Outdoors
Outdoors across Austin, TX.
Showing 1–24 of 133 places
Barton Springs Pool
Austin
Barton Springs Pool is a three-acre spring-fed swimming hole in Zilker Park, where water bubbles up from the Edwards Aquifer to hold a steady 68–70°F year-round, cold enough to take your breath in summer and oddly tolerable in winter. Watch for the Barton Springs salamander, an endangered species found nowhere else, which is part of why the limestone-lined pool is managed as carefully as it is.
Zilker Metropolitan Park
Austin
Zilker Metropolitan Park sprawls across more than 300 acres along the Colorado River just southwest of downtown Austin, and it's the gateway to Barton Springs Pool, a spring-fed swimming hole that hovers around 68 degrees year-round. You'll find people picnicking on the Great Lawn, paddling Lady Bird Lake, and walking the trails here, and it's also home to the Zilker Botanical Garden and the annual Austin City Limits festival.
McKinney Falls State Park
Austin
McKinney Falls sits where Onion Creek spills over wide limestone ledges on the southeast edge of Austin, forming the upper and lower falls that give the park its name and its swimming holes. Beyond the water, you'll find hike-and-bike trails through Hill Country woods, the ruins of an early stone homestead, and a bald cypress estimated to be centuries old—all within about a 15-minute drive of downtown.
Mueller Lake Park
Austin
Set on the site of Austin's former municipal airport, Mueller Lake Park centers on a small lake ringed by a paved walking loop, gentle green slopes, and a hillside amphitheater that hosts community events and seasonal concerts. It's an easy, flat stroll that draws families, dog walkers, and joggers, and it sits within walking distance of the Mueller farmers market and nearby shops and restaurants.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Austin
Tucked into Zilker Park along Barton Springs Road, this collection of themed gardens winds across a hillside, with the serene Taniguchi Japanese Garden and its koi ponds usually the first stop visitors gravitate toward. Don't miss the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, planted with cycads and ferns around the site where dinosaur tracks were discovered on the grounds.
Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park
Austin
Auditorium Shores is the grassy stretch along the south bank of Lady Bird Lake, just across the water from downtown Austin, where the skyline view and the wide-open lawn make it a longtime gathering spot for outdoor concerts, festivals, and the city's trail crowd. You'll also find a popular off-leash dog area and direct access to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, which loops around the lake.
Barton Creek Greenbelt
Austin
Barton Creek Greenbelt is a 7-plus-mile ribbon of limestone canyon, spring-fed swimming holes, and shaded trail running right through south Austin, popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and climbers who scale its pocketed cliff faces. Whether the creek is flowing depends heavily on recent rain, so visitors will notice the water can range from deep wading pools at spots like Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls to a dry bed in the height of summer.
Cosmic Pickle
Austin
Cosmic Pickle wears a lot of hats in South Austin's 78704, shifting from a morning coffee stop to a beer garden and casual food spot as the day goes on, with indoor and outdoor space to match. Come early for a quiet cup or later for a drink under the trees — it's the kind of all-day spot that suits whatever pace you're in the mood for.
Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve
Austin
Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve is a 23-acre property in West Austin where peacocks roam freely across cottage gardens and stone-lined ponds—you'll likely hear them before you see them. Beyond the historic gardens, trails wind down through the preserve toward Lake Austin, passing dry creek beds and dense stands of native trees.
Pease District Park
Austin
Pease District Park stretches along Shoal Creek just northwest of downtown, a long ribbon of green where old oak trees shade open lawns and a creekside trail draws walkers, picnickers, and dog owners. It's long been a gathering spot for Austinites—most famously as the home of the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party—and the restored Kingsbury Commons area at its southern end adds play spaces and gardens to the mix.
Butler Metro Park
Austin
Butler Metro Park sits along the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, just across the water from downtown Austin, and is best known as the home of Barton Springs Pool—a spring-fed swimming spot that holds steady near 68–70°F year-round. The first thing most visitors notice is the sweep of open lawn and the hike-and-bike trail that traces the waterline, with the downtown skyline rising on the far bank.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Austin
Founded by the former First Lady as a champion of native plants, this center on Austin's southwest edge is devoted to the wildflowers and grasses that actually belong in Texas soil — so what you'll notice first is how unmanicured and alive it feels compared to a typical formal garden, with seasonal blooms, stone architecture, and walking trails winding through restored prairie and woodland. Spring is the obvious draw for bluebonnet and wildflower season, but the demonstration gardens and native plant collections make it worth a visit year-round.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park
Austin
Tucked along the shores of Lake Austin in the Hill Country northwest of downtown, Emma Long Metropolitan Park gives you a stretch of waterfront for swimming and launching a boat, shaded campsites, and trails that wind into rockier, cedar-covered terrain. It's the kind of place locals come to for the off-leash Turkey Creek Trail and its creek crossings, so pack shoes you don't mind getting wet.
