Things to Do in Rockwall, TX — A Local's Guide

Most "things to do in Rockwall TX" lists are written by people who do not live here. They have never sat in traffic on Ridge Road. You can tell. They tell you to go to the T.J. Maxx.

Here is my real list. I live here. These are the places I tell my friends and family to go. I also added some spots people usually drive right past.

Start at The Harbor

If you only have one night in Rockwall, go to The Harbor on Lake Ray Hubbard. It has a working marina and a little lighthouse that spins. There are lots of places to eat right on the water. Parking is free. People from Dallas think that is funny.

Eat dinner at Gloria's if you want Latin food. Try Rodeo Goat for a burger. Go to Sideways for smoked meat and live music. Huckabee's has coffee. If it rains, there is a Cinemark. In the summer, there is a free concert series at the amphitheater. Bring a chair. Bring the kids. It does not cost any money.

Honestly? Watching the sunset from the boardwalk at The Harbor is the best free thing in the county. Nothing else is even close.

Get on the water

The lake is 22,000 acres big. You should use it.

Here are two easy ways to get on the water if you do not have a boat. DFW Boat Ride has a big 57-foot boat at the Harbor. It holds about 90 people. It is great for groups and birthdays. My favorite way is to sail on the Seawolf. Captain Scott built that boat by hand. He started sailing when he was 10. He never stopped. You can ride on a boat that one man built because he loved it. That is a cool story.

If you want to get wet, you can try flyboarding on the lake. That is the water-jetpack thing. You will fall down. That is the fun part.

Saturday morning: the farmers market

The Rockwall Farmers Market is open every Saturday morning from May through September. It is on the historic downtown square. You can buy local beef, sourdough, tamales, honey, flowers, and coffee. The sellers change, so it is a little different each week.

You could run through it in 20 minutes. Do not do that. Give it an hour. Talk to the people who grew the food. Walk around the square while you are there.

Downtown and the square

The historic courthouse square is the heart of old Rockwall. There are old buildings and small shops. There is a pie shop in San Jacinto Plaza that has awards on the wall. Get the pie. I will not argue with you about this.

While you are downtown, see the Rockwall County Historical Foundation museum. Here is the cool part: the town is named after a real wall. In the 1800s, people digging wells found long rock walls underground. They looked made by people. They were stacked and jointed. Geologists say it is a natural sandstone formation. Some neighbors still do not believe them. Either way, this is the only county in Texas named after something buried under it.

It is also the smallest county in Texas. Some years it is the fastest-growing, too. Small county, big personality.

For families

Blase Family Farm is about five minutes from the square. In blueberry season, you should go. The kids pick berries and you leave with a bucket. Everyone is happy.

Harry Myers Park has trails and places to eat lunch. There is a lot of room to run around. This is where big events like Founders Day happen.

Is it raining? Shenaniganz has bowling, arcade games, and laser tag. There is also an escape room in town if your family likes to be locked in a room on purpose.

Golf, if that's your thing

Buffalo Creek Golf Club is the first course people talk about here. There is a reason for that. It is the best round of golf you will play without leaving the county.

When to come

Summer is loud. There are concerts at the lake, the farmers market is busy, and there are boats everywhere. Fall is quieter and the weather is better. Spring has wildflowers on the road. Winter is when the locals get the Harbor to themselves.

Full disclosure: July and August are hot. Texas hot. Do things outside in the morning or at night and you will be fine.

The stuff nobody puts on these lists

Here are a few tips from someone who is here every day:

The square is busy on market Saturdays. Park a block or two away and walk. Cars drive fast downtown, so hold your kids' hands when you cross the street. If you come on a weeknight, the Harbor restaurants are not as crowded and they are nicer.

One more thing. Rockwall is not a tourist town. That is why people like it here. You are 25 miles from downtown Dallas, but it feels like its own place. Because it is.

Hungry after all that?

We keep a list of every local restaurant, coffee shop, and family spot in Rockwall County. A real person who lives here checks each one before we list it. Start with the restaurants in Rockwall, or look at everything else worth knowing about.

Do you know a spot we missed? Tell us. This list gets better every time a neighbor adds to it.

Rockwall Connect is a locally owned guide to Rockwall, Fate, Heath, Royse City, Rowlett, and McLendon-Chisholm.