Austin is known for its great outdoors, both within the city limits and in the nearby rural Texas Hill Country. Get out and explore the best things to do outside, from winding hiking and biking trails to cool swimming holes and lakes perfect for paddling. A few examples:
Biking & Cycling
The Violet Crown Trail offers great in-town mountain biking, with rocky surfaces and steep slopes. The Barton Creek Greenbelt is also a great destination for mountain bikers (enter at the Loop 360 access point), offering varied terrain within a beautiful landscape of cliffs and shaded groves alongside scenic Barton Creek.
Road riders will want to bicycle from downtown to Mount Bonnell, peddling Scenic Drive along the waters of Lake Austin and catching an awesome sunset view from Pennybacker Bridge. The paved Southern Walnut Creek Trail, part of the city’s Walnut Creek Trail System, is an urban trail designed for both bikers and pedestrians.
Swimming
Combine great swimming with people watching at the historic Barton Springs Pool, just minutes from downtown Austin. Located in the heart of the 360-acre Zilker Park, this swimmer’s paradise features clear water fed from underground springs that stays a refreshing 68 degrees year round, along with grassy hills for sunbathing.
On the west side of town is the oldest swimming pool in Texas. Since 1915, Deep Eddy Pool has been a popular swimming destination for locals and visitors. Cold springs fill the pool, perfect for a dip in Austin’s warmer weather. The pool also features a shallow area for the littles and lap lanes for fitness enthusiasts.
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