Horseshoe Bay is a gated resort community on Lake LBJ, developed starting in 1971 by cousins Wayne and Norman Hurd and incorporated as its own city in 2005. It’s the most amenity-dense town in the Highland Lakes: three resort golf courses, multiple marinas, and roughly 28 separate HOAs govern different sections of the community.
Two Very Different Kinds of Neighborhoods
The two best-known sections are Applehead Island, a guard-gated peninsula of deep-water luxury estates, and Summit Rock, an elevated gated golf community set back from the water. They’re genuinely different products, waterfront estate living versus golf-course/hill-view living, so it’s worth being clear on which one you’re actually after before touring.
Golf is a real part of daily life here: Slick Rock, Ram Rock, and Apple Rock are the three courses inside Horseshoe Bay itself, with Escondido and Blue Lake as additional courses in the surrounding area.
The Lake
Lake LBJ is a constant-level lake. LCRA keeps it within about a foot of full year-round, so unlike a fluctuating reservoir, dock and shoreline conditions here stay predictable across seasons.
Growth
The town’s population grew from 1,546 residents in 1990 to 4,257 at the 2020 Census, steady growth for a resort-style community, and a sign the area has shifted from a mostly-seasonal destination toward more full-time residents.
What to Know Before You Buy
With roughly 28 HOAs covering different sections of the community, resale certificates and HOA disclosure requirements vary by which specific section a property sits in, not something to assume is uniform across “Horseshoe Bay” as a whole.
Homes For Sale by Community
Horseshoe Bay’s two best-known named communities each have their own dedicated page with current details:
Work With Someone Who Knows Horseshoe Bay and the Rest of the Highland Lakes
Robbie English, Broker and REALTOR® with Uncommon Highland Lakes Realty, works across Horseshoe Bay and the other nine Highland Lakes towns. Reach out or call 830-953-5571 to talk through whether Horseshoe Bay fits what you’re looking for.
Sources
History and development details referenced from the Texas State Historical Association and Wikipedia: Horseshoe Bay, Texas.
