Balconies Escarpment, Austin, Texas October 1998 The Balconies Escarpment can be seen extending from near Temple (upper left) through Austin (center of the image) and to just south of New Braunfels (bottom right). The Balconies Escarpment forms a distinct boundary between the topographically higher Edwards Plateau (dark, left side of the image) and the Gulf Coastal Plain (right). The escarpment, formed by faulting and erosion, extends from the Rio Grande near Del Rio eastward to San Antonio, northeastward to Austin, and finally northward toward the Red River. The terrain west and north of the escarpment is generally rounded with wooded hills and numerous small river valleys. The escarpment is highest near Del Rio (1000 feet, 300 meters). Austin, the capitol of Texas, is located on the intersection of the Balconies Escarpment and the Colorado River. Interstate Highway 35 parallels a section of the Balconies Escarpment from San Antonio to Temple. Lake Travis visible to the west-northwest of Austin. Canyon Lake can be seen to the right bottom center of the image