5348 Magdelena Dr, Austin, TX 78735

Lost Creek is the neighborhood where Forest Trail Elementary parents have been walking their kids to school along the same shaded sidewalks for over 40 years, and many of them grew up doing the exact same thing. That kind of generational continuity is rare in Austin, a city that has reinvented itself several times during Lost Creek's existence. The neighborhood has held steady through all of it. Lost Creek sits between Loop 360 and Barton Creek, just south of Bee Caves Road in West Austin. Downtown is a straight 15-minute shot east on Bee Caves Road to MoPac. The Barton Creek Square area is about eight minutes east, and Bee Cave's commercial district is five minutes west. The location threads a needle that is hard to find elsewhere. You are close enough to everything urban but surrounded by enough topography and tree cover that the city feels distant. Housing spans about four decades, with most original homes built between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Texas Traditional architecture accounts for roughly 35 percent, with brick and stone exteriors and pitched rooflines. Ranch-style homes make up about 25 percent, and Mediterranean and Hill Country Contemporary each represent about 15 percent. Lot sizes range from a third of an acre to over an acre, with mature oak and pecan canopy throughout. Pricing runs from the high $700s for smaller unrenovated homes to over $3 million for updated estates on premium lots. The median transaction for a four-bedroom in good condition falls between $1.2 million and $1.8 million. Eanes ISD is the anchor. Forest Trail Elementary serves Lost Creek directly and carries a decades-long reputation as one of the strongest elementary campuses in Central Texas. Students feed into Hill Country Middle and Westlake High, which competes at the highest levels in academics and UIL activities. Westlake's college placement record is among the best in the state. The Eanes tax base funds facilities and staffing ratios that most districts cannot match. Mornings start with joggers heading to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, accessible from multiple trailheads nearby. Lost Creek Trail connects to Sculpture Falls, one of the most popular swimming holes on Barton Creek. Twin Falls is another favorite via a moderate hike from the eastern edge. The country club anchors social life with golf, tennis, swimming, and a dining room that serves as informal community gathering spot. County Line on the Hill is a longtime barbecue institution at the neighborhood's edge. Laurel Restaurant brings refined American cooking. The Grove on West 6th is a quick drive for patio dining. Lee's Kitchen handles casual weeknight meals, and Bob's Steak and Chop House covers the steakhouse occasions. Lost Creek sits between higher-profile neighbors and benefits from the comparison. Rob Roy and Westlake Highlands to the east carry higher prices and more visible luxury signaling. Bee Cave's newer master-planned communities to the west offer updated homes but lack the tree cover and character. Lost Creek offers Eanes ISD at a lower entry point than Barton Creek or Rob Roy, with more personality than production communities further west. Lost Creek is right for families who prioritize Eanes ISD, greenbelt access, and a mature tree-covered setting over new construction and resort amenities. The daily rhythm is school drop-off, trail run, work, evening walk, repeat. If you want a neighborhood where kids walk to elementary school and you can hike to a swimming hole the same morning, Lost Creek makes that possible. It is not trying to impress anyone, which is precisely what makes it impressive to the people who understand what they are looking at.