Yelp asked me, "How was Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge?" and I thought to myself, "You know what? It was lovely and I shall tell the people!" It's not just a way to get across the Colorado River (a.k.a. Town Lake or Ladybird Lake), it's a destination all to itself, with views for miles, interesting characters, live entertainment, and multiple features to delight urban architecture nerds. If you've never been, add this to your Austin bucket list, stat. Before the ADA-compliant, vehicle-free PPB opened in 2001, runners and walkers had to scurry for their lives on the skinny, unprotected sidewalks bordering the Lamar Bridge. Believe me when I tell you it was NOT a pleasure, so if you needed to get across with your life, your other options were to go a couple of miles west to the shaded pedestrian bridge under Mopac or go another mile east to the protected walkways of South 1st Bridge. In fact, the PPB is named after James D. Pfluger, a local architect who designed much of our beloved downtown hike & bike trail and was killed by a car while walking across the Lamar Bridge. These days, locals and visitors can safely pass over the water between Riverside Drive and Electric Drive (near the Seaholm District with Trader Joe's and the Central Library), whether on foot or non-powered wheels, while taking in magnificent views of downtown, the graffiti'd rail bridge, the lake, and the hill country. There are memorial benches and sturdy railings for rest, waste & recycle bins, planters with seasonal vegetation, and if you visit at the right time, you'll likely get to hear some of why Austin is called "Live Music Capital of the World" for free, or with just a few coins in the tip jar. Sometimes, vendors are there with water and other cool treats for a hot day. Headed toward the north side of the bridge, you're faced with a few choices: take the left fork all the way to Electric Drive, take the right fork and the stairs to the trail on the north shore of the lake, or take the right fork to the curly-queue that winds down to the trail (best for bikes, strollers, and skaters). Once you hit the trail, you can also choose to trigger the crossing signal and walk across Cesar Chavez to join the concrete Lance Armstrong bike path east toward the beautiful Austin Central Library. Or even better, keep running west to Mopac, circle under, and come back to make a full 5k (3.1 mile) loop. As a runner, I have countless great memories of crossing PBB with friends, whether starting an evening social run from The Loop Running Company on Sandra Muraida Way, or cutting over during an early Saturday morning long run with ATX Runners. I've seen the views and experienced the variety of crowd densities at dawn, midday, dusk, and late-night, each time with its own ambiance. If you find yourself in this part of downtown, it's a great place to stop and take it all in. This is one of those spots that remind me why I still live in Austin after all these years. read more

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge - Aerial map from Austin Parks showing the location of the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Clean and spacious bridge with phenomenal views!! Close to downtown, parks, and hiking/biking trails!! The perfect place to stroll with family, friends, or pets! read more

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

I am a big fan of bridges and this ranks among my top picks! If you're on one of the recreation paths down by the river, this is a great way to get across to the other side because it's pedestrian only! The walkway is plenty wide for bikers, walkers, runners, etc. A couple of times when I've been on it, there have been flowers in the planters close to the riverbank on each side. The other nice thing is that it is 100% accessible. The entrance on the south side of the river is at grade level with no steps. On the downtown side of the river there are a couple of ramps as well as stairs that take you down to the street or to the river trail. I love when cities invest in recreation for public benefit. This seems like a safe, clean and well maintained structure. Views from the middle of it are very nice, too. read more

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

I visited the Pfluger Bridge while walking along Lady Bird Trail, as this pedestrian bridge is easy to access from Zilker Park. I'm a huge fan of urban cities having pedestrian bridges, as it's a way to invite people to go outside! Pedestrian bridges make it convenient for people to spend more time on foot, with easy access to trails and such. I had no idea Pfulger Bridge was along the Lady Bird Trail that I was walking on, as I just wanted to explore more of Austin's outdoors, and had stumbled upon it. This pedestrian bridge is particularly nice because it grants access across Lady Bird Lake, so people can walk to and from downtown to the other side of town. The bridge not only allowed walkers and joggers, but there were bicyclists and those on scooters. Along the bridge were benches, with great views of Lady Bird Lake and the downtown skyline. Glad to have checked it out and have seen more of Austin in a different light. read more

Mesmerizing views of sunset along with bridges, skyscrapers. Best place to sit and relax read more

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Kudos to the city planning commission and the parks commission for the beautiful Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. It is one of the things I love about living downtown and nearby. It is beautiful, the width and length allows for lots of different activities be happening simultaneously as other reviewers have described. I use it daily in many ways--to walk the dog to get to the off-leash dog park at auditorium shores; to break up my runs into 1.5 miles, 3.5 miles or longer loops; to cross the river for a bike ride; to meet my 6:00 a.m. cardio core workout class for circuits on the bridge, using the bars, the spiral ramp and stairs; to listen to local musicians, to watch the sunrise or sunset, to watch the rowing teams, to walk to work, to observe the community-tended flower boxes, to walk to the Zach or Alamo Draft House on Lamar from downtown, or to meet friends. It is flanked by a great dog park on both sides and is next to the Open Room community picnic table and usable sculpture (see also Open Room on Yelp). It is very close to the many amenities at Auditorium Shores and is just about a mile from the edge of Zilker park. There is some parking on 2nd street and also on Riverside. Enjoy at any time of day or evening. read more