Pennybacker Bridge Overlook
Austin
A short scramble up the rocky trail on the north side of Loop 360 brings you to a clifftop view of the burnt-orange steel arch of the Pennybacker Bridge spanning Lake Austin, with the surrounding Hill Country rolling off in every direction. Come toward sunset when the light warms the limestone and the water below, and expect company—it's a well-loved spot, so the small pullout parking fills quickly.
Bull Creek District Park
Austin
Bull Creek District Park sits along its namesake creek in northwest Austin, where shallow limestone pools, a low waterfall, and shaded wading spots draw families and dog owners through the warmer months. Bring water shoes for the rocky creek bed, leash up (or head to the off-leash stretches), and expect the parking lot to fill quickly on summer weekends.
Mount Bonnell
Austin
Mount Bonnell rises about 775 feet above the Colorado River, making it one of Austin's higher natural overlooks, reached by a short but steep stone staircase to the summit. From the top you'll get a wide view of Lake Austin, the surrounding limestone bluffs, and the hill country homes lining the water—best at sunset, though the early morning and evening hours mean it's a popular spot for both joggers and photographers.
Red Bud Isle
Austin
Red Bud Isle is a small, leashes-optional island park on Lady Bird Lake, formed by the remnants of an old dam, where shaded trails wind under towering cypress and pecan trees and dogs splash freely along the shallow shoreline. It's also a popular put-in for kayakers and paddleboarders heading out toward the nearby Tom Miller Dam, so expect a friendly mix of wet dogs and boaters on busier mornings.
Hippie Hollow Park
Austin
Tucked along the shore of Lake Travis, Hippie Hollow is Texas's only legally clothing-optional public park, so the first thing to know is that it's an adults-only spot (18 and over) where swimsuits are genuinely optional. The terrain is rocky rather than sandy — expect limestone ledges and steep, cliff-lined paths down to the water, so sturdy shoes and a little sure-footedness go a long way.
Pennybacker Bridge
Austin
Officially carrying Loop 360 over Lake Austin, the Pennybacker Bridge is better known as the "360 Bridge" — a rust-toned steel arch that's left unpainted so its weathered surface blends into the surrounding Hill Country. Most visitors don't cross it for the view but climb the short, rocky trail up the bluff on the north bank, where the overlook frames the bridge against the water and is a well-known spot for sunset.
Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park
Austin
Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park is a sprawling, largely undeveloped greenspace along the south bank of the Colorado River in southeast Austin, laced with shaded hike-and-bike trails, open meadows, and stands of mature pecan and cottonwood trees. Many locals come for the hidden river beach known as Secret Beach, a sandy stretch reached by a short walk through the woods that's popular for swimming and paddling when the water is calm.
Texas Confederate Memorial Lawn
Austin
Set on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin, this stretch of lawn holds the Confederate Soldiers Monument, one of several historical markers and statues scattered across the Capitol's tree-shaded south grounds. It's worth pairing a look here with a wider walk of the Capitol grounds, where you'll find monuments spanning different chapters of Texas history alongside shaded paths and open green space.
Republic Square
Austin
One of the four public squares laid out in Austin's original 1839 plan, Republic Square sits in the heart of downtown beneath a cluster of heritage oaks — including the historic Auction Oaks, where lots were once sold to establish the city. On Saturday mornings it fills with the Texas Farmers' Market, and the open lawn and shade make it an easy place to pause between the surrounding government buildings and downtown bustle.
Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
Austin
The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge spans Lady Bird Lake just east of the Lamar Boulevard bridge, carrying walkers, runners, and cyclists across the water and tying together the north and south sides of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Open around the clock, it's a quiet way to cross the lake on foot and a good spot to pause for downtown skyline views without the traffic.
Waterloo Park
Austin
Tucked along Waller Creek at the northern edge of downtown, Waterloo Park is Austin's oldest park, reborn after a multi-year overhaul that added winding trails, native plantings, and the Moody Amphitheater. First-time visitors usually notice the elevated walkways and the way the green space feels tucked away from the surrounding city blocks, with live music drifting up from the amphitheater on event nights.