This trail walk (or "hike") is a fairly pleasant one. We went early March, and it was a bit…read moreovercast that day. It's about 30 mins or so to the very end where the mini falls are. During that time, it was lush and water was flowing pretty high, but you had to go all the way to the very end to see water. Ive also been here one time in April and the water was flowing about halfway through the trail. It's not strenuous at all, very nice refreshing walk. Brought the pup out there and he did really well. Getting there, don't follow the Sculpture Falls direction because it will take you to a non-accessible location. Instead, make a U-turn on Capital of Texas Hwy and head east. Then you'll turn into the mopac entrance but instead of going on ramp, you take a right and you'll see a bunch of cars parked. The entrance to the trail is off the right side.

Decided to go for a little hike and ended up going to see the sculpture falls. The falls weren't…read morelarge but just as beautiful. The walk however was exhausting. Going down wasn't too bad but going back up was. We later learned it was called the hill of death. The pictures do not show the intensity, depth, treacherousness or level of difficulty walking up the hill.

This is a definite must do for those who like medium to hard levels. Completing a circle can be…read morechallenging, but it worth it. Even on a hot Texas day you are in the shades, walking to an untouched nature. Nice turtle pond on the bottom to relax.

Nice canyon trail in the middle of the neighborhood. Glad that small piece of nature is preserve…read moreinstead turning into someone's backyard. 2.5 mile one way. It said it has a lot of steps (2736) but they are not continuous so don't worry. There isn't a overlook but at the hill top u can see over the valley a little bit. I started around lunch time . 11am. 89F. Maybe because I was little sick but I drank 24fl oz of water at 2mi mark. So bring more water if u plan on going back. Which will be a 6mi total hike. I see people being kids so it is not very difficult. Scenery: currently Texas is under a drought so all the creek is bone dry as u can see in my pictures. There many different of plants u can see along the path. Flowers and berries too. $10 during peak hours which I assume is weekend. And for parking, you can just park on the street

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!

this is my go to place to go and disc golf with my dog! I have also come here multiple times to…read morewalk the trail and to go fishing! overall, it is a great nature escape inside of Austin! this park really has it all honestly though. whether you are coming there to shoot the basketball, practice tennis or play pickleball, or making your way to the sand volleyball court! If you've never been to this park, I highly recommend checking it out

This is our go-to park, especially because my boyfriend and I play a lot of pickleball…read more The park has 2 tennis courts with 2 practice walls, and inside the tennis courts, there are lines for 3 pickleball courts in total. It can get busy, but not so much that you can't find a spot--it's all first-come, first-served with no reservations required. There's also a basketball court and, on the other side, a sand volleyball court. You'll often see people playing frisbee or flying drones here, which adds to the lively atmosphere. The park has pet-friendly walking and running trails, a small play area for kids, and a few picnic spots. Restrooms are available, and there's plenty of parking. It's always clean, and you'll see enough people around to feel safe even if you're visiting alone.

Decided to check out this trail because I was in town and was not disappointed. I may have gone the…read morewrong way because I didn't make it down to the creek but it was still beautiful. Kind of difficult so it is a great workout with great views. Definitely worth going to see the views of hill country! Best, Bob B.

A favorite spot to enter Barton creek Greenbelt. Park along camp craft rd using the park mobile…read moreapp. Enter the trail which is very rocky with loose stones and at an incline with little shade on way down/up. There is plenty of shade along the Greenbelt trail but not the hill of life. Bring plenty of water to drink. The decent/incline takes 10-15 min each way. There is a swimming hole directly at the bottom or a short distance to the right at the lost creek dam. Sometimes the water can be low so ask around before you go. The trail to the left also leads so sculpture falls. There are some trail markers but might be hard to follow for first timers. Can use google maps to help know where you are.

Back in the day (and by that, I mean about a few months ago), I found this randomly and stopped to…read morewalk/hike around on a sunny sunday morning. I wasn't aware there were multiple starting points for this trail as there's a connection in the Townlake area; but I found this location! It's roughly 3 miles and covers the South Austin area with the trail that crosses underneath route 360 and goes alongside Barton Creek. There is plenty of uphill climb here that will give you quite the workout but it's well worth it! I saw a decent amount of hikers/walkers here with a couple bikers. Some trail areas are narrow so you may find yourself either stepping aside or influencing someone to step aside. I'll be back!

Super fun! But be very wary of the trail. My roommate and I got lost for not following the trail…read more It is possible that some trails connect with other. Regardless stay in the trail.

Well well well! This scared the bejeebers out of me! I did not know I had claustrophobia challenges…read moreuntil I decided to give this a try. I 100% would have turned around 20 feet into this cave if it weren't for Jef, Liz, and their team of guides to encourage me to: relax, look around, ensure me it was safe, breathe, drink water, and try again. I will put this in my memory bank as one of my favorite life time experiences. Why? Well, because I was REALLY scared, and did it anyway. When I face my fears, my confidence grows, and that feels...amazing. If you are considering caving here, know that it is physically challenging, there are some really tight spaces, and you will get to meet some super cool people who love educating and exploring caves. Happy Caving!

Small walking trail, no whirlpool or cave. Saw lots of dog walkers and found a other to Costco.read more

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!

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.

This is a wonderful neighborhood option for an early morning walk. Solid parking options. Lovely…read moretennis courts. It's got a well maintained pathway but also options to veer off into more natural trails. It connects to the Latta Branch Greenbelt on the other side of Beckett Rd for a more "in-nature" type of walk. If I lived in the area, I'd be out here everyday. The only one caution is about the super-friendly people on the path, who will say hello, but right now I almost wish they didn't because of Covid-19. A head nod would be polite enough and suffice?

Lovely nature preserve with about 5 or more caves, a nice trail with benches, wild flowers ...read more