Balcones District Park is a somewhat hidden gem located on Amherst in northwest Austin. You will find a mixture of recreation, nature, and activities for virtually everyone in your household. Trails wind through a pack of trees and along a creek bed, creating a relaxing environment for walking, jogging, or simply chilling. Balcones District Park is sought after for its trails. There are both paved and unpaved paths, making it trail friendly for the novice to the more experienced hikers. The trails also connect to the larger Walnut Creek system, so it's possible to extend your walk, hike or bike ride. Within the park you will find sports activities - volleyball, paddle tennis, swimming, etc. Many park dwellers were fully engaged in sports activities. In addition, there is a children's playground for the littles in your life. There are also a covered areas for gatherings and social interaction. One area for improvement would be the maintenance of the park. Many grassy areas appeared to be overgrown and not cut for some time. With that said, it did not appear to hinder activities as the park was fully packed. read more

See all

This is one of the best short distance green belts in Austin Texas. It provides a lot of hills and slopes and scenic views, with a urban tease of seeing the top of some tall buildings in the nearby Domain. read more

See all

A really nice park with a nature trail that has a more wooded section with some beautiful rock formations. There wasn't any water in the stream but still interesting to see. There is a giant wall of graffiti for an interesting contrast. The path is paved however it's not always smooth so keep in mind for strollers etc. read more

Balcones District Park - Graffiti wall - Parks Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

This is such a cute park in the city! We came to eat our dinner and watch the sunset! I loved exploring the hiking trail in the back. There was quite a few people there playing. Since it's spring, there are so many bluebonnets around! Great spot for photos for sure. There was a lot of parking and picnic tables to enjoy your meal! This will be my new go to spot in the city! read more

See all

So much fun! Two separate play areas, each with its own Playscape, for little or big kids. Having a birthday party? Get there early to stake out your table (s). That being said, we enjoyed the best birthday ever for our 7 year old! read more

See all

What do we have here? A beautiful city park with forests, meadows, trails, creeks, and many other cool features that's both easy to access and rarely crowded - what more do you want? Well, I want a functioning water fountain, for one. Not sure why, but the only fountain that is outside of the locked area around the pool (which is closed from September to May) has been out of order for many weeks. This means that when I run 3 miles from my house to access the trail system here, I need to carry my own water or keep going another mile over to the section of the Walnut Creek Greenbelt on the east side of Mopac that is next to St. David's Hospital (where the water is clean, cold, and available 24/7 - thanks for the tip, unnamed friend). Speaking of trails, half of the ones in Balcones District Park are included in the ongoing expansion & improvement known as "North Walnut Creek Trail - Phase 1A" (see http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Public_Works/Urban_Trails/0425_Trail-Alignments.pdf). It was supposed to be finished in the first half of 2018, but here we are in December and it's not done yet. This means you'll encounter some smooth, paved, wide paths suitable for any kind of use, and then you'll also find big, muddy ruts and fenced off areas still being worked by construction crews. Until the work is finished (now supposedly early 2019), I stay away from the muddy parts and just cut through the adjacent Milwood neighborhood on Scribe Drive and Canter Lane to reach the east side of the park before continuing on to Walnut Creek Park via the greenbelt. If you're not going for distance & speed, but for more of a nature walk, try the Creekside Trail (labeled as "Balcones District Park Trail" on the screengrab I've posted) that will take you from the parking lot, south towards Duval (where you may see some interesting graffiti), and then back north following Walnut Creek until it veers off to the east and eventually dumps out onto the finished part of the Walnut Creek Greenbelt trail next to Mopac. After a rain, you'll see waterfalls, and there are usually all sorts of flora & fauna to observe, with plenty of precious shade trees to keep the sun at bay. The trail can be rocky, slick, sandy, and muddy in different parts, so trail shoes or boots are recommended. Beware of poison oak along the trail. The park also has a decent pea-gravel-surfaced playscape for little ones, a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, a softball/kickball field, restrooms, and excellent wildflowers in the springtime. Austin's municipal swim team league practices and has meets here during the summer, so check the schedule if you want to come enjoy the pool as a casual visitor. If you want to stay up-to-date on what's happening in the park, especially ongoing improvement projects and how you can participate, the following links will be useful: Milwood Neighborhood Association https://milwoodna.com/category/environmental-awareness/balcones-district-park/ Austin Parks Foundation https://austinparks.org/balcones-district-park/ City of Austin Parks & Rec - Aquatics https://www.austintexas.gov/department/balcones-pool City of Austin - Walnut Creek Trail System https://www.austintexas.gov/page/walnut-creek-trail-system read more

