Wild Basin is Austin's first wildlife preserve and it was established in 1976. It is part of the…read moreBalcones Canyonlands Preserve system and co-managed by the City of Austin and St. Edward's University. While it is only about 270 acres it is packed with all kinds of features to satisfy any Texas outdoor enthusiast. Today (August 7) I attended the First Friday Walk and Talk led by their research director, Dr. Gabriella Pardee. While August can be brutally hot here in Austin, the walk started early enough to avoid the blazing sun plus the lower trails were mostly shaded. Inside the research center Gabby talked about the history of the preserve, how it is managed and some of the programs offered to the public as well as students at St. Edward's. Then we hit the trails which are well-maintained and have signage so you can easily find your way. During the hike, many topics were touched on like bumble identification, the diversity of animals/birds and stream ecology. Bee Creek runs through the preserve. I highly recommend signing up for one of these "First Friday" of the month hikes led by Wild Basin staff. You will learn a lot. Diving deeper into the natural history of this preserve builds a feeling of community and connection to the wildness so close at hand.

Wild Basin Writing Workshop -- A Hidden Gem!…read more A friend told me about a writing workshop happening at Wild Basin, so I decided to check it out -- and I'm so glad I did! Wild Basin offers an Artist in Residence program featuring creatives in photography, writing, pottery, and more. From what I learned, residents spend about three months sharing their craft by offering a few workshops, and at the end, there's a celebration showcasing their work. One special piece even becomes part of Wild Basin's permanent collection -- how cool is that? Our workshop was led by Sarah Cypher, and it was absolutely lovely. We sat in a circle on the deck on a perfect, "almost-fall" morning. Most attendees seemed to already have their own writing practice, but Sarah made everyone feel welcome and at ease. She's a wonderful facilitator and presenter. We read a few poems, discussed what resonated with us, and then took some time to wander the trails for reflection and writing. It's been years since I've been in that kind of creative space (probably since college!), and it felt so refreshing to tap into that part of myself again. As a teacher, I spend my days helping kids become writers -- but this time, I got to write just for me. My favorite part? Honestly -- all of it. Huge thanks to Sarah, Paul, Wild Basin, and my friend Laura for sharing this experience with me. Funny enough, I drive past here all the time but had never stopped in -- that won't be the case anymore!

The Greenbelt is one of several within Austin. This one in Travis Heights connects Big Stacy Park…read morewith Little Stacy Park. It's an urban hikers dream because of the ample shade provided by trees, the flowing of Blunn Creek, and probably the fact that it's only a mile long. There are picnic tables and benches along the route. The paths are paved and gravel. Lots of open green space as well.

I needed to clear my mind after sitting in a meeting all day at work. Luckily, this nature preserve…read morewas nearby the hotel just located in South Austin. All the trails are flat, but not wheelchair accessible since they aren't paved. Some of the paths are rocky, muddy, dirt and covered in leaves. No need for trekking poles, just need some good hiking shoes with grip support. The best time to come out is by spring. You can see all the TX State flower, bluebonnets and other TX natives in bloom! The ones off the path aren't as vibrant in their blue color as the ones near the water supply of Blunn Creek. At the creek, the rocks are slippery with algae so be careful not to fall. I almost did, but thankfully caught myself before I had a medical emergency. The park rules says, "no dogs", but of course I spotted dog poop. That's two things pet owners aren't good about: following rules and picking up after their furry ones. I love how the trails are shaded and easy to navigate. All paths are well marked so it's fairly simple to not get lost. There's no parking lot, only street parking. I parked in a residential area behind a car dusted with pollen. During the week, the parking isn't crowded. A nice hike with secluded trails.

This is a decent hike as it is somewhat challenging at times, especially in the uphill sections. We…read moretook the rimrock trail and it took about 1-1.5 hours, so it felt kind of short. The only really good views are at the sharp ascent at the very beginning of the trail because after that you can't really see anything because the view is blocked. There is no shade and there are bathrooms at the trailhead. I don't really think it's worth the drive from Austin more than once, but it is free.

This a review for the Wabler Vista location. I'll start by saying I'm a casual hiker. Its closer…read moreto Austin than the Doeskin Ranch location. We took the Cactus Rock trail to Ridgeline, then took Ridgeline to the Sunset Deck. The Cactus Rock trail was easy, and would be fun with small children. The views on Ridgeline were not that great and it was more challenging. I like the challenge of the Ridgeline, but it just ends so you either just take that trail back or walk along the road back to your car. I was tired by then so we took the road back. I really enjoyed the Sunset Deck. You can skip the trail walking and just park close to the deck. The covered deck has comfortable benches so it would be a nice place to take a book and just enjoy nature.

