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    Lady Bird Lake

    4.6 (124 reviews)

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    Recommended Reviews - Lady Bird Lake

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    Franklin C.

    An Austin native recommended this trail and you can run the entire thing in a few hours. It's roughly about 12-13 miles around the waterfront. I started off at 4:30am and found parking on the lot and it was pretty dark but it was at 66F. Super warm and knew it will be a hot run. Make sure to bring bug spray and sun screen. It was a nice run and beautiful scenery especially the city board walk. Will run here again

    Egrets
    Jeff B.

    I don't get down here often, but when I do I have a... just kidding. I like walking in different places and this is another beautiful trail along the river, aka Lady Bird Lake. It was brisk out this morning but worth chill. My body thanks me and if you get a chance to be in the vicinity, hopefully your body will as well.

    Bhagyashree B.

    Lady Bird lake runs through the city of Austin and offers many water activities, such as kayaking, paddle boarding, small motor boats and more. You can bring your own boards or rent one at one of the small shops along the boardwalk trail. The views of lush green trees and downtown Austin, while walking along the lake trail offer a unique perspective of the city.

    Birds and buildings!
    Stephen P.

    Nice pocket of the outdoors right in the city center. Go for a walk in the trees, run, bike ride, or kayak. Great views of the skyline too. Tons of birds, turtles, and of course bats make their homes.

    Trail
    Gina C.

    Love afternoon walks around Lady Bird Lake and the Ann and Roy Butler Trail. Beautiful this time of year with cool weather and views of the water. Can get a little crowded on weekends, but tends to have high and low points throughout the path.

    Daniela A.

    10 mile hiking trail with beautiful scenery, benches, bats, lots of greenery. Walked the trail in its entirety and it was so worth it. You can also bike although it is not permitted on the bridge

    One of the large field areas facing downtown, at the corner of Barton springs road and 1st st
    Stephanie W.

    I love coming to LBL, it's such a great place to walk around, bring kids if you have them (ie butler park - so much fun!), and even just bring a towel or blanket and read. There are plenty of trees to shelter under, and a nice long trail which is perf for a date I might add (been on two first dates there in the last month). I also love that it's adjacent to Zilker and downtown if you wanted to spend some time there too, plus at the lake. One of my fav places to get a drink is also right by one of the LBL trail entrances, which is Nido (it's inside of the Loren Hotel which is a local hotel). Only thing i would note about LBL is there aren't too many bathrooms; when I was walking with my date and had to go we ended up dipping into Cidercade along the trail to use their bathroom, and I needed a tissue because of allergies and we didn't find a place until we were in the East Austin part of the trail. Nevertheless, it's a great walk! Def rec a visit to LBL if you need to take your mind off things, or just want some exercise, or to entertain your kids, or to get food at some great places nearby, etc etc!

    Annie A.

    I love visiting Boardwalk on the lake, especially in the cooler months! The foliage is gorgeous and I love that there are so many trees shading the path. Highly recommend!

    Sponsor a brick. Support the trail!
    Anuj V.

    Austin's own Central Park, but better in many ways (for one thing, I haven't encountered a single dead bear in our park :) Love the gravel run / walk trail, sightseeing ; and the overall energy of this trail. Every run is memorable; we are blessed to have this in ATX! I do wish bikes were disallowed here - It's a real 'dirt in the face' scenario for most walkers. Not sure if the bikers realize this even. Anyway, that minor annoyance aside, please support your local trail. Sponsor a brick; or just donate to the trail foundation!

    View of downtown from the trail.
    Justin S.

    My wife and I wanted to change things up so we went down to Lady Bird Lake to walk the trail and get some different scenery! So much fun. Lots of people on the trail walking and running! The water had lots of kayakers. We highly recommend going down there!

    Kayaking
    Carrie M.

    Lady Bird Lake is my favourite place to run. The entire trail is a 10-mile loop, which is perfect for distance training. Whenever someone visits Austin, taking them to kayak or paddleboard on the lake is a must do. A stroll along the trail is also nice. The view of downtown with the blue water is so pretty.

    Victor H.

