Living in Rough Hollow, Lakeway: A Local Agent's Complete Neighborhood Guide

Everything a buyer needs to know about Rough Hollow- prices, amenities, schools, and lake access- from an Austin agent who sells the Lake Travis area.

Rough Hollow is a 1,800-acre master-planned waterfront community on Lake Travis in Lakeway, about 25 minutes west of downtown Austin, and it's one of the most amenity-rich neighborhoods in the entire Austin area. Homes in 2026 range from roughly $700,000 to $2.5 million and above, with a median around $910,000, and the community is built around a private marina, a resort-style Yacht Club, and miles of hill-country trails. If you want lake life without giving up a true neighborhood, this is one of the first places I show people.

Where is Rough Hollow, and what makes it different?

Rough Hollow sits along roughly three miles of Lake Travis shoreline in Lakeway (ZIP 78734). What sets it apart from other Lake Travis communities is scale and amenities: it's organized into more than 20 distinct village-style neighborhoods spread across the acreage, so it lives like a collection of smaller enclaves rather than one uniform subdivision. You get canyon, hill-country, and lake views depending on where you are, and a genuine resort feel day to day.

The trade-off to know going in: it's a commute to central Austin. Twenty-five minutes to downtown is accurate in good traffic, longer at peak. Buyers who love Rough Hollow are trading proximity for space, views, and lifestyle- and most tell me it's worth it.

How much do homes in Rough Hollow cost in 2026?

Because Rough Hollow spans so many villages, the price range is wide:

• $700K–$1M: smaller-lot and garden/patio-style homes; this is the entry band and where the median (~$910K) sits.
• $1M–$1.8M: larger family homes with premium finishes, better views, and bigger lots.
• $1.8M–$2.5M+: the top tier - the largest homes, the best lots, and the closest proximity to the water and marina.

These are 2026 directional ranges; I'll pull live comps for the specific village and view you're after. One important nuance: you do not have to buy a true waterfront home to enjoy the lake here — which brings us to the amenities.

What amenities does Rough Hollow offer?

This is Rough Hollow's headline. It's the most amenity-loaded master-planned community in the Lakeway area, and the standout is that residents get Lake Travis access without paying for a waterfront lot:

• Private marina with boat slips, a kayak/paddle launch, and direct lake access.
• Highland Village Yacht Club and a lakeside restaurant and event space.
• Resort-style pools including a lazy river and a "beach entry" area.
• Miles of hike-and-bike trails through the canyons and along the shoreline.
• Fitness center, sports courts, and regular community events.

The practical upshot: a family in a $900K home a few streets back can still keep a boat at the marina and spend summers on the water. That's the value proposition that keeps demand strong here.

Do Rough Hollow homes come with a boat slip, and how does the marina work?

Here's the part buyers most often get wrong: a home in Rough Hollow does not automatically come with a boat slip. The Rough Hollow Yacht Club & Marina has roughly 294 slips, and they're leased through the marina separately from your HOA dues — on a membership basis, with additional fees. Availability moves around, and desirable slip sizes often carry a waiting list, especially in peak boating season. So if getting on the water by boat is a priority, ask about current slip availability and the waitlist early rather than assuming one comes with the house.

The marina itself is a real amenity: a dual-car tram down to the water, a stocked ship store, a fuel dock with pump-out, and member lockers, restrooms, and showers. For boaters who don't want to own or trailer a boat, the club also runs membership-based boat programs plus on-site boat storage and services - think of it as renting access rather than buying a slip outright. Those offerings and their pricing change over time, so I'd confirm the current boat club and rental options directly with the marina, or I can find out for you. The key takeaway: the home and the boat slip are two separate transactions here, and it's worth lining them up together from the start.

What schools serve Rough Hollow?

Rough Hollow is zoned to Lake Travis ISD, one of the top-rated public districts in the Austin metro and a major reason families choose this side of the lake. Elementary assignment depends on where you are within the community: most students attend Rough Hollow Elementary or Serene Hills Elementary, and a 2023–24 rezoning shifted some sections to West Cypress Hills Elementary. From there, students feed into Lake Travis Middle School and Lake Travis High School (Hudson Bend Middle is also nearby). Because a community this large spans attendance zones, and boundaries do get redrawn, always confirm the exact campus for a specific address before you write an offer.

What are the HOA fees in Rough Hollow, and what do they cover?

Plan on roughly $300 to $400 per month in HOA dues for most Rough Hollow homes, with some sub-communities, like The Point at Rough Hollow, running $450+ per month. Dues vary by village and phase, so always confirm the exact figure for a specific home.

What you get for that number is the reason it is what it is: the dues fund the entire amenity package- Yacht Club and marina access, the resort pools and lazy river, the fitness center, sports courts, trails, common-area landscaping, security, and the year-round events programming. For a community this amenity-heavy, it's a comparatively reasonable monthly figure, but budget for it as a real line item alongside your mortgage and taxes.

What are property taxes like in Rough Hollow?

Property taxes in Rough Hollow run higher than Austin's urban core, which is normal for a Lake Travis master-planned community. Based on current MLS tax data, total rates here commonly run about 2% to 2.6% of assessed value, depending on the specific section, meaningfully above the roughly 1.8% you'd see in parts of central Austin.