This was a really fun little hike. Its about 3 miles, and is actually part of a much longer trail…read moresystem that can take you all the way down to Bull Creek if you want to make it a longer day-type hike. It had good parking, easy access, and takes you from the road to wilderness rather quickly. There are creek beds, decent elevation gain (about 400 ft) and in the middle of the hike you walk through a protected area. My wife and I lived it and its a good change of pace. We went on a Sunday at about 9:15 am and there was only 2 other people on the trail.

If you run, walk, or cycle on the Butler Trail around Ladybird Lake (aka Town Lake) in downtown…read moreAustin, you now have a nice new amenity on the east end of the 10-mile loop off Pleasant Valley at Longhorn Dam. We no longer have to squeeze across the too narrow pedestrian lane on the dam. The beautiful Wishbone Bridge is wide enough to accommodate plenty of bi-directional traffic, with spots for rest and lovely viewpoints of nature. Plus, the Unity Underpass tunnel below Pleasant Valley from Krieg Field (south entrance to the Wishbone) is covered in mosaic art of classic Austin scenes. Parking is easy at Krieg Fields, or you can run around from either the south or north sides of the river on the trail. Beware, TXDOT has begun their 8-year IH35 project, which includes reworking of the IH35 pedestrian bridge, so you cannot cross the river there for the next year. If you are headed west from Wishbone, it's best to check The Trail Conservancy's Trail Detours site https://thetrailconservancy.org/visit/detours/ for the latest info.

This bridge was super neat and continues to a large dirt trail that's never ending . Bikers,…read morewalkers , runners , you'll see it all and it's right up against the river view the entire way.

Beautiful trail, unfortunately people do walk their dogs off the leash. Not sure if this is allowed…read moreor not but on this particular day there was a pack of 4 large dogs off the leash 3 huskies and a Dalmatian and they were nudging and shoving us out of the way with no owners in sight. It ruined the experience because the dogs were being very rude and the trail is narrow and rocky so to have dogs playing and fighting on the trails and pushing you is very annoying and I am a dog lover.

This is a rustic trail compared with Riverplace. Rustic in the sense it is not well-groomed. There…read moreare a lot of rocks, tree roots, and fallen debris. Just pick your feet up a little higher, and you'll be fine. The big plus for dog owners and lovers is that dogs can run free. If you don't like dogs, definitely do not come to this "dog party". If you do love dogs, you'll be in heaven watching them run down the trails and in and out of the water. Dog owners seemed very conscientious about picking up their dog's leavings which is a plus as well. If it's a nice day, the parking may fill up fast. The trail is free and offers a lot of shade. Enjoy.

The address listed is for Steiner Ranch Steakhouse. The land on the other side of the fence is a…read morepart of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve that is not generally open to the public. It's possible there have been guided hikes there in the past, but this is not an open public hiking spot.

This hike was organized and guided by my friend James so not sure of the details that get you a…read moreguided hike here. But it was super fantastic with some awesome photo opps. This was somewhat of a clandestine meetup with vague directions - "meet at the Farm type gate right beside the Steiner Ranch sign on 620" with instructions that you are locked out if you do not arrive on time... No dogs or kids allowed.... Totally worth the weird hard to find trail head and adventure that ensued...

Roxie and I decided to venture to Sunset Valley for our morning walk. Variety is the spice of life…read morecorrect? We parked in front of Petco and walked towards Berger Stadium- I don't know which direction that is but just walk away from Brodie. ;) There is a sidewalk directly adjacent to Petco. Follow the sidewalk and then you will find a well designated path on your right. We stayed on the cement path but there's a well worn grassy path to the left as well (next time). We came across some other friendly dog walkers and they gave me a jolly hello and pointed me in the right direction. There are several signs showing *you are here* so you can't really get lost. A quaint neighborhood will be on one side of you and Brodie lane will be on the other side of you. You are close to Brodie but would never know it. Lots of shaded wooded spots and several benches to sit if you get tired or just want to sit and enjoy the sounds of nature. We will definitely be back soon! Side-note SHOUT OUT to Petco. Roxie needed some water after our hike. Petco has disposable water bowls back by their bathrooms/water fountain. A nice employee even walked us back there to show us! Thanks Petco!

For a low impact flat path walk, highly recommend this lesser known trail. It doesn't give you the…read moresatisfaction of a "hike" but it's certainly nature, fresh air and a form of light exercise. In bloom season, the large variety of beautiful wildflowers makes it a pleasant walk. There is a second trail on the east of this trail that goes from behind world market that looks interesting but also had a warning for coyotes so we didn't risk it in the late evening. It might be worth a try in the morning someday.