Balcones District Park - Map showing the trails within the park. - Parks Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great City of Austin park! Nice open spaces, hike and bike trail, a pool (that is currently closed), sand volleyball, etc. In the spring, the bluebonnets are great here too. read more

See all

Decent park. Not huge but big enough for a picnic, a pick up basketball game or whatever you want to do. I finally checked out the trail that leads here and its quite scenic, I wish it were a bit longer but what can you do. read more

Balcones District Park - Parks Near Me - Austin, Texas

Balcones has a pool, bathroom, playground and a great hiking trail that is cemented, mostly shady and runs along a beautiful creek with small waterfalls. There are also some unpaved hikes for the adventurous. read more

Balcones District Park - The small waterfall - Parks Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Decent park. I go for the basketball court which is never overpopulated, no matter the day, no matter the hour. People mainly come over here to shoot around; I haven't seen a full court game yet. There are no lights on or around the court at night, so play during the day- no one lingers after dark. I haven't checked out all that this park has to offer just yet, so this review is simply for the basketball court. Play on, playas. read more

Balcones District Park - Lovely day - Parks Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

For the last three years, I've lived by this park and claimed that I didn't know how to get there. FOOLED YOU, NO ONE! I've known the entire time. I don't even have to go the way that most of the public gets there, because there's a weird secret entrance right off of my apartment complex, but I digress. I recently started taking my handsome mongrel friend, Astronaut Mike Dexter, here because I'm pretty sure he's tired of just walking around the apartment complex. Also, because I need to get mooooore exuhcise. As stated by others, there is a pretty varied terrain; from grassy fields to regular trails to rocky trails, creeks, etc and so on. I've seen a few of the secret/forgotten areas and it really is a great place to let dogs run wild or perhaps for some sort of clandestine picnic. I need to find someone to go on a picnic with... There is a pool and some courts for this or that or whatever, but it's not exactly the season for them so I don't know how often they're used. It's not a large park by any means, but it's got all of the essentials. It's really wonderful to have this little nook of nature in the neighborhood! read more

See all

Balcones District Park offers an interesting hike because of the diverse habitats in the short length it covers - because, of the beautiful marriage of nature and suburbia. The trail is very rocky in spots so be sure and wear ankle supporting shoes and watch out for the poison ivy! read more

Balcones District Park - Parks Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

There are multiple hiking trails in the woods and paved bike and hike trail which is connected with Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park trails. Nice local park to bike or walk with a dog. read more

The new concrete walking trail is amazing and makes it easy to access other parts of the city. There is a huge playground for kids, exercise group meetups daily, nice swimming pool with new updates, and a clean sand volleyball court. read more

Hey look! It's a public park! With trails, and a playground. Also, this park is gorgeous in bluebonnet season. What could be better than that?? read more

This place is pretty great! Well kept, pretty, accessible, lots of parking and we played some solid kickball WITH a backstop! The whole area was clean and free of debris, there weren't feral dogs running around and there was a nice little picnic bench we could use for our stuff. We drank kegs like there was no tomorrow and had a damn good time enjoying what turned out to be a beautiful Saturday. Definitely a great spot to bring kids, dogs, family or a luvvvvvvr. read more

This park is beautiful. There is a great walking path that wraps around and behind the park. It is hilly, rocky, and shaded for the most part. There's a pool, a volley ball court, a basketball court, horse shoes, and tons of parking. During the summer there is usually a snow cone truck outside. This park is super. read more

