The River Place Nature Trail is the perfect combination of breathtaking scenery and an opportunity for 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. read more

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Nice canyon trail in the middle of the neighborhood. Glad that small piece of nature is preserve instead 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 read more

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This is a definite must do for those who like medium to hard levels. Completing a circle can be challenging, 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. read more

Don't be fooled. All trails will tell you 5.4 out & back, but it is damn near 6 full miles! We did the full trail "2.5miles" up from the lake to the Canyon Trail Head & then hiked it back. It was the closest thing two Houston we could find for prepping for Guadalupe Peak in the fall. It's very easy to follow, dog friendly, ups & downs so not a typical elevation gain then easy down. You work for it both ways. Restrooms & Parking: Parking is on the street (wide street so can park on both sides - we found a spot close to TH pretty easily even at 9:30. There are decent restrooms a the kids park across the street. Start early - we drove in that morning so didn't start til almost 10am by the time we parked, paid the $10/person. So we didn't finish til afternoon. You go through some creek bottoms, there's some actually steps & some rocky inclines, then some typical hill country limestone exposed areas with mesquite, follows along the golf course for a bit... get a lil bit of it all. ** Plenty of stopping points with benches to rest or snack! We saw 0 snakes YAY!!!!! but tons of lizards LOL Felt very safe the entire time.. it does sit in the middle of a very wealthy huge house neighborhood so I'm sure that helps. Overall highly recommend. We brought about 750ML of water each...and it was gone when we got back to the car. Not that we were dying of thirst and should've brought more...but be prepared! read more

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I have to say this is probably my favorite trail yet in the austin area! So much shade, so many different plants , there is a lot of stairs so make sure your ready for an adventure! If you come on the weekend they do charge per person if you get lucky you get there early enough that you don't have to pay. This hiking trial is a one way path so to get back you have to turn around so keep that in mind when walking. It's located in a neighborhood if you get lucky they may be having some nice garage sales to purchase some perfect additions to your home. Everyone on the trail was respectful and not too loud disturbing others! I will definitely make this one of my routine hikes and places to take others when they come in town and want to take a hike! read more

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Out of all the trails we've been on in Austin, River Place Nature Trail is the closest to a true "hike". Friendly warning that there is a $10 fee per person on the trail during "peak hours" which really just means weekends. The trail itself is very immersive as you traverse forested paths and some lofty climbs and steep declines. This 2.5 mile trail is definitely a cardio workout but was a fun one at that. In terms of hikes with views it is definitely lacking as there was no true peak that provided a lookout. The entrance to the trail was beautiful however so I would assume that's where the upkeep fees go. Altogether this is a challenging trail but to us it just wasn't worth the $10 ultimately without the true payoff of a stunning view. read more

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This is a moderately difficult trail. The trail branches off to a one mile out and back and the other part of the trail is three miles out and back. There's plenty of shade and a few benches to sit if you need a break. I recommend wearing trail shoes as there are some muddy areas and a few small streams to cross. There is also a lot of elevation gain. I also highly recommend bringing plenty of water as it's been very hot and humid lately in mid-May. If you are not a resident of the neighborhood, there is a $10 fee per adult if you are using the trail during peak days, Saturdays and Sundays, and peak hours. They accept credit card only and there is an attendant at the trail entrance to take payment. Overall a nice, clean trail. Plenty of street parking a well. read more

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This is by far one of the best hikes in the Austin area. There are two big reasons I'm enthusiastic about it: (1) LOTS OF SHADE. You literally could hike this trail from dawn to dusk, and be shaded by all the cedar trees. And (2) the trail is very well-maintained. There's no garbage, and the paths are well-constructed to prevent erosion. It does require a lot of ascending and descending, so be prepared to sweat. Bring water, tough guys! You will be so happy you did! Lastly, they do charge a fee to walk it on weekends only. My research revealed this charge is voluntary. The money goes to maintaining the area, so if you've got $10 to spare, i believe it's a good cause. Enjoy! read more

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Came here to get some movement while visiting ATX. I started at the boardwalk entrance and went to the canyon trailhead. It was approximately a 6 mile RT hike with plenty of stairs and several creek crossings. The trail was pretty and very green. Some mosquitos are here to keep you company. Highly recommend bringing water and a snack - it takes over 2 hours to complete the round trip at a casual pace. Plenty of free parking on the street. read more

River Place Nature Trail - serenity pool - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

