
(photo courtesy of www.canyonlakeguide.com)
The lake itself is the biggest attraction with many small towns sprinkled around it. Crane's Mill has one of the most popular marinas. Startzville, home to the Startz Cafe, first opened in 1941 serves up good country food, and a window into Texas' past. In Sattler, I recommend eating at Flapjacks. Their pancakes are ridiculously thick and declicious, especially the banana ones.
Sattler is intersected by River Road and the pathway to the Guadalupe River, infamous for tubing (or toobing if you use the local spelling). 'Toob' rental is just a few dollars, with plenty of vendors lining the road. This section of the river, called the Horseshoe, takes tubers winding down a loop and back to where they began.
Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country (previously known as Dinosaur Flats) is the crossroads for ancient dinosaur migration in Texas. This museum once focused on these tracks as their main attraction but has more recently added exhibits with artifacts from Texas History. Located on FM 2673 between Sattler and Startzville....
http://www.heritage-museum.info/
daily from 1-5, adults $3
Another must see in Canyon Lake is the Canyon Lake Gorge. Accidentally created in 2002 after the great flood, the water washed away several layers of rock to reveal dinosaur tracks and other prehistoric fossils and discoveries. Tour spaces are very limited, and sometimes you will be placed on a waiting list, so book ahead.
Canyon Lake and its dam are open and waiting for your visit.