Kingsland, Texas

Kingsland is an unincorporated census-designated place in eastern Llano County (with a portion extending into Burnet County) on the shores of Lake LBJ. With a 2020 Census population of 7,028, it is the largest community on the Llano County side of the Highland Lakes and serves as a major residential and recreational hub. The town sits at the geographic point where the Llano River empties into the Colorado River — now the body of Lake LBJ — giving it a unique position at the meeting of two significant Texas waterways. Kingsland operates at a slower pace than Marble Falls, with a commercial district limited to a few blocks along Ranch Road 1431 and the lake road, but its water access is among the most reliable in the region.

What It's Known For

Kingsland is defined by three things: its position on the constant-level Lake LBJ (which guarantees water access regardless of drought), the Antlers Inn (a restored 1901 railroad hotel that is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark), and Hooper's — a restaurant operating inside the relocated Victorian house used in Tobe Hooper's 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

History and Heritage

The area was originally purchased in 1879 by Martin D. King, Sr. and J.M. Trussell, who acquired a large tract of land at the confluence of the Llano and Colorado rivers. Following King's death, his wife Nancy Jane King surveyed and platted the town in 1883, naming it Kingsville. The community grew as a trading center and cotton gin site, serving the surrounding ranches and farms that worked the river bottomland.

Expansion accelerated dramatically with the arrival of the Austin and Northwestern Railroad in 1892. The railroad connected Kingsland to Austin and points south, transforming it from an isolated river crossing into an accessible destination. The U.S. Post Office renamed the town Kingsland in 1901 to avoid confusion with Kingsville in Kleberg County (the King Ranch town). That same year, railroad interests built the Antlers Hotel directly adjacent to the depot to serve tourists drawn by the rivers and the surrounding terrain. The hotel operated as a resort through the early decades of the 20th century before declining in the 1920s as automobile travel shifted traffic patterns away from the railroad.

After decades of relative quiet, the construction of Granite Shoals Dam (now Wirtz Dam) in 1950 formed Lake LBJ, permanently flooding the river confluence and transforming Kingsland from a dry-land farming community into a lakeside recreation and retirement destination. The constant water level guaranteed by the dam system made waterfront property consistently valuable, and the community grew steadily through the second half of the 20th century.

The Antlers Inn

The Antlers Inn (1001 King Court, Kingsland, TX 78639) is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, designated in 1977. The original 1901 structure is a two-story frame building with a wide front porch, built in the railroad hotel style common to small Texas towns at the turn of the century. The property has been restored and operates as a boutique lodging venue, offering rooms in the main hotel building, standalone cottages, and — in a distinctive touch — renovated 1970s-era train cabooses converted into guest rooms.

The Antlers property also includes the relocated house used in the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The Victorian-era farmhouse, which served as the exterior and interior of the "Sawyer family" home in the film, was moved to the Antlers grounds from its original location in Round Rock in the late 1990s. It now operates as Hooper's, a restaurant named for the film's director, Tobe Hooper.

Hooper's and the Texas Chain Saw Massacre House

Hooper's (1010 King Court, Kingsland, TX 78639) serves scratch-made Southern food inside the restored house from the 1974 film. The building is the actual structure used in the movie — not a replica — relocated and restored to its appearance in the film's era. The restaurant operates as a full-service dining establishment during regular hours and hosts themed events during October, including nighttime screenings of the film, actor appearances, and horror-themed gatherings. The property draws a steady stream of film enthusiasts year-round, making it one of the more unusual dining destinations in the Texas Hill Country.

The Lake and the Rivers

Kingsland's geography is shaped by the meeting of the Llano and Colorado rivers, which feed into Lake LBJ at this point. The Llano River enters from the west, flowing through a granite-bottomed channel before widening into the lake. The Colorado River (now Lake LBJ) runs roughly east-west through the community. Because the Lower Colorado River Authority maintains Lake LBJ at a near-constant level of approximately 825 feet above mean sea level, the water remains accessible for boating and fishing regardless of drought conditions that may affect upstream reservoirs like Lake Buchanan or downstream reservoirs like Lake Travis.

The lake supports populations of largemouth bass, Guadalupe bass, white bass, catfish, and crappie. Several marinas and rental operations serve the boating community, including Clearwater Marina and WakePoint LBJ (which specializes in wakeboarding and wakesurfing instruction and boat rentals).

The Slab

Just upstream on the Llano River sits The Slab (4400 RM 1431, Kingsland, TX 78639), one of the most popular public swimming holes in the Highland Lakes region. The site is a wide section of the Llano River where the water flows over broad outcroppings of pink granite, creating shallow wading pools, deeper swimming holes, and sandy beaches between the rock formations. The granite is smooth from centuries of water flow, and the shallow areas are safe for small children while deeper pools accommodate swimmers and rope swings.

The Slab is free to access and located directly off RM 1431. Parking is limited to a small gravel lot and roadside pulloffs, and on summer weekends the area fills by mid-morning. There are no facilities (no restrooms, no lifeguards, no concessions), and visitors should bring everything they need. The site is on LCRA land and is subject to periodic closures during high water events.

Packsaddle Mountain

Packsaddle Mountain, located approximately five miles southwest of Kingsland, is a prominent visual landmark and the site of one of the last Native American battles in the Texas Hill Country. On August 4, 1873, a group of eight Llano County settlers engaged a party of approximately 20 Native Americans (likely Comanche or Kiowa) on the mountain's slopes. The battle lasted several hours and resulted in casualties on both sides. A Texas Historical Commission marker on RM 2341 commemorates the event. The mountain itself is on private land and not publicly accessible, but it is visible from multiple points in the Kingsland area.

Where to Stay

Lodging in Kingsland leans heavily toward waterfront vacation rentals, RV parks, and historic properties. The Antlers Inn offers the most distinctive accommodations — rooms in the 1901 hotel, standalone cottages, and renovated train cabooses. Several lakeside resorts and marinas provide cabins and boat slips for visitors focused on water access. There are no national hotel chains in Kingsland; visitors seeking standard hotel rooms typically stay in Marble Falls (15 miles southeast).

Practical Information

* Getting There: Located along Ranch Road 1431, approximately 15 miles northwest of Marble Falls and 20 miles southeast of Llano. About 75 minutes from Austin.

* Pace and Vibe: Relaxed and lake-focused. The commercial district is small — a few blocks along RM 1431. Most activity is oriented toward the water.

* Supplies: An H-E-B is located on RM 1431 in Kingsland, providing full grocery service. For hardware, marine supplies, or medical care, Marble Falls is the nearest option.

* The Slab: Arrive before 10 AM on summer weekends. Parking fills quickly and there is no overflow lot.

* Best Seasons: Summer is peak lake season. Spring and fall offer milder temperatures for fishing and hiking. The constant lake level makes Kingsland viable year-round.

Why It Matters for the Hill Country

Kingsland provides the most reliable water access in the Highland Lakes system. While other communities contend with fluctuating reservoir levels — Lake Buchanan can drop 30+ feet during drought — Kingsland's position on the constant-level Lake LBJ guarantees a steady baseline for recreation, property values, and daily life. It anchors the Llano County side of the lakes, offering a quiet, water-focused alternative to the busier commercial centers nearby. Its combination of a historic railroad hotel, a horror-film landmark, and a granite swimming hole gives it a character distinct from the golf-and-resort model of Horseshoe Bay or the basecamp utility of Marble Falls.