I like this park! They have a playscape my kiddo has been able to climb up since she was about 9 months old. Unlike other parks, it has steps that aren't too big instead of rock walls or steep inclines. It has three different slides, a fast tunnel slide, a slow spiral slide, and a strait double slide that is between the other two in speed. It also has ladders, a bridge, and a tunnel my little one loves to climb in. I never noticed the drop off until I read Anna G.'s review, but I can see why it's a concern. It's pretty steep. They also have four swings, two infant and two regular. I get excited about the pool, mostly because they are open year round and heated. It's free during the summer and costs $3 in the winter. They do have special times for lap swimmers, but they always have lanes when it's recreational swim time. Times vary depending on the season. read more

We go from pool to playground. Great free entertainment. The pool is small but large enough to entertain swimmers and non swimmers at the same time. Life guards are attentive and managed pool well. Unfortunately the bathrooms are your typical public bath experience. There is shade but not much grass and 100's of fire ants. Seriously 100's!!! Bring a chair if you plan to sit. There are few places to sit. Overall I love the pool for its convince and the park offers a playground and hiking trails. We enjoy this park. Li read more

We stumbled upon this one while looking for a place for the kids to burn off some energy before we ventured to Costco on a busy Saturday afternoon. There isn't a whole lot to the park itself, but there is a very cool walking trail that starts off behind the swing-set and then loops all the way around and back to the other side of the parking lot. The first stretch of the trail is a little rugged and takes you downhill through a nice wooded area. When you get to the bottom, there is an old paved trail along a dry creek bed. You'll pass a small natural spring on your way back around. The kids had a good time jumping around on the rocks and burned off said energy so they wouldn't drive everyone (or most importantly: me) crazy while perusing the goods at Costco. Good times and a good find. read more

These trails have been my backyard for 5 years now. My dog grew up in them, and I've explored every nook and cranny. However, every summer, the poison ivy growth continues to increase, and it's getting to the point where I've lost my desire to go out there. Last year, I suffered from a huge rash on my leg, and while I learned my lesson and have started going out there in pants (sooo hot), I managed to get a rash on my arm this year. I wish there was someone maintaining the inner bowels of the park a bit better, as it's beginning to be a health risk to go hiking. Even if you do cover up, you can still bring the oil inside on your clothing, or your dog can carry it on their fur. I guess I'll just be waiting until the fall again this year to go on more frequent excursions... read more

I really love this park! It was one of the first places I visited when I moved here last year. My Richmond VA (now Austin) friend Gina met me here, and I took the dogs with me. There are great trails and a cool little creek. I love the back area, the "forgotten part" (shhhh!!!) where I can let my little beasts off leash. A great park, that I really need to visit more. read more

I love taking my dog here. Right next to where I live so it's very convenient. My dog has grown up playing with multiple dogs but he's now a bit more dominant with large dogs so it's great that this place is a leashed park. I'll keep taking him here as long as I live around this area. read more

There doesn't seem to be a lot to this park, just a jungle gym area and a pool. I park here and run around the neighborhood so I don't spend too much time at the park itself. I'll have to come back in the summer when the pool is open to see if the park is more appealing then. read more

I am a fairly new resident to Austin, and enjoy walking/hiking at various parks across town. This is a pretty nice place. I enjoy the walk along the creek, and the rocks offer you a challenge. There are also dirt trails, which are a bit easier if you like. I have been several times, and plan to go back soon. read more

good sized park, nothing spectacular, unfortunately there are no shade trees over the playscape. the trails looked like fun, but are NOT appropriate for jogging strollers, not even my off road BOB. read more

this park is beautiful. honestly it's so wonderful but one of the things that makes it so great is the artwork all over the rocks and walls and benches. today I went down to the park to see they painted the graffiti over with BLACK. PAINT. it looks AWFUL and its peeling off in several places. could the community at least paint it with a lighter color?? disrespectful to local artists. read more