Quarry Lake

Awesome place, we used to swim and cliff jump in the 90s during summer before it was bought out. (we still had to jump a fence which made it all that much more fun). I am sad to see it has been turned into a pay to play site.

I agree that this should be a park. I scuba-​dove here in the 1970’s and indeed there was some kind of rusted equipment at the bottom (it has a spiral road to the deepest part and got quite dark toward the bottom). It was also cold and I required a wet suit. I understand the stone from here was used to build Mansfield Dam. It’s a nice view from Roaring Fork patio.

We use to go here in High school back in the 80’s before any development was around it. Sad that a gym can own this natural spring lake and not enjoyed by all in Austin. Really should be a city park for everyone. Rumor has it that the quarry operation hit the spring and large pieces of equipment had to be abandoned as it
filled in so quickly.

What a great park area. We didn’t get to see much but we were here for the CG games. Would love to explore again.

I freaking love this place! Open-​water swim training in this town can be had at only a few places, and this is definitely one of them. The atmosphere is great; Braker Lane is just up the hill but you really can’t hear it. Birds and turtles like to say hi and the people who swim here are always friendly. Also, the stand-​up paddle boards are awesome! If you’ve never done it before, I suggest you take a class: D
Access through membership at Pure Austin Fitness. They installed gates and keycodes, but it’s worth it!

Yeah this place is a great escape. Great open swimming if you’re board of lap swimming in a pool. If you’re a member of Pure Austin Fitness you can check borrow one of their paddles and hop in a kayak or on a stand-​up board. A little bit of wildlife (fish, turtles, birds) and a quiet place that is never packed.

Quarry Lake is one of Austin’s best kept secrets and the fact that you can find such clean (edwards aquifer fed) water right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of North Austin is awesome.
This lake was purchased by Pure Austin gym a while ago and they say it’s private but from my experience… where there’s a will, there’s a way people so check it out if you are interested.
There’s a running trail that goes around the lake (1.1km) and the main gate by Pure is always locked with a code. In my experience, the gates located by various offices and apartment complexes do not have a code to enter so that should help if you aren’t a member of Pure and want to see the Lake.
On any given day, you will probably see turtles basking in the sun (look for their heads bobbing out of the water), folks cliff jumping, kayaking, stand up paddle boarders, etc.
Definitely a hidden Austin gem not far from the corner of Braker and 183.