Explore Austin Outdoors: Hiking, Biking, Paddling, & More

by Charlie Llewellin

Overview

The Best of Austