Pease Park is one of Austin's most beautiful parks. Full stop! It has been thoughtfully designed…read moreand enjoyable green space to frequent. Stretching along Shoal Creek, the park offers a mix of shaded walking and biking trails, open lawns, and beautifully restored natural areas. It is hard to believe when you are in the park that you are in the heart of central Austin. The park is especially family friendly, with a large playground, splash pad, treehouse style observation area, and plenty of seating. While we were at the park a school was hosting a picnic for its students. The northern portion of the park is even more quiet and scenic, with winding trails, limestone bluffs, and creek views. It's a great area for dog walks, leisurely strolls, picnics, workouts, or just relaxing under the trees. The park is well maintained and welcoming to all ages. This park is very special.

Such a gem of a park. Big, beautiful, and genuinely fun for all ages. The giant troll made from…read morenatural and recycled materials alone is worth the visit -- it's impressive and so unique. The stream nearby adds a peaceful touch, and the overall design of the park feels really intentional and creative. Kids will go crazy for the massive playground and all the interactive installations. The hanging net sphere is a must, you can lie inside and bounce around, and honestly the adults were just as into it as the little ones. There are also food vendors including ice cream, so you can easily spend a whole afternoon here. One of the most well-done parks I've been to. Highly recommend.

Zilker Metropolitan Park is the focal point of outdoor activities in Austin and one of the city's…read moremost notable gathering spaces. The park is huge...covering more than 350 acres along Lady Bird Lake. Zilker is a mixed-use space...open green fields, hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, and some of Austin's best skyline views. Zilker is the prime location for kayaking on Lady Bird Lake, attending a music festival like Austin City Limits, or a family or friends outing (picnic in the park, volleyball, or card games under a shade trees). One of the park's biggest strengths is its ability to change like an ameba. There is a little something for everyone...children's playgrounds, trail walking or running, and chillaxing. Also, the scenery is another standout feature. The combination of rolling lawns, giant oak trees, and downtown Austin in the background creates a uniquely beautiful urban park experience.

Beautiful park... with a few issues…read more The park's gorgeous, clean, and spacious, with lots of families and animals just chilling. Just be cautious of the few homeless.

Multiple intricacies within the parks known as Town Lake Metropolitan. Waller Beach, the various…read moretrails and paths, the boardwalk, Ladybird Lake, etc. Such a peaceful and beautiful area to get in exercise (walking/running/leisurely strolling), enjoying the outdoors, year-round. Great to explore alone or with friends and family, or your furry friend. Different spots to sit and relax. Simply a beautiful piece of Austin for locals abs tourists alike.

You haven't explored Austin until you take a stroll through the series of parks through the Town…read moreLake areas. Covering multiple miles, you'll see parts of downtown alongside the colorado river. Along this pathway, you'll be lead to the Barton Springs municipal pool and the Zilker Park & Garden as you go west. Going east, you'll eventually find your way along the Boardwalk near the Town Lake apartments and then at some point, the peace point at lady bird lake, one of the chillest spots in Austin to zone out. Obviously you bike, jog, run, walk, dogwalk, skip, however you prefer to galivant along the way of this beautiful section of the capital of Texas. It's one of many reasons people love living here!

Such a pleasant park. Perfect for a stroll around the lake. Stroller-friendly…read more Plenty of benches as well as grassy area for picnics or for kids to run around on. There's also a playground (across from The Thinkery). A huge amount of birds here. Ducks, pigeons, grackles. Even saw cormorants. A few food trucks near the parking lot although most were closed late Sunday afternoon.

Mueller Lake Park is such a pleasant park to walk around. It is away from the hustle and bustle of…read morethe Mueller district. You take in the beautiful lake as you meander around the lake. The hubs and I walked around the lake after our brunch. Such a pleasant walk...

Took my niece here while she was visiting on spring break this year and she loved it. It's a great…read morepark with plenty of activities for the kids. I was able to just chill out and read my book too while she played with my brother. I definitely recommend this park to bring the littles to.

Alliance Children's Garden is a playground within the larger Butler Park in Austin. We chose to…read morecome here since its want right across the street from Terry Black's BBQ, where we planned to have lunch. The park has lots of playscapes and climbing structures, and you'll also get nice views of the tall buildings of downtown Austin. They do have an hourly pay-parking lot at the entrance, but it does fill up quickly. It's almost better to leave your car here and walk to Terry Black's. We only hung out at the hills and tunnels section of the park, which our 4yo son loved. They have several hills covered with artificial turf of varying heights that are fun to crawl, climb, or roll down. The tunnels through each hill will make you feel like a Hobbit in those LOTR movies.

I love that the trail now goes full circle. This trek to east austin is magical. I've seen turtles,…read morecranes, sailboats, tight rope walkers, fisher people, artistic graffiti and so much more. They now have bathrooms and entrances with coffee shops in case you need to make a stop. Also the trails are wide on this side so you won't get mown over by drunk people on electric scooters or tech bro mountain bikers.

This is easily the best section of the Ann and Roy Butler Trail off Lady Bird Lake. The view of…read moredowntown Austin over the river is beautiful, the trail is well supported and wide, there is plenty of break off points to sit and enjoy the view, and plenty of entrances to get on and off the trail. RIYL: Good vibes and good walks

Oh how I love walking the Greenbelt! It feels like you can go for miles and miles. Well, you can as…read moreit's for nearly 12 miles of trails. Our little furry guy loves a jaunt on the trail in his stroller, especially if that means stopping off for a swim along the way. Can't beat cooling off in natural watering holes during a hot summer in Austin. The Barton Hills entrance gets you to Campbell's Hole while 360 gets you to Sculpture Falls and Twin Falls. I say do it all. Maybe not in one day...save something for the next time. Definitely a precious piece of Austin that we're so lucky to have.