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816 ft elevation gain and approximate 5.4 mile round trip. The trail is considered moderate, but those stairs will get your heart pumping! The path can be narrow at times so remember to make room for other hikers and watch your step. Dogs allowed on leash. Apparently there's a fee on weekends (credit card only), but I was there the Friday after Thanksgiving so it was free. Very well marked and I like the benches along the way to stop and enjoy nature. read more

Not too many hilly hikes around Austin that are also partially covered. This is a 6 mile round trip hike, that can be started in either direction - I used it pretty regularly to practice for my backpacking trip, it was amazing without and good practice. Highly recommend this hiking trail. PS weekends are ticketed for trail maintenance. My key request from the people using this trail is to keep your furry friends on leash! Be respectful! read more

Forever and always my favorite trail in Austin. With that being said, I have been to this trail several times and have hiked to the end and back. Right now, there is very little stagnant water, and I DO NOT recommend going in due to no circulation or movement of the water. Also this trail does not loop around. OTHER THINGS I PERSONALLY WOULDN'T RECOMMEND: Bringing your dog Bringing your kids I WOULD BRING: Either a bag with water and Gatorade or anything to keep you hydrated. You'll need it! I'm reading where people are taking their kids on this trail. I am astonished. More power to you, but I don't understand how they got through this very steep and treacherous trail. I came back way more in shape but figured what made this trail harder this time around. My bulky hiking shoes.. Definitely recommend a good light training shoe. This is a hard trail in general. The steps ARE STEEP, and there isn't any railing. On top of it all, there are loose rocks, so be careful! If you are careful and mindful of other people hiking, all will be good! You'll 100% get the BEST workout from this trail and will most likely be back for more. read more

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THE BIG: Beautiful, steep elevation canyon park right in the heart of west lake hills. THE BLACK AND WHITE: The wife and I always kick off the new year with a hike and decided this year to do the River Place Nature Trail. Great views with the first part of the hike meandering with a creek. The trail also intersects a golf course, so don't mind the driving sound of golf balls whizzing by you as you hike. Most of the trail is nice and shaded so this is a great option if you're looking to hike during the grueling Austin summers. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Note, one way is ~3.5 miles, which is about an hour and 10 minutes. This is not a loop so be mindful about how far you go and turn around. read more

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My favorite hike in ATX if you like a challenge. It's like the stair climber, but in nature.

This is a great trail to hike and it is super easy and convenient to get to. It is within a neighborhood with some very beautiful houses. I did the canyon trail which I highly recommend. It takes about 2.5 miles to get to the top and there are staircases that go up and down. You will get a great workout doing this hike. There are about 2700 steps in total and they can get pretty steep. Bring a water bottle while doing this hike there aren't any water fountains at any of the trailheads. There is a $10 fee to hike the trail but I didn't see any kiosks when I went. Overall a great and challenging hike that I recommend doing if you love hiking. read more

River Place Nature Trail - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went hiking here with my cousin and I recommended it 100% . The scenery is so beautiful, It made me feel like I was a fairy in tinker bell. Not only that but there wasn't many people so it was very peaceful. The trail was well maintained and the area to sit by the pond was just another bonus. Good place for ‍ read more

River Place Nature Trail - Hiking trail - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

One of my favorite trails in Austin! I highly recommend appropriate footwear for stepping on and over rocks. Grip shoe wear for sure. I wore hiking boots this time and realized I conquered all of the smaller trail path with zero issues and found myself EXCITED to do so with the longer trail path. This was my partners first time here which made our hike much more enjoyable! We took off our boots to put our feet in the water. There is nothing like the sound of birds and the sound of streaming water.. The sun was out; however, the temperature was just about fifty-seven degrees. Absolutely gorgeous weather and the scenery was overwhelmingly beautiful. This was a peaceful hike for us. To note: You will come across countless log stairs while on the canyon trail and going downhill is quite challenging for some. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. read more

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A lot of stairs, but a beautiful view at the top and lots of shade. The Canyon Trail was surprisingly difficult despite the short distance andn relatively cool March weather (86F). Did not get charged or ticketed for parking. read more

It would have been nice if I had known about the weekend $10 entry fee ahead of time. I remember not too long ago this trail was FREE! I understand if they want to charge non-residents but $5 is more reasonable, not $10. I didn't have any cash on me at the time so had to turn around and find another . I was 'not' happy. There are plenty of FREE beautiful trails in Austin & I just refuse to pay to walk. read more

