Things to do near Lake Lewisville and Little Elm
A sandy beach and a boardwalk are about ten minutes away. The Star, PGA Frisco and a RoughRiders game are about twenty-five. Go and do something, then come back to a quiet stretch of shoreline.
Things to do near Lake Lewisville, by drive time
The ranch sits on a private shoreline on the north end of Lake Lewisville, and most of North Texas is still within easy reach. Little Elm is about ten minutes, Frisco and Prosper about 25, Denton about 30, and downtown Dallas about an hour.
All drive times below are approximate and off-peak. DFW traffic can add a good deal on a weekday.
Little Elm, essentially
| Where | What it is | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| The Lakefront at Little Elm | Sandy beach, boardwalk, The Lawn, restaurants and bars on the water — and the closest public boat ramp to the ranch | 10–15 min |
| The Cove | Pools, kids’ water features, indoor surf and cabanas | 10–15 min |
| Cottonwood Creek Marina | Nearest full-service marina, with a public ramp adjacent | 10–15 min |
| Hydrous Wake Park | Cable wakeboard park, plus Towers Tap House | 10–15 min |
| McCord Park | 38 acres of wooded trails and a designed disc golf course | 10–15 min |
Frisco, Prosper and Grandscape
| Where | What it is | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Grandscape | 400+ acre entertainment district in The Colony — Nebraska Furniture Mart, Scheels, Cosm, Puttery, Fritz’s Adventure, cinema | 15–20 min |
| PGA Frisco / Omni Resort | PGA of America headquarters, two championship courses and The Swing | ~20 min |
| Stonebriar Centre | The big regional mall | 18–22 min |
| Prosper | Downtown and Frontier Park sports complex | ~20 min |
| Universal Kids Resort | Family theme park in Frisco | 20–25 min |
| The Star in Frisco | Dallas Cowboys world headquarters, Ford Center, tours and The Star District | 20–25 min |
| Riders Field | Frisco RoughRiders AA baseball, a Texas Rangers affiliate | 20–25 min |
| National Videogame Museum | Playable history of video games, in Frisco | 20–25 min |
| Toyota Stadium | FC Dallas and the National Soccer Hall of Fame | 22–28 min |
Plano, Denton, McKinney, Grapevine
| Where | What it is | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy West, Plano | Upscale dining and retail district | 25–30 min |
| Downtown Plano | Historic downtown and arts district, DART Red Line terminus | ~30 min |
| Downtown Denton | Courthouse square, independent music, bars, UNT and TWU | 28–32 min |
| LLELA | 2,600-acre nature preserve below the dam — trails, birding, paddling | 30–35 min |
| Historic Downtown McKinney | One of the best-preserved historic squares in Texas | 32–40 min |
| Texas Motor Speedway | NASCAR, IndyCar, car shows and festivals | 35–40 min |
| Gaylord Texan, Grapevine | Resort, atrium gardens, ICE! and Lone Star Christmas | 35–45 min |
| Great Wolf Lodge | Indoor water park resort in Grapevine | 35–45 min |
| Historic Downtown Grapevine | Main Street, wineries, the Vintage Railroad and GrapeFest each September — a good day out and only about 35 minutes | 35–45 min |
Dallas and Fort Worth
| Where | What it is | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| DFW International Airport | Major international hub | 40–50 min |
| Dallas Love Field | Southwest Airlines hub | ~35 min |
| Dallas Arts District | Nasher, DMA, Meyerson, Winspear and the Crow Museum | 45–55 min |
| Perot Museum of Nature and Science | Five floors of science exhibits, good in any weather | 45–55 min |
| Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum | The Kennedy assassination site and museum | 45–55 min |
| Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum | In the West End, beside Dealey Plaza | 45–55 min |
| George W. Bush Presidential Center | Library and museum on the SMU campus | 45–55 min |
| Deep Ellum | Live music, murals, bars and restaurants — House of Blues is here | 45–55 min |
| Fair Park | Art Deco park, the Cotton Bowl and the State Fair of Texas | 50–60 min |
| Dallas Zoo | The largest zoo in Texas by acreage | 50–65 min |
| Fort Worth Zoo | Consistently ranked among the best zoos in the country — worth the extra few minutes | 60–75 min |
| AT&T Stadium, Arlington | Dallas Cowboys, concerts and major events | 55–70 min |
| Globe Life Field | Texas Rangers baseball | 55–70 min |
| Six Flags Over Texas | Theme park and Hurricane Harbor | 55–70 min |
| Bass Performance Hall | Fort Worth’s opera, symphony and touring Broadway house | 55–70 min |
| Fort Worth Stockyards | Twice-daily cattle drive, Billy Bob’s, rodeo and Western heritage | 55–70 min |
| WinStar World Casino, Thackerville OK | One of the largest casinos in the world, with a concert theatre | ~1 hr |
| Choctaw Casino, Durant OK | Casino resort, golf and live entertainment | ~1 hr 30 |
| Fort Worth Cultural District | The Kimbell, the Modern and the Amon Carter | 60–75 min |
Trails, preserves and other water
LLELA — the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area — is 2,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and restored prairie below the dam, thirty to thirty-five minutes away. Trails, birding, paddling on the Elm Fork and a visitor centre. It costs a few dollars per vehicle and it is the best antidote to the loud side of the lake.
Ray Roberts Lake State Park and the Greenbelt Corridor are about thirty minutes north — hiking, equestrian trails and paddling, plus swimming and camping at the Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch units. Lake Ray Roberts itself is about twenty minutes away.
Northshore Trail at Grapevine Lake and Erwin Park in McKinney are two of the better mountain-bike trail systems in DFW, both thirty-five to forty minutes out.
Closer in, McCord Park in Little Elm has wooded trails and a disc golf course, and the Cottonwood and Little Elm Park trails run along the lakefront.
Or stay put
None of it is compulsory. Plenty of guests book a weekend, walk down to the shoreline and never start the truck again until Sunday.
There is a fire pit, guest kayaks, oak shade and about 600 feet of shoreline reserved for guests.
Groceries, fuel, vets, RV service
| What | Where | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries and pharmacy | Little Elm and Oak Point, along FM 423 and US-380 | 10–20 min |
| Fuel, incl. diesel | QuikTrip, RaceTrac, 7-Eleven and Murphy USA on FM 423, US-380 and FM 720 | 5–25 min |
| RV dealer and service | Fun Town RV, 7201 N I-35, Denton | 35–40 min |
| Veterinarians | Little Elm, Oak Point, Aubrey and Frisco | 10–20 min |
| Packages and PO boxes | UPS Store, Cross Roads · Amazon Locker, Oak Point | 5–10 min |
| Healthcare | Clinics and hospitals across Frisco, Denton and Little Elm | 10–30 min |
Approximate, off-peak. See Park Info for the fuller list.
Come back to the lake at the end of the day
About 25 minutes from Frisco and an hour from Dallas, with a quiet shoreline to come home to. Find an RV site or a cabin for your dates.