Outdoors, Parks & Swimming Holes in Austin
186 places
Swimming holes, trails, parks, pickleball courts, climbing gyms, golf and the Greenbelt, with the details that matter: reservations, parking and when to go.
Barton Springs Pool
Three acres of spring-fed 68-degree water in the middle of Zilker, with a grassy hillside for sunning, a diving board, and free early-morning and evening swims.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail
A ten-mile loop of crushed granite hugging Lady Bird Lake, with the boardwalk section over the water giving the widest skyline views on the trail.
Zilker Metropolitan Park
Austin's 350-acre front yard: the Great Lawn for kite flying, Barton Springs, the mini train, a playground, and canoe rentals at the lake edge, all inside one park.
Mount Bonnell
A short flight of stone steps to a 775-foot limestone bluff over Lake Austin, the classic spot for a picnic at sunset before the park closes at 10 p.m.
Mayfield Park and Preserve
A 1920s cottage garden with lily ponds and free-roaming peacocks next door to Laguna Gloria, plus a short loop of woodland trails down toward Lake Austin.
Hamilton Pool Preserve
A collapsed grotto with a 50-foot waterfall spilling into a jade pool; online reservations are mandatory year-round and swimming is closed whenever bacteria counts spike.
Pedernales Falls State Park
The Pedernales River tumbles over tilted limestone steps here, with swimming downstream, 20 miles of trails, and a bird blind; day passes sell out on spring weekends.
McKinney Falls State Park
Onion Creek drops over two sets of limestone falls just 13 miles from the Capitol, with swimming holes, a cypress-lined trail, and campsites inside city limits.
Jacob's Well Natural Area
A bottomless-looking artesian spring feeding Cypress Creek; swimming requires timed reservations from May through September and has been suspended during recent droughts, so check first.
Krause Springs
A privately run, cash-only swimming hole in Spicewood with a spring-fed pool, a rope swing under a waterfall, cypress shade, and butterfly gardens up top; no reservations, no dogs.
Deep Eddy Pool
Texas's oldest swimming pool, a 1915 spring-fed lap pool and shallow wading end beside Lady Bird Lake, with a bathhouse mural and a shaded pecan grove for towels.
Barton Creek Greenbelt
Eight miles of creekside trail from Zilker to the Hill of Life, with swimming at Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls whenever the creek is running and limestone walls for climbers.
Bull Creek District Park
A shallow creek spilling over wide limestone shelves under a small waterfall, popular with dogs and wading toddlers on hot weekends off Loop 360.
Pace Bend Park
Nine miles of Lake Travis shoreline with limestone cliff-jumping coves, primitive camping, and mountain bike trails; the swimming areas shrink dramatically when lake levels drop.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park
Austin's first city park sits on a bend of Lake Austin with a sandy swim beach, boat ramp, lakeside camping, and the Turkey Creek off-leash dog trail nearby.
Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park
A 1,200-acre reservoir park east of the airport where locals launch kayaks, fish for bass, and swim off the grassy shoreline without the Lake Travis crowds.
Congress Avenue Bridge Bats
About 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats pour out from under the Congress bridge at dusk from spring to fall; watch from the Statesman lawn or a kayak on the lake.
Hippie Hollow Park
Texas's only clothing-optional public park, a stretch of rocky Lake Travis shoreline strictly limited to visitors 18 and up; no kids, no dogs, and no glass.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
A pink granite dome rising 425 feet above the Hill Country, roughly 90 minutes from Austin; day passes must be reserved online and weekends sell out weeks ahead.
Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park
A quiet 215-acre ranch on Lake Austin with a restored prairie full of birds, a shallow lake entry for swimming and dogs, and rarely more than a dozen cars in the lot.
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
A 227-acre preserve run by St. Edward's University with 2.5 miles of trails, a small waterfall, and nesting golden-cheeked warblers; no dogs, no bikes, small entry fee.
Bastrop State Park
The Lost Pines forest, still recovering from the 2011 fire, with CCC-built stone cabins, a swimming pool in summer, and the scenic Park Road 1C drive to Buescher State Park.
Blue Hole Regional Park
Cypress Creek pools under enormous bald cypresses with two rope swings; timed-entry swim reservations are required from late spring through Labor Day and sell out early.
Mueller Lake Park
A landscaped pond with a loop trail, an amphitheater lawn, and a big playground at the center of the Mueller development, busiest during the Sunday farmers market.
Texas Rowing Center
Kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals on the west end of Lady Bird Lake, plus rowing lessons, with a shady dock that fills up fast on weekend mornings.
Rowing Dock
Paddleboard and kayak rentals under the Mopac bridge on the Zilker side of the lake, with glow-paddle nights and a quick route to the Barton Creek inlet.
Lakeway Canyonlands Preserve
A rugged network of canyon trails behind the Lakeway Activity Center, with steep scrambles, seasonal creek crossings, and views over the Hurst Creek arm of Lake Travis.
Milton Reimers Ranch Park
Travis County's biggest park has three miles of Pedernales River frontage for swimming, limestone walls that draw rock climbers, and 18 miles of mountain bike singletrack.
Violet Crown Trail
A regional trail starting at Zilker and running through the Greenbelt toward Hays County, with the Sunset Valley and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center segments among the quietest.
Brushy Creek Regional Trail
A paved creekside trail linking Brushy Creek Lake Park to Cedar Park's parks, with splash pads, playgrounds, and a kayak launch along the way.
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