This is a great place to get a workout. It's probably the hardest hike I've done in Austin. Full disclosure: I am not a huge hiker but I do own hiking polls. I used my hiking polls and wore my heavy duty hiking boots and I was glad I was well equipped. Lots of changes in elevation, many with stairs. Several creek crossings, which wasn't a problem because water's really low right now. Full, complete disclosure: I just turned 70. Younger hikers were passing me with ease, so the difficulty of the hike is relative. It is pretty and fairly busy. 3 miles one way. read more

My husband and I always hike on Sundays. But recently when we arrived on Sunday Memorial Day weekend there was a lady posted up at the entrance stated there's a park fee on weekends & an entrance card is given for you to enter. FIRST TIME RUNNING INTO THIS ISSUE OUT OF THE 15 TIMES WE'VE GONE TO THESE TRAILS. We ended up going to the 2nd entrance ( 2nd trail past the clubhouse) and no fee's were being admitted. FELT LIKE A SCAM TRYING TO HAVE US PAY FOR NATURE!! But all & all the trail is beautiful, pretty shady! A few spots with water leading from the creek. Seen a blue jay & colorful butterflies. Sounded beautiful!! As if you're listening to relaxing zen waterfall music. read more

River Place Nature Trail - Trail - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time trying this trail. I did the Panther to Canyon trail which is an intermediate to advanced trail in my opinion. I'm guessing that the Panther to Little Fern is not as intense. The trail is really fun and picturesque. We enjoyed the lightening rock, waterfall, and hidden bench. My dog and I hiked up to the Observation view. I was definitely winded after some steps because I'm not in shape;) This trail has a lot of regular hikers and dogs. PSA: if you take your pooch please be sure to pick up after them. If you forget to take your potty bags the place does have some at the beginning of the trail. Hikers be careful where you step;) Other than this this trail is a must if you haven't checked it out. I'll definitely be back! See pics:) read more

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Beautiful trail! Slightly challenging but overall easy/medium. The neighborhood did start charging a $10 fee to use the trail which seems high and not completely warranted. There is a lot of street parking and a children's park nearby which are two good perks. read more

This is one of my favorite trails in the Austin area. There are multiple entry points and it's a good workout. It was well kept, good signage, nice views, and lots of shade. We did about 5 miles round trip and there was still more of the trail we didn't get to see. We will be going back and doing a different entry point. I highly recommend to check out read more

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As others have said, it's challenging. I'm in pretty good shape between mountain biking regularly, running, etc. The stairs....goodness. About 2 miles in, your mind will tell you to quit. Just bring plenty of water. You'll be fine. More than anything, pace yourself. Took us about 90 mins to go the full 2.7 miles. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Though, we were sorta expecting some big pay off hilltop view at the top and there isn't one. So keep that in mind. Still a fun hike. Also, I would not suggest the longer trail for kids under 10. Unless they're alpine skiers. read more

River Place Nature Trail - The stairs that never end. - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

Three beautiful trails of varying difficulty. The Canyon Trail is the most demanding because of the elevation changes. There are lots of steps! There are also some marvelous benches to pause and reflect. In particular, make sure you stop at the serenity pool. On weekends they collect a $10 per person/dog fee. Note that the trail is busy and somewhat narrow, so many times we stood aside to let approaching hikers through. There are also many runners using the trail for training. If you want to get away from people, this trail is probably not for you. Volunteers keep the trail in good condition. read more

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We had read the reviews so I knew there would be a lot of stairs... Poles would have been helpful. It isn't up one way and down on the way back. Picture a rollercoaster of stairs. Uuuuup and then dooooown and then Uuuup and then dooooown until knee failure. It was a fun and pretty challenge with a babbling brook beside at the beginning and in the woods towards the end. We did pay the $10 to hike as it was a weekend. If you go after 1pm the money taker is gone. The lady that took our money at the beginning was at the turn around spot (the other access) when we got there. She was kind enough to give us advice on taking the sidewalk back to our car at the start. Yes, we cheated! ;) We walked past nice houses and a golf course on pavement. Our knees needed a break! read more

Great hike. Loved the area. Steep stairs, bring water! Gorgeous views throughout the park. Had a great time with friends. read more

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Challenging hike, 5.5 miles round trip took about 2 hours. Make sure you bring enough water, no filling stations once you start. read more