    Part of why Austin is one of my favorite cities is having this beautiful parcel of nature here. Gorgeous views of the water and it's surroundings. I enjoy bringing my bike here and riding alongside the water. Hard to really give this anything less than 5 stars. Get here and see it for yourself!

    Sheldon H.

    By far one of the best attractions Austin has to offer. Don't believe me? Come here on a nice day. Come here on a not so nice day. Doesn't matter. The volume and mix of people says it all. And the cool thing is that if you are staying anywhere downtown, it is within almost immediate walking distance. I try to come here every time I'm in town. It's never out of the way and always a most enjoyable experience!

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    We were rerouted twice so never found the walking path trail head, although we know it was there. A bit confusing to find.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Lady Bird Lake

    Is this spot very busy? Looking for spots that have less people in Austin where I can take my dog

    Pretty popular spot! Always some people around

    Where can I find a public dock for 2 kayaks?

    Sorry i am not sure, i went there and rent from them so

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Lady Bird Lake

    For paddle boarding, a few friends of mine paddle boarded here pretty often and loved it.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    McKinney Falls State Park - Bluebonnets

    McKinney Falls State Park

    4.0(312 reviews)
    4.6 miSoutheast Austin

    There are definitely reasons why this park is so popular and why the website recommends purchasing…read moreday passes in advance. McKinney Falls is gorgeous! We went for a hike there right after a big storm and the grounds were so green and vibrant. We mostly stuck to the Onion Creek Trail as it is paved; however, the storm brought in mud to a few places on the trail, so be prepared to maneuver or wear proper footwear if you go during rainy season. Many families line up to take pictures in front of the upper falls (outside the Smith visitor center), so go early if you'd like a picture free of other guests. We then went to the lower falls area where there is an expanse of limestone (I believe) to get to the falls. There's a very small beach and swimming hole area that many families were enjoying. It's important to note that dogs can't enter any of the water at this park. The park also had multiple designated fishing areas as well. We drove around the campgrounds and they have well-maintained water + electric sites at every site. We would highly recommend a visit if you're in the Austin area.

    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!

    Photos
    McKinney Falls State Park - Newly engaged couple portraits by the falls

    Newly engaged couple portraits by the falls

    McKinney Falls State Park - EV charging

    EV charging

    McKinney Falls State Park

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    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals

    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals

    5.0(330 reviews)
    8.3 mi

    We had an awesome time celebrating a bachelor party. Ramon is the best! Would definitely go backread more

    We had such an amazing time on Lake Travis thanks to Willo and Float On. Everything about the…read moreexperience was extremely streamlined from booking to filling out waivers to navigating to the marina. Willo gave superb instructions on operating and piloting the boat including an overview of relevant customs and laws while out on the water. Our group had six adults and one 2-year old and they had plenty of water safety devices for all ages. On a side note, it was wonderful to see how genuinely excited Willo was about Lake Travis once again having a healthy water level after several dry years. In terms of our experience on the lake, we got excellent advice on where to travel based on our team's interests and after following his directions it felt like we had arrived on our own private lake. We probably only saw a handful of other boats during our 3-hour excursion and that was only in passing. The boat came with a Garmin GPS that made it really easy to retrace our steps. For those wondering, there was excellent cell phone service out on the lake and we were able to use our phone GPS, make calls, and stream music. The boat had some nice integrated speakers with Bluetooth connectivity and we were able to jam out to our own tunes. There was also a cool flotation device attached to the back of the boat called the Aqua Lily Pad which we unrolled after anchoring, we had multiple adults laying on it without sinking into the lake. Overall, we could not have asked for a better experience and we would highly recommend booking with Float On.

    Photos
    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals
    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals
    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals - Birthday celebration!!

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    Birthday celebration!!

    Barton Creek Greenbelt

    Barton Creek Greenbelt

    4.7(283 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    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!

