a wine tour, listen to live music, and explore more of the great outdoors this area has to offer.
Our weekend in Marble Falls included seeing this cute bat in the caves.
