Great family spot to spend a summer day. Bring plenty of water and trail shoes and you'll be set…read more Great hilly landscape to traverse and plenty of wet spots to cool off.

Bull Creek is a beautiful trail just off the Capitol of Texas Highway and offers a nice variety of…read morewater and streams for you and any furry friend to cool off in. The trail is very photogenic and has cute moments but beware the trash on the ground which can cause sporadic realizations that you aren't in the wilderness, but Austin instead. There are a few entry points to the trail so choose wisely but there is one with a parking lot that may provide better selections. Altogether the trail is very fun and allows for great photo ops with pets and family alike, with some even deciding to get in the water (if you do choose to do that be careful cause the rocks are slippery).

There is something peaceful about spending time in the morning I the morning. I found a l hidden…read moregem in our neighborhood...great hills park. Out odds family friendly with a number of apparatuses for children. The park also has a small pavilion for eating or playing games. This park is very clean and well maintained. You will need to travel through the great hills residential area in order to reach the park, which is off Raincreek parkway & San Souci. Enjoy!

Great Hills Park might be the best hidden getaway trail in Northeast Austin. The trail begins at a…read morepark that features a number of activities from a sand pit to workout equipment to playgrounds. The trail itself is not difficult, only spanning a mile or so if that but there is a lot packed into that mile, especially as there are many branches of pathways. From winding slopes to running streams and rocky alcoves, you get a little bit of everything on this trail. Throughout our entire walk through there was hardly anyone on the trail which gave it a sense of peace and serenity that can sometimes be very hard to find on Austin trails. The only qualms we have about this trail are that there are no garbage cans anywhere, and as litter conscious people we had to wait quite some time to get rid of our trash since only one end of the trail has a waste bin. The other issue is that is is incredibly rocky, and not large rocks that take time to hurdle and climb over, but small loose rocks that always have you feeling unsure of yourself, even on flat ground. Both are very minor issues to have but important to note nonetheless. Ultimately, Great Hills is a lovely trail that is convenient and quiet allowing for a solace filled escape. We recommend it to anyone living in the area.

Open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. is a nature preserve gifted to the city in the early 20th…read morecentury. It became the city's first nature preserve and it's a good one. With parking nearby, it's just north of Zilker Park. The trails are rocky and a little steep for super little kids, but otherwise it's family-friendly. Cactus line the sides of some trails and one path leads to a lookout with stunning city views!

Zilker Nature Preserve used to include all of Zilker Park before Mopac existed now it is about 65…read moreacres. The main trail head is located at the curve in Barton Springs Rd under and just west of Mopac. The closest parking is under Mopac or you can park at Zilker Park and hike to the trail head as we did. There is a sign that says "no pets" but there is no one there to enforce it in fact we did not see a single person during our hike. We started our hike through the dried up creek bed and ended up just south of Town Lake on the west side of Mopac. There are some awesome ferns growing out of the sides of the creek bed and don't miss the spectacular views of downtown from the overlook trail. We ended our hike with a dip in Town Lake er Lady Bird Lake and highly suggest it in this heat.

Self-care Friday started with a leisurely walk in Stillhouse Hollow Nature Preserve. The hubs and…read moreI have started our walking routine again. This morning, the preserve was super peaceful and serene...a perfect way to start the day. The preserve has a nicely paved route which makes it very walkable.

Peaceful, lots of shade and a perfect walk to unwind! Once you've reached the end of the trail…read morethere's a nice overlook deck too! Love it

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!

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.

Sometimes the best hidden treasures are in our own back yard. Inga Trail is one of those hidden…read moretreasures, not literally in our back yard...just a few miles away but close. My hubby and I decided to go walking at Inga trail near Bull Creek this morning and ended up going back in the evening. It's a relatively short trail and surrounded by little pools of water. It is literally underneath Capital of Texas highway near Old Spicewood Springs Road. The Inga VanNynatten Memorial Trail offers a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of Austin City life. Mostly locals know about it because you have to turn off old Spicewood Springs Road to get to it (off the beaten path.) The trail is named after a University of Texas naturalist Inga, which honors her legacy. In the morning, the quiet is hypnotic...you can hear the bird singing, crickets chirping and the tree branches gently whistling in the wind. While this is a short trail, it is a good aerobic workout while basking in early morning sun. Surprisingly, we were not the only early morning trail enthusiasts. Two creeks on each side of the street were gurgling, including little bush debris floating around. Trail hikes are appealing because you get to enjoy nature, get a great workout and it is free. Along the trail you can see large stones, many green trees, and bushes along the path. You can also take in a few wildflowers along the path. In the evening, we went back and sat on a rock while dipping our feet in the creek. Nice and relaxing... Inga Trail is Austin's little hidden gem. It is ideal for a short hike, a time to relax or meditate, or a dip into creek.

Love it! I use my…read moredog as an excuse to hike this trail. My dog loves it but I think I love it more. As many folks here already said, this is an off-leash trail for all practical purposes. It's beautiful any given day. But after some rains, when the creeks are full this place is just magnificent.

Came here for a quick walk during lunch and it was great!! I love that it's right next to the…read morehospital and perfect for a midday wellness walk!! The greenery is beautiful

Northies have a nice new place to walk, run, and bike on the newly finished stretch of the Northern…read moreWalnut Creek Trail (Phase 1) between Mopac and Walnut Creek Park https://www.yelp.com/biz/walnut-creek-metropolitan-park-austin (near Parmer Lane and North Lamar). The paved path is just lovely, with multiple bridges over creek crossings, plenty of alternating shade and sun, and flora & fauna galore. There are enough gentle hills to give you a workout without being too brutal to keep you from coming back. If you start on the west side, your journey begins near The Hideout pub and winds about 2.5 miles east all the way to Walnut Creek Park. If you do the out & back course without taking any of the side trails, you'll get a solid 5 mile workout. Of course, if you don't mind the dirt, you can go off the paved path and use many of the rougher technical trails throughout Walnut Creek Park to up your mileage and level of difficulty. The City's map for Phase 1 is here: https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Public_Works/Urban_Trails/2015-05-11_Trail_Overview.pdf and a public MapMyRun route is available at http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/1122324118/ . Sometime next year, we should get a couple more miles on the west side of the highway when Phase 1A from Amherst through Balcones District Park to Mopac is complete. For now, that trail remains rough & rocky, but still hike-able; adventurous mountain bikers make be able to use it, but not the casual family rider. The map for that portion is available here: https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Public_Works/Urban_Trails/Trail_Public_Mtg_Switchback.pdf More information about the whole trail system and future development/expansion projects: https://austintexas.gov/page/walnut-creek-trail-system