The River Place Nature Trail is the perfect combination of breathtaking scenery and an opportunity…read morefor a great workout. The trail is known for its steep elevation changes, lush greenery, and tranquil water features. This trail is a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts and fitness evangelists. The trail winds through dense vegetation with a mix of wooden steps, rocky pathways, and shaded stretches. One of the biggest attractions is the seemingly endless staircase sections. Looking up from the bottom, those steps appear to climb straight into the heavens. I was mentally preparing myself for the challenge when I spotted a sign that changed everything: "Beware of Snakes. Stay on the designated trail." Excuse me...what?! Will a snake know whether or not I'm on the designated trail? I'm thinking no. Those slithering little noodles of doom that can inject venom and potentially ruin your entire day or your life? At that moment, my inner adventurer immediately became my inner safety officer. Mission status: Abort. Abort. Abort. Instead, we claimed chairs overlooking the pond and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings from a much safer distance. It was incredibly relaxing...except for the part where I spent a good portion of the time imagining snakes conducting secret meetings somewhere in the bushes. All humor aside, River Place Nature Trail is absolutely beautiful. The scenery is stunning, the atmosphere is serene, and for those brave souls who aren't distracted by reptilian concerns, it's an excellent hiking destination. As for me, I'll admire it from the comfort of a chair with a clear view of the ground. There is a fee to walk the trials. If you do not pay the fee, please feel free to donate to the trail fund. This is a very well-maintained trail.

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

Peter P. and I and our pups explored this short but scenic greenbelt today and I will definitely be…read moreback when in the area. The trail runs parallel to Hurst Creek with several pretty waterfalls which makes it feel more away from the city rather than a neighborhood trail. For a longer hike it connects with Hamilton Greenbelt that has over 4 miles of trails. Hamilton Greenbelt has a parking lot across the street from the main trail head or you can take the Hamilton Greenbelt about 10 minutes in you will see a Smith Greenbelt sign on the left so you can cross under Lohman's Crossing instead of having to cross a busy street. If you take Lohman's Crossing from 620 the parking lot is just past the first stop light on the right.

From the owner: Smith Greenbelt provides the citizens of Lakeway with a short but wonderful hiking trail which…read morewanders along Hurst Creek. It is a fabulous place for a family outing, a lunchtime jog, or to walk the dog (on a leash, of course). The 4.5 acre greenbelt was made possible through a generous donation from Coleman and Mary Smith.

It's called a park but, basically a parking lot with a porta John and a trail head leading down to…read morelake Travis. That's what a lot of these parks are. After decades of development it's getting harder to get to the lake free. I came here today to hike down to the lake which has gone from an almost all time low to almost full in a matter of weeks due to recent flooding.

Yay, a "new" place to get in the water. I'm always looking for somewhere new to go cool off in the…read morewater. A friend told me about this little park, so I headed out there. Let's start with the cons: it's seriously off the beaten path- there's nothing out there. Bring everything you need- water, food, sunscreen etc. Secondly, there is literally no beach- just rocks, lots of rocks. Lastly, it is not dog, kid, or "out of shape" friendly. You have to climb around and over all those rocks to get to the water. (Oh, and there is a fee per person, if there's someone on duty). Now the pros- it is seriously off the beaten path, which means there's parking and very few people. Secondly, the water is clear and beautiful as are the views. It is near a marina, so boaters give nice waves every so often. Lastly, I loved sitting in my float just listening to the water hit the rocky shore. Very peaceful. I enjoyed it, but it's not for everyone. Let me know if you go- enjoy!

Hippie Hollow Park. The only nude "beach" in Austin. "Beach" in parentheses because it's not a…read moresandy beach where you lay out flat in the sugary sand. It's rocky. Cliffs. It's a hike down and hike back up. So be prepared. When you drive into the parking lot. It's $8.00 and it's CASH ONLY. You are told about the rules. And if you see something, say something. You're given a phone number to call if you see something lewd. You can bring in alcohol, but be discreet about it. Obviously no glass! And put it in a Yeti or something. Be discreet with alcohol. The parking lot is massive! With handicap parking spaces. And porta potties. There are bathrooms on the paved pathway. Which are down below in the nude "clothing optional" area. And off the main paved pathway, there are numbers 1 through 14. These are stairs to get down to the water. The stairs only go part of the way. The rest is up to you. Looked like as the numbers went up, 4, 5, and so on, it got worse. When the stairs ended it was rough getting down. I went all the way to stair pathway 10, then turned back around. And ended up at stair pathway 1. 1 is the easiest, But it still was hard. I got here around 10:30am. It was cloudy and actually sprinkled a little, but this is Texas, that sun came out and shone down on my bare butt! Yup. 55 year old Birthday suit, no shame. Found a spot that was level enough. Got out my beach blanket. And chilled. Had my music and head phones, lots of Kangen drinking water. Just enjoyed Mother Nature, the water, the view, parasailing way out in the distance. You can see the Mansfield damn. Which I've never seen from this side before. Was pretty cool. There are big orange buoys out in the distance. Water was wicked choppy. I didn't swim out too far. I'm a strong swimmer, but I don't need to risk it. I did wear water shoes when I went in the water. The rocks are slippery and it was hard for me to get out. With the waves knocking me down, the rocks being slippery even with shoes on, I actually had to be rescued by a guy that was laying out near me. I'm sure he must have said, should I help or not, cause, we're nude and being respectful. But he did help and that was very nice of him. I was laughing the whole time and thanking him. I mean, seriously Shannon! Haha Later "he" went in the water and invited me to join him. Which he also offered to help me out too. We both laughed. Had a great time. Talked with each other. Got a little more busy with beach goers around noonish. But we were the only ones in the water. The water was absolutely gorgeous. Was the perfect temp! Some people have beach tents. A saw a hammock. Umbrellas. Coolers. So people get right into it. I'll try to be better prepared next time. But my point is, it's a nude optional beach, and yes people keep to themselves. No one is really walking up to you and talking about the weather. I will say watch out for those little ants. My blanket wasn't long enough when I laid out, and I got ant bites on my toes. So mental note, bigger blanket. Of course you can't take pictures of people. And people are very respectful of your privacy and private parts. No one is just there goking at you. Was a great 3 hours. Totally come here again. But better prepared. Honestly I didn't think I'd be there that long. But I was having the best time being free.