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My first time hiking here and it got the job done. The only down side is that it doesn't loop around so you'd have to hike up/down the same trail to get back to your car. I went midday and it wasn't crowded which is a good thing because there are some narrow parts of the trail where two people couldn't fit side by side. It is shaded and does have benches to rest. There is a park nearby incase you need to use a public restroom just ask and someone will give you directions. **Supposedly there's a fee of $10 and someone is usually there to collect the fee, but I guess I went at the right time bc there was nobody there*** read more

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This is my favourite hiking trail in Austin, and it's the only challenging one I know of. It's a good place to train for backpacking trips. It's three miles each way for a total of six miles with SO many stairs. There is basically no view as there are a lot of trees and shade. There is a ton of street parking, and there are bathrooms in the park across from the trailhead. They charge $10 on weekends to hike the trail, which is absolutely ridiculous. read more

River Place Nature Trail - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I love this trail! It was a nice exercise going uphill, and with such narrow paths, but so fun. There are a good amount of people who do this trail, so you will constantly either be behind, in front or going the opposite direction of people. Since the paths are so narrow at many points, you'll see some people move to the side to let those who want to walk faster go up. I definitely want to come back! It was a fun challenge for me. read more

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A great place to go if you're looking to adventure, or just clear your mind, and especially great for photography !! read more

River Place Nature Trail - Hiking Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This is a suburban planned trail, cutting through nicer neighborhoods toward Lake Travis. Pretty easy to find. Fairly popular (the word is out). Will definitely have some trail inclines, and get your heart pumping and give your knees a workout. Nice place to get fresh air and exercise. Would recommend it. Only setback is it's almost too popular, and gets a bit crowded. But worth checking out, if you have a spare afternoon and want to get a hike in! read more

As everyone else has said, you'll get a good cardio workout and "get your sweat on" if you go in the summertime. It's not rugged terrain, but all the steps will give you a good workout - you can do EET! The elevation changes about 400 feet from start to end (the trailhead sign says 1700 feet but if you look at the topographical map, it looks like 400). BEAUTIFUL scenery and 99% of the trail is shaded. When I'm not on the trail, my motto is "never look back." But when you get out here, you DEFINITELY need to stop a couple of times when you get to the top of a set of steps and look down behind you - it's amazing, and you'll thank me for it later. No, really, you will. ;-) If it hasn't been raining and it's not muddy, regular old tennis shoes will do. There's a lot of steps, so I don't recommend heavy hiking boots - they'll slow you down and wear you out. Speaking of slowing you down and wearing you out - you probably don't want to bring the little ones if you are going to do the entire trail. You'll probably end up carrying them, seriously. No water or restrooms on the trails here, so BRING water people! There are water fountains and restrooms right across the street at Woodlands Park on Big View Drive. If you start from the trailhead on Big View Drive, you'll think "eh, no big deal" until you get to the last mile or so - then it becomes a real butt kicker! This trail is not a loop and round trip for all three trails is between 5 and 6 miles. If you skip the Little Fern Trail it's a little bit shorter. There are three trailheads with street parking only. This is the main one and it starts at the lowest elevation and goes UP. 8830 Big View Dr Austin, TX 78730 This one starts at the Little Fern Trail, then it connects to the Panther Hollow and Canyon Trails. 3916 River Pl Blvd Austin, TX 78730 This trailhead starts at the highest elevation and then goes DOWN. 4998 River Pl Blvd Austin, TX 78730 The trails are well marked, and you won't get lost - but if you want to print a map before you go, here's a link: http://friendsofriverplacetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/RPTrailF1Map-e1432597593227.jpg read more

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This trail is fantastic and the perfect combination of ease and challenge. You feel like you are in some faraway land.

Amazing trail such a beautiful work out and place is so green!! I love all the steps in perfect workout read more

Went on this trail with my family and it definitely was a nice experience. River trail had a nice ambiance and scene, however the only thing we had trouble of was the lack of maps! However, I would 100% come back. read more

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River Place Nature Trail in Four Points is my go-to hiking spot in Austin for a good workout. 100 floors climbed, get ready for your thighs to be burning! One way is 2.5 miles. I figured, "let me get a nice workout in on New Years Day" and am so glad I did. Go check it out. Bring water. read more

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This trail is killer.... to many steps. The views are outstanding so definitely worth it. It was challenging for us but we're beginners. Overall we loved it and will come back again. Make sure to bring a credit card because there's a fee of 10.00 per person. Kids under 12 are free. If you rather not pay come after 3pm. That's what the security guard told me. I'm not sure about the weekdays so you may wanna check it out. read more

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