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This bridge, which opened in 2001, serves it's purpose... to get to the other side. But this is not just any bridge. It is beautifully constructed with garden boxes and benches on both sides so that you can stop and take in the view. On any given day, runners, bicyclists and walkers alike zip across this as part of a daily or destination exercise routine around Town Lake (yes, I know they call it Lady Bird Lake). That has been it's primary use to me when I am fortunate enough to have the time to trek downtown for more scenic physical activity. And while it facilitates getting to the other side for many exercisers, it is also a perfect spot to stop and watch the sunset or the sunrise. Many times, if I find myself driving in the vicinity of downtown before sunset, I will park my car and walk on over to the middle of the bridge to take it all in. This past Saturday evening, after a run to Trader Joe's, I looked at the sky and realized we might have an epic sunset, so I parked my car along W 2nd Street, near the giant picnic table, fed the meter, and walked onto the bridge. People were beginning to congregate for the same thing, and there was a percussion group set up, providing appropriate sunset sounds, as we all stopped and took a reprieve from the bustle of the day. From this vantage point, the Lamar Street bridge reflects perfectly on the water in the foreground of the sunset. When I was a morning person, I remember breathtaking sunrises over the Downtown Austin skyline from this bridge during many a weekend morning walk. So, if you want a mini hiatus to break up the busyness of your day, or just to stop and smell the view, next time you find yourself in the vicinity of the Pfluger Bridge, I recommend you find a place to park, feed the meter, and take it all in. read more

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Pfluger Bridge is the best pedestrian bridge in Austin. The scenery around it is beautiful--from the graffiti of the train bridge to the east, the downtown skyline to the north, the hills to the west, and the trees to the south. The blue water of the Colorado River shimmering under the sunlight is also nice. Tourists can come here to see a slice of Austin life: - Critical Mass (bicycle riding group) meetings - Hippies playing guitars - People in small drum circles - Runners, walkers, and cyclists crossing the bridge or taking a break - People relaxing on benches This bridge is beautifully-landscaped with colorful flowers as well. In the evenings, the bridge provides a terrific view of the sunset. I like to slow down while crossing this bridge. Sometimes, I find a place to lie down and close my eyes. A couple of years back, a sign explaining the history of the trail and a white ghost bicycle was mounted to the east rail. For a brief time, there was a public piano placed at the foot of the bridge under the spiral walk. The bridge also received an extension to the condos on the north shore of the lake, making the walk over to Luke's Locker or Whole Foods much easier. Pfluger Bridge is the pedestrian bridge that's the east neighbor of North Lamar over Lady Bird Lake. read more

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I've seen this bridge in erectile dysfunction advertisements on TV! This is a great bridge to cross over Town Lake / Colorado River. This seems about as wide as a regular 2 lane bridge would be, but it's only pedestrian! There are easy ramps to get on and off the bridge, with easy sloping, curving entrances and exits from the bridge. At the middle of the bridge, there's a great view of the Colorado, where you can see all the boaters down below, or just take in the view. I always like catching up on the new graffiti on the railroad bridge just across from this one. The bridge is beautiful- not just some utilitarian bridge to get you from point A to B, but a great place to hang out, relax, and take in the scenery. It's like a whole linear park, instead of just a bridge. Be sure to check out the informative plaques around the bridge that alert you to local fauna. The bridge has a curfew- so no hanging out on the bridge after midnight, unless you're just passing through. Parking to access this bridge is going to be difficult, but it's a great place to safely cross the river into downtown by bike. read more

The view from here is pretty nice definitely an awesome classic view of Austin Texas this makes a great place to watch the sunset in Austin definitely one of my favorite spots for evening sun gazing read more

Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Austin, Texas

Expert Anthropologists have yet to determine if the Shirtless White Guy is native to the Lady Bird Lake trail or if it migrated from elsewhere, but one thing is for sure, the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge is a great place to observe them in the wild as they engage in their ritual of being chased by the spirits of the ancients. There are several very well-kept benches scattered throughout which make the people watching more comfortable. Aside from the opportunity to observe SWGs, this bridge provides scenic views of the Austin skyline, the lake, and the traffic on Lamar. Pfluger Bridge may also be used to get across the lake, if that's what you're into. read more

I think this is another great spot to see the Austin skyline. It's accessible from the town lake trail because you can easily cross from the north to south end of the lake. Lots of benches to sit there and enjoy the beautiful view of the city and water. Bikers, runners, and walkers come across this bridge, it's a nice addition to the trail. Sometimes an ice cream bicyclist will ride by and you can purchase ice cream from him! read more