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    Barton Creek Greenbelt
    Barton Creek Greenbelt
    Barton Creek Greenbelt

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    Lake Travis - Sunset at Lake Travis

    Lake Travis

    4.5(28 reviews)
    13.7 mi

    Drove to eat dinner on Lake Travis from a meeting at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. It was so…read morebeautiful and peaceful to watch the sun set while waiting for dinner on a floating dock. Loved watching the groups of ducks swimming and feeding the hungry catfish waiting by the dock. Lake Travis is known for everything related to water. Fishing, boating, swimming, camping. It is one of the clearest lakes in Texas. It supplies water to nearby Austin. Like fishing? If you are lucky, you can catch a variety of bass, catfish or sunfish. Remember the Alamo. Lake Travis is named after William B. Travis. During the Siege of the Alamo, Travis wrote the Victory or Death letter pleading for reinforcements. When Travis and his colleagues were defeated, killed and burned, it made him a martyr. He was only 26 when he died. "Remember the Alamo" became a battle cry for Texas Independence.

    It's about time I review this beautiful Texas hill country lake. I first layed eyes on lake Travis…read moreexactly 50 years ago. All of our lakes in Texas( with the exception of Caddo) are man made. Travis is one in a chain of lakes snaking through the hill country and known as the highland lakes. Some of our man made reservoirs are prettier than others, depending on the surrounding natural topography,geology etc. Travis sits on top of limestone and as a result is normally very clear with a beautiful terraced and rocky shoreline. Steep hills of oak surround the circumference. It's a very long lake with hundreds of bends and coves. My initial visit was to scuba dive the clear waters,which I did in summer of 1975. There was only one other person on that part of the lake that day. Hardly any homes had been built out here and the 45 minutes drive from Austin was mostly desolate and undeveloped. Jump forward a mere 50 years and the place is unrecognizable. Every hill is covered with homes and the drive out feels like any other suburban area. Well,Travis is full again for another cycle. It's a beautiful lake and everyone that lives here and uses it is ecstatic. But more importantly,Travis is one of the main water sources here and it was threatened. This new relief will hopefully give the powers that be time to develop a better water conservation plan for the area.

    Photos
    Lake Travis - Sunset at Lake Travis

    Sunset at Lake Travis

    Lake Travis - Sunset

    Sunset

    Lake Travis - Sunset at Lake Travis

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    Sunset at Lake Travis

    Hippie Hollow Park

    Hippie Hollow Park

    4.2(139 reviews)
    15.2 mi

    Love this place. Except the water level at Travis lake keeps going down so the walk down to the…read morewater keeps getting longer and longer each time I come back. The water feels a lot warmer too. Make sure to bring good shoes, it's a bunch of rocks going down, and it can get pretty difficult if you aren't prepared or if it's your first time. Always make sure to bring sun block because unless your at the top where the trees are at, there's no shade near the water and you will burn. If you do stay by the trees, I bring a hammock which works great, you'll be comfortable. Bring a bunch of water and a float, it gets deep in the water real quick. I always see a bunch of people with goggles, but I feel the water isn't as clear as used to be. I heard from a friend that's never been here that there's "sections" to hippie hollow, some people go far down, some stay near the entrance, etc. I'm unfamiliar with all that, but I do suggest you going with someone who you feel safe with because the perverts will always be there, and it can get uncomfortable if you're not used to being nude in public. Besides that though, most liberating park in Austin, definitely recommend you go and get a full tan.

    Extremely poor capacity management for major event weekends. There are no clear, real-time…read moreelectronic signs, text alerts, or entrance notifications further down RM-620 or Comanche Trail to warn people before they pay for expensive ride-shares. Rangers simply turn vehicles around at the gate after you are already stranded out on a dead-end loop with zero notice. Complete logistical failure for out-of-town visitors.

    Photos
    Hippie Hollow Park - "Showing naked ass in the great state of Texas"

    "Showing naked ass in the great state of Texas"

    Hippie Hollow Park
    Hippie Hollow Park - Hippie hollow

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    Hippie hollow

    Tom Hughes Park - Shoreline and view

    Tom Hughes Park

    4.2(10 reviews)
    14.1 mi

    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!

    Photos
    Tom Hughes Park - Lakes back to normal and looking good. Gonna make a lot of people happy

    Lakes back to normal and looking good. Gonna make a lot of people happy

    Tom Hughes Park - "Beach"...!?

    "Beach"...!?

    Tom Hughes Park

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    Lady Bird Lake - hiking - Updated May 2026

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