A Homebase With Natural Appeal

With Belton Lake only minutes away, your backyard is an outdoor oasis. Boaters, swimmers, hikers and lovers of the great outdoors will be right at home among these 19.2 square miles.

The lake is an angler’s paradise where the daily catch may include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel and flathead catfish, white and hybrid striped bass, and sunfish. The area’s parks are open for picnicking and camping.

Miller Springs is another favorite for recreation lovers. Hike, canoe, climb and enjoy 260 acres of waterways, bluffs and open spaces. The park’s nature center features estuarial wetlands, mountain cedar hilltops, and riverside cottonwood and sycamore stands.

West Temple Community Park offers sports courts and playing fields, while Temple Lake Park has beach access, and picnic and camping areas. Slip your boat in or register for the kids’ fishing tournament at Morgan’s Point Resort Marina.

Link up with friends at two East Temple golf courses. Sammons Golf Course is operated by the City of Temple and open to the public. Over at Wildflower Country Club, you can golf, swim and dine with a private membership.

During the summer, plan a trip to the Scott & White Farmers Market, where growers sell local produce and fruit, and makers sell homemade wares.

Food with a view is the main course at Dead Fish Grill. Brunch, lunch or eat dinner on the shores of Belton Lake and look out for special events like their crawfish and cars festival.

Kids will love the huge playscape and everyone will chow down on specialty items like Paleo Burger and Sombrero Burger at Hat Creek Burger. For soups, salads and what some call the best coffee in West Temple, pop over to Good Life Bakery.

Chef Vira is the master behind the Italian apron at La Riv Kitchen & Bar, where steaks and seafood tempt diners. She’s also the woman behind two neighboring options: Sona Wine Bar & Small Plates and 3 West Alehouse & Grill.

Soak in a variety of arts at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in West Temple. On campus are the Baugh Center for the Visual Arts and multiple concert venues. The public is invited to art exhibitions and variety of musical performances, including choral, jazz and symphonic.

For family fun time or date night, Spare Time Texas is the place to let loose. Sharpen your Skee-Ball skills, join a round of laser tag, bowl a few games and dine all in one happening spot.

West Temple is served by the Belton Independent School District. Alternative and private schools are also an option.