The biggest driver of that spread is the Municipal Utility District (MUD). Many sections of Rough Hollow sit within a MUD, which funded the community's infrastructure and adds to the tax rate, which is why parcels in newer, MUD-backed sections land near the top of that 2–2.6% range. MUD rates typically decline over time as the district's bonds are paid down. Because it varies parcel by parcel, never estimate from a neighborhood average- pull the actual tax bill and confirm the MUD and rate before you write an offer. I'm glad to do that for any specific home.

What community events does Rough Hollow have?

A lot, and it's a real part of the appeal. Rough Hollow employs a dedicated lifestyle director (the "Rough Life" program) who runs a year-round calendar: fitness classes, seasonal and holiday parties, community cookouts, a summer concert series at the Yacht Club, food-truck and social nights at the pavilion, and cooking demos at the Highland Village waterfront center. It's the kind of built-in social life that makes a large master-planned community actually feel like a neighborhood. The calendar changes seasonally, so check RoughHollowClub.com or ask me for the current lineup.

Who builds homes in Rough Hollow, and is anyone still building?

Yes, Rough Hollow is still actively building in 2026, though it's in its later phases. The community was developed by Legend Communities and has been built out over the years by a mix of production, semi-custom, and custom builders.

On the production and semi-custom side, Drees Homes remains the most active builder, with newer sections like The District (homes roughly in the $670K–$765K range), Las Brisas, Canyon Pass, and Vista Ridge, where Westin Homes also builds. Taylor Morrison built The Enclave at Rough Hollow, which is now sold out.

For true custom homes, the remaining estate sections are where the high end lives. Hacienda Heights offers custom homesites with Lake Travis and Hill Country views where land-plus-build commonly starts around $3M+, with builders such as Arbogast Custom Homes, Laurel Haven Homes, and Sterling Custom Homes; Jenkins Design Build works in The Peninsula. Las Brisas Estates is billed as the final section of custom homesites in Rough Hollow, a clear signal the community is approaching full build-out.

The practical takeaway: if you want new construction here, move on it, the newest phases are among the last. For current lot availability and standing inventory, the Rough Hollow Welcome Center (903 Highlands Blvd, Lakeway; 512-617-1776) is the source, or I can pull what's active for you.

Who is Rough Hollow right for?

In my experience, Rough Hollow is the best fit for three types of buyers: families who want top schools plus a resort lifestyle, remote or hybrid professionals who don't need a daily downtown commute, and second-home or lock-and-leave buyers who want the lake without maintaining a private waterfront estate. If your life is centered on a downtown office five days a week, a more central neighborhood may serve you better, but for everyone else, the amenities-per-dollar here are tough to match.

The Bottom Line

Rough Hollow gives you Lake Travis living, top-rated Lake Travis ISD schools, and one of the deepest amenity packages in the region, with a 2026 entry point under $1M and a luxury ceiling above $2.5M. The main thing to weigh is the commute. If lake lifestyle and space rank above being close-in, it belongs at the top of your list.

FAQ

What is the price range in Rough Hollow? In 2026, homes generally range from about $700,000 to $2.5 million and above, with a median around $910,000. The range reflects the community's 20-plus distinct villages. Verify against live comps for a specific home.

Does Rough Hollow have lake access? Yes. A private community marina gives residents Lake Travis access — boat slips, a kayak launch, and a lakeside restaurant — without needing to own a waterfront home.

What schools serve Rough Hollow? Lake Travis ISD. Elementary is typically Rough Hollow Elementary or Serene Hills Elementary (some sections were rezoned to West Cypress Hills in 2023–24), feeding into Lake Travis Middle School and Lake Travis High School. Confirm the exact campus for any specific address.

Do homes in Rough Hollow come with a boat slip? No — slips at the Rough Hollow Yacht Club & Marina (roughly 294 total) are leased separately from your home and HOA dues, on a membership basis with additional fees. Availability varies and popular slip sizes can carry a waiting list, so ask early. The club also offers membership-based boat programs and storage for those who'd rather not own a boat.

How far is Rough Hollow from downtown Austin? About 25 minutes in good traffic. It's in Lakeway, along the south/west shore of Lake Travis.

What are the HOA fees in Rough Hollow? Most homes run about $300–$400 per month, with some sub-communities like The Point exceeding $450. Dues cover Yacht Club and marina access, pools, fitness, trails, security, landscaping, and year-round events. Confirm the exact amount for a specific home.

How high are property taxes in Rough Hollow, and is there a MUD? Based on current MLS data, total property tax rates commonly run about 2%–2.6% of assessed value, driven largely by whether the parcel sits within a Municipal Utility District (MUD). Newer MUD-backed sections land near the top of that range. Verify the actual tax bill for any specific address.

Does Rough Hollow have community events? Yes — a dedicated lifestyle director runs a year-round "Rough Life" calendar of fitness classes, holiday parties, cookouts, a summer concert series, and food-truck nights. Check RoughHollowClub.com for the current schedule.

Who builds homes in Rough Hollow, and is it still being built? Yes, Rough Hollow is still building in 2026, in its later phases. Drees Homes is the most active builder (The District, Las Brisas, Canyon Pass, and Vista Ridge, where Westin Homes also builds); Taylor Morrison's Enclave is sold out. Custom estate sections remain — Hacienda Heights (Arbogast, Laurel Haven, Sterling Custom Homes) and The Peninsula (Jenkins Design Build) — with Las Brisas Estates billed as the final custom section.

About the author: Kelsey Easton is an Austin real estate agent with $250M+ in career sales, specializing in luxury and Lake Travis-area homes.