Loved hiking here for the first time! We first parked at the 360 trailhead and were freaked out by…read moreall the broken glass and signs saying that it's a common smash and grab area. There were broken windows literally everywhere. The car was completely empty and we parked and started to enter, then decided to turn around because it just didn't feel right. We drove down to the other entrance on Spyglass near TacoDeli and felt much better. Residential area with street parking - perfect. We got on the trail and turned left which brought us to the new Violet Crown trailhead. We figured out how it connected to Barton Springs Pool. This was only 3 miles round trip. Next time we will go right past the falls. I am not sure there are even falls right now since it hasn't rained in a long time. The trail is easily marked and there were lots of people out. Can't wait to do more exploring soon!

I've been here several times and have explored it fairly extensively. The family-friendly trails…read moreare varied enough to keep the day interesting and the time spent at McKinney Falls is never wasted. For those seeking a bit more of a challenge, crossing the river takes more thought to avoid getting your feet wet. I've usually found there are 2-3 paths at the river crossing, being careful not to slip on any rocks. The homestead beyond the crossing can be observed and appreciated, but it's off-limits to help preserve what's left. The backcountry trails total about 6 miles and it's usually just the right length for me to get a solid hike in. There is very little elevation change, though there can be a lot of mosquitos during the warmer months. I didn't find any benches to rest at and there is no water source to refill water bottles. Given that McKinney Falls is within Austin's city limits makes this state park a gem. There is also a large day-use area near the campgrounds with about 100 picnic tables and charcoal grills the last time I counted a few years ago. Parking is plenty and the rangers are friendly. Definitely either get there early or make online reservations to reserve a time slot to enter as the park can fill up fast over weekends or holidays. Their gift shop also has a variety of items for sale, and you can get a park passport stamp there too!

When we first heard about McKinney Falls State Park we liked the photos and things to do there but…read morewere generally apprehensive about paying $6 just to go to a park and swim. However, after our time there we can confidently say it's one of the best ways you can spend a few bucks here in Austin. The park itself is in a bit more of a secluded area which is nice because you truly do feel away from things. As a heads up when paying at the entrance they only take card. If you're looking to use tap to pay or cash you have to go inside in order to make that payment. The visitors center is nice though with very helpful park rangers as well as merch, drinks, and maps for you to use. Once you drive to the upper falls parking it's just a short 5 minute walk over to the swimming hole. The walk is cool as you traverse over what looks and feels like moon rock. We chose the upper falls instead of the lower falls because we heard the water here is deeper and there are less kids around. It was definitely the right choice as the water was perfect for a hot day and parts of the swimming hole are definitely 10+ feet in depth. There are a lot of places around to set up blankets and there's multiple rock formations jutting out of the water in case you need a quick break once you're in the water. The coolest part of the swimming hole is the jump you can make off the rock ledge. It's about a 15-20 foot jump and people line up in order to get there. There's also some wildlife around the pool which is cool to see. As a note, they don't allow radios or drinking and everyone was pretty respectful of that. Whether you're a young group of friends looking for a nice swim getaway or a family looking for somewhere to unwind, McKinney State Falls is a great option to beat the heat. Just make sure to layer on some sunscreen.

I first visited Mayfield Park several years ago when visiting Austin for the first time with my…read moreboyfriend who is from here. The park is famous for the peacocks that reside on land of nearly 23 acres. They're so beautiful to watch. The park also has koi ponds, hiking trails, gardens, and the Mayfield-Gutsch cottage that dates back to the 1870s. It's a beautiful and peaceful park to hike, walk, or just relax in. Extremely well maintained and cared for. It's also a place my sisters like to visit when they're in town to see me.

Our stop and smell the roses tour led us to Mayfield Park after grabbing our breakfast items…read more The peacocks are back!!! There were out and about in the park. The last time I was at Mayfield Park, the peacocks were not present. This morning crowd was gathered at the front of the park admiring the peacocks. One male peacock fanned his beautiful tail feathers. This happens most frequently during mating season. It was delightful to see the peacocks and eat our breakfast in the park.

Mount Bonnell is one Austin's top tourist attractions. You climb about a hundred stone steps to…read morereach the top. You see folks coming down steps on the opposite side and your sense of what you might see at the top grows and grows. Alas, you reach the top. Was the climb worth it? Absolutely! When you reach the top, OMG the views are so spectacular! You cannot imagine how beautiful the views are until you actually see them. You see panoramic views of Lake Austin, multi-million residences on the lake and scenic view of Austin. One word...spectacular! We have been at Mt. Bonnell at sunrise and sunset and both views have something special to offer. Sunrise has peacefulness and light dances on Lake Austin. Sunset turns the overlook into connectiveness, where folks you met a few minutes ago or maybe not have met experience this quiet together as the sun retreats. While this location is quite popular, you still have vestiges of human life - graffiti on signage. Mount Bonnell has welcomed visitors since the 1800s and remains one of the city's oldest and most beloved natural landmarks. Austinites beam with pride regarding Mt. Bonnell

Mount Bonnell is a local gem, a perfect date spot or somewhere to just enjoy the sunset. It's a…read moreshort walk up the stairs (maybe about 100 steps) from the parking to the pagoda-like terrace that overlooks some very scenic homes and has an excellent view of sunrise and sunset. I never actually did the full hike, only just went up to enjoy the scenery. It's less than 15 minutes from major Austin eateries and local spots, so it's a true gem within the city area as opposed to some hikes that are 30 minutes or an hour away. No bathrooms or garbage bins here is the one downside. Take your trash with you!