Swim Cove

THE COVE The Army Corps permits no private docks or boathouses anywhere on Canyon Lake, so every house here solves water access some other way — usually a long, steep bluff trail. Ours is about fifty steps down: a short path, rocky and uneven in spots, with a gradual grade coming back up. Wear water shoes and it's a trip you'll make four times a day. At the bottom is a sheltered cove — calm, out of the boat traffic and the open-lake chop, and deep enough to swim a few strides out. Two sit-on-top kayaks live in the yard; carry them down and you're on open water in a minute. The cove is public water, and a public boat ramp sits directly next door. THE COVE The Army Corps permits no private docks or boathouses anywhere on Canyon Lake, so every house here solves water access some other way — usually a long, steep bluff trail. Ours is about fifty steps down: a short path, rocky and uneven in spots, with a gradual grade coming back up. Wear water shoes and it's a trip you'll make four times a day. At the bottom is a sheltered cove — calm, out of the boat traffic and the open-lake chop, and deep enough to swim a few strides out. Two sit-on-top kayaks live in the yard; carry them down and you're on open water in a minute. The cove is public water, and a public boat ramp sits directly next door. THE DECKS Three levels, each doing a different job. Lower: handmade stone fire pit ringed with Adirondack chairs, a stock-tank cocktail pool open all year, sun loungers, disc-golf basket. Middle: the hot tub, jets on, hills going pink. Upper: a covered tiki bar with its own TV for the game, and a gas grill. These are well-used, weathered decks — built for wet swimsuits and bare feet. INSIDE The great room runs open under a vaulted ceiling: limestone wood-burning fireplace, oversized leather sectional, a long table that seats the group, kitchen on the same sightline so the cook is never exiled. Full-size stove and oven, dishwasher, blender, coffee maker, wine glasses, second fridge in the laundry, margarita machine on the counter. When the weather turns: a regulation LED foosball table, a Super Nintendo Classic with 30 games in a built-in nook, board games and Roku TVs. Gray sky, off-season weekend — the house still works. SLEEPING (15 guests, 10 beds, 3 full baths) - Bedroom 1: queen, private TV, ensuite bath with soaking tub and walk-in shower. - Bedroom 2: two bunk sets plus an arched alcove with the video-game nook. - Bedroom 3: queen plus a full-over-queen bunk — one family, one room. - Bonus nook: an open trundle/daybed alcove off Bedroom 2 — no door, so we call it bonus space, not a fourth bedroom. - Living room: huge, comfy sectional sofa Washer and dryer on site, so you can pack for three days and stay a week. LOCATION & WHAT'S NEARBY You're between Startzville and Sattler on Canyon Lake, in the middle of the Texas Hill Country — quiet neighborhood, live music and river towns a short drive. - Private swimming cove — about 50 steps out the back door - Public boat ramp — directly next door - Canyon Lake dam, Overlook Park and the Gorge — 10-15 minutes - Whitewater Amphitheater, riverside concerts — about 10 minutes - Guadalupe River tubing outfitters — about 15 minutes - Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas — about 20 minutes - Downtown New Braunfels shops and restaurants — about 25 minutes - Schlitterbahn Waterpark — about 30 minutes - Hill Country wineries toward Fredericksburg — 20-40 min - San Antonio, the Alamo and the River Walk — about 55 minutes Groceries, gas and coffee are minutes away in either direction. WHO THIS HOME IS BEST FOR - Multi-generational families. The cove is the reason. Grandparents who won't do a bluff trail and kids who can't swim yet can both be in the water, in sight of each other. - Reunions and groups up to 15. One long table, one great room, one deck stack — nobody splits across two houses. - Friend groups who want the lake, not the drive to it. Kayaks, cove, pool, hot tub, tiki bar, fire pit and grill — nobody moves a car from Friday night to Sunday. - Cool-weather and off-season stays. Wood-burning fireplace, hot tub, fire pit, foosball and a stocked kitchen make December and February weekends work even when nobody swims. - Remote work with a long weekend attached. Wifi and a dedicated workspace, cove at five.