My hubby and I were running early to a holiday brunch, so we decided to visit some nearby parks to…read morekill time. First stop, Hippie Hollow Park in Austin. This park is unique park from the standpoint that it is the only legal clothing-optional park in Texas overlooking Lake Travis. We thought we get to go in and snap a few pictures of Lake Travis and zip out. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed because of the nude visitors. So we made a quick spin out of Hippie Hollow park. According to the guard, the terrain is rocky, yet scenic. However, stunning views abound from Lake Travis. Hippie Hollow is located in northwest of Austin on Lake Travis in the Texas Hill Country.

Longhorn Caverns is a great place to go to see some natural Texas beauty. Our tour guide Emily was…read moreabsolutely amazing. She is extremely knowledgeable, confident, and has great puns! We lucked out and got her on a walking tour but you can normally find her on the Wild Cave Tours. My wife has severe anxiety, Emily was extremely understanding, helped her stay calm throughout the walking tour, and gave our family an unforgettable experience. I couldn't thank her enough for everything she did. I highly recommend checking out these Caves, and if you have the gumption to get muddy, spring for the Wild Cave Tour. Either way you go, it's a great experience!

Pictures don't do this place justice!…read more On this beautiful Saturday, I was seeking adventure! This tour is such an amazing deal. My tour guide Eryn was amazing and so funny. Caves are so interesting and there is so much to learn about them . Longhorn Cavern offer 3 different tour options. The cavern walking tour is just like a casual walking tour. The black light tour is where you wear hard hats and walk with a light. The Wild Cave tour is for the extreme explorers who are okay with tight spaces . I chose the cavern walking tour. I highly recommend shoes that have a tight grip. The gift shop has really good options for keepsakes. Also, if you get thirst drinks are available to purchase. I saw a section for pizza, but it was sold out. I had amazing time during my visit. The cave is beautiful and there is so much to see.

Nice park area for the kids. Appears well maintained although we were only in the SCUBA area and…read morethe playground. Bring water, several of the water fountains were out of order. Apparently they broke after the freeze but still haven't been fixed so that's a bummer.

Mansfield Dam Park located in Austin, Texas, is a beautiful lakefront park that offers a relaxing…read moreoutdoor experience. The park is located on Lake Travis featuring spectacular panoramic views, access to boating and water sports, and areas for picnics. Park visitors can swim in a designated cove, go fishing, launch boats and water skis onto Lake Travis or simply have a delightful picnic in the great outdoors. The park is well-maintained and includes amenities such as playgrounds, picnic tables, barbecue grills, restrooms, and walking trails. It also has a scuba diving area to observe fish, marine plants and other items underwater. The park also provides life jackets, which you do not see very often. In addition, there is an EMS helicopter pad available for air evac if an individual gets hurt at the park. You could easily spend an entire day at Mansfield Dam Park. The park is so serene and calming with wide views of Lake Travis. It was a great place to meditate and reset.

Was in the lago vista area and decided to kill some time by going here. Totally worth my $5. It's…read moregot great hiking trails and even 1 small ADA trail. Has an awesome looking playground that makes me jealous that I'm not a kid. Has charcoal grills at almost every picnic tables that are in the shade. An area to go swimming. Can also drop your boats in and camp if you choose too

My first visit to Arkansas Bend Park was very enjoyable, pleasant and impressed with the over…read morelayout of the park. Due to COVID-19, it was one of the very few parks opened the weekend of my visit. It wasn't crowded, plenty of open space for social distancing. I was impressed with the cleanliness, even the picnic tables and park restrooms were well maintained. The park offers a nice view of the lake with lots of boating & jet skiing activities. Boat ramps are available on the park. The over night camping section of the park remains closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. I will definitely consider Arkansas Bend Park in the future for outdoor activities. Next time I'll be better prepared for some picnicking & BBQ, along with some extended fun in the sun.

This is a decent hike as it is somewhat challenging at times, especially in the uphill sections. We…read moretook the rimrock trail and it took about 1-1.5 hours, so it felt kind of short. The only really good views are at the sharp ascent at the very beginning of the trail because after that you can't really see anything because the view is blocked. There is no shade and there are bathrooms at the trailhead. I don't really think it's worth the drive from Austin more than once, but it is free.

This a review for the Wabler Vista location. I'll start by saying I'm a casual hiker. Its closer…read moreto Austin than the Doeskin Ranch location. We took the Cactus Rock trail to Ridgeline, then took Ridgeline to the Sunset Deck. The Cactus Rock trail was easy, and would be fun with small children. The views on Ridgeline were not that great and it was more challenging. I like the challenge of the Ridgeline, but it just ends so you either just take that trail back or walk along the road back to your car. I was tired by then so we took the road back. I really enjoyed the Sunset Deck. You can skip the trail walking and just park close to the deck. The covered deck has comfortable benches so it would be a nice place to take a book and just enjoy nature.