Hippie Hollow is a county park on the shores of Lake Travis, about 18 miles west of downtown Austin. The entire park beyond the parking lot is clothing optional. There are signs at the entrance gate informing visitors that nudity may be encountered. The county made nude use legal when it assumed control of the area is the early 80's, legitimizing the nude tradition that Austin hippies had started there years before—thus the name "Hippie Hollow," a name which has become so common that the county now lists it with the official (and less known) name of "McGregor Park" on signs.

As you walk down to the lake from the parking lot, you'll be at the western edge of the park, where there is a small pebble beach. A paved trail winds along the hillside to the east for half a mile. Below the trail are multitude of small coves. The far east end of the park, just beyond the end of the paved trail, is the gay area. The red line roughly delineates the extent of the park.

Hippie Hollow is by far the most popular and most picturesque nude area in all of Texas. The blue-green water surrounded by rolling, tree-covered hills is captivating. Since there is no sand, sunbathers either lie on the rocks or float on rafts in the lake, which is bath-water warm during Austin's scorching summers when temperatures approach 100°F.

The park is easily accessible, clean and well maintained, and there is plenty of parking in the huge lot. Weekends can get crowded. Warm weekdays draw substantial but dispersed crowds. The park has trash cans and two restrooms with flush toilets and running water. There is a concession stand in the parking lot, but it open only on busy weekends. Park hours vary with season; hours are generally 9 a.m. until dark. Glass containers are forbidden. A regulation passed in 1995 stipulates that no minors (i.e., under 18) are allowed in the park—a policy which ended traditional family use of the park. The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle, or you can buy an annual pass for $75 plus $2 per visit.

Twice a year (on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends), Hippie Hollow is the home of "Splash Day," which is a huge, extremely crowded gay party at the east end of the park. It is, unfortunately, mostly a textile invasion. Be prepared for large crowds and a full parking lot on these two holiday weekends, especially the Sundays of those weekends.

Unofficial website

Travis County Parks page about Hippie Hollow

VISUAL RESOURCES

GPS: 30.4128, -97.8825

city, county, state, country  Austin, Travis, Texas, U.S.A.

classification  1 (freely nude)

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