Lake LBJ Neighborhoods — Horseshoe Bay, Kingsland, Granite Shoals & More

Horseshoe Bay — Resort Luxury in Llano County

Horseshoe Bay is the anchor of Lake LBJ's premium market. Horseshoe Bay Resort — one of Texas's premier destination resort communities — sits on the south shore, featuring multiple championship golf courses, a private marina and yacht club, a spa, restaurants, and resort hotel facilities. The community has its own private airstrip, the Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport. Homes in Horseshoe Bay range from $600,000 entry-level to $5 million-plus for lakefront estates with covered boathouses.

Horseshoe Bay sits almost entirely in Llano County, giving lakefront owners the benefit of Llano County's lower effective property tax rate of approximately 0.75%. The resort POA charges annual assessments covering community maintenance, security, and shared amenities. For buyers who want the full resort experience — golf, marina, fitness facilities, security-gated community — Horseshoe Bay is the Lake LBJ market answer. For buyers who want the Hill Country lake without the resort overhead, other communities on the lake deliver the same water at lower total cost of ownership.

Note: Summit Rock is a premium Horseshoe Bay section with an additional capital improvement assessment of approximately $42,000 per lot, payable at closing or over 15 years. This is material and must be evaluated as part of total acquisition cost.

Kingsland — River Town at the Confluence

Kingsland occupies the upper end of Lake LBJ where the Llano River meets the Colorado River. This confluence creates a distinctive community with both lake character and river character — and a geological landmark known as The Slab, where shallow granite outcroppings create a natural swimming hole and gathering point that has been a Hill Country social institution for generations. Kingsland has a legitimate downtown: the historic Antlers Inn (a century-old hotel that was once a hunting lodge), local restaurants, shops, and a community character that predates the lake itself.

The county line runs through Kingsland along the Colorado River, so buyers in Kingsland need to confirm whether their specific property is in Burnet County or Llano County. Properties on the south and west bank of the Colorado River arm are typically in Llano County. Properties on the north bank are in Burnet County. The distinction of several hundred dollars per year in taxes is embedded in which bank of the river the property sits on.

Kingsland attracts buyers who want authentic Hill Country character alongside lake access — it is less resort, more river town, with a social fabric centered around local businesses and long-time residents rather than a POA-governed resort community.

Granite Shoals — Maximum Public Access in Burnet County

Granite Shoals is a small city in Burnet County built around Lake LBJ with an extraordinary commitment to public waterfront access. The city maintains 19 public parks, many with boat ramps and direct lake entry points, throughout the community — more public lake access per capita than almost any other city in Texas. This makes Granite Shoals unusually accessible for a residential lake community, with residents and guests able to reach the water at multiple points throughout the city.

Properties in Granite Shoals sit in Burnet County, with the higher effective tax rate of approximately 1.04%. The tradeoff is affordability — Granite Shoals lakefront tends to list below comparable Horseshoe Bay or premium Kingsland waterfront, making it an entry point into Lake LBJ ownership for buyers who prioritize lake access over resort amenities. The 19 public parks create a lake-oriented community feel that is more democratic than the gated resort character of Horseshoe Bay.

Highland Haven — Quiet Coves in Llano County

Highland Haven is a small residential community on the Llano County side of the lake between Horseshoe Bay and Kingsland. It is less prominent than the communities on either side of it but offers Llano County tax rates in a quieter, less developed setting than Horseshoe Bay Resort. Properties in Highland Haven tend toward established lake houses on modest lots — the character is residential lake living without the resort overlay. Buyers who find Horseshoe Bay's HOA overhead excessive and Kingsland's river-town character too casual sometimes land in Highland Haven as a middle ground.

Sunrise Beach Village — Affordable Llano County Lakefront

Sunrise Beach Village occupies the eastern edge of the lake in Llano County, offering waterfront access in a price range that tends to be more accessible than Horseshoe Bay. The community has its own boat ramps and park areas. Properties in Sunrise Beach are typically smaller lot sizes on established residential streets — it is the most affordable entry point into Llano County lakefront ownership on Lake LBJ. For buyers prioritizing the tax advantage of Llano County without the resort premium of Horseshoe Bay, Sunrise Beach provides that combination.

How to Choose

• If resort amenities, golf, and a gated community matter: Horseshoe Bay
• If authentic Hill Country character, a real downtown, and river access alongside the lake appeal: Kingsland
• If maximum public park access, affordable lakefront, and Burnet County rates work for you: Granite Shoals
• If Llano County rates and quieter residential character matter more than resort overhead: Highland Haven or Sunrise Beach
• For any community: confirm the county of your specific parcel, not just the general community location — the line between counties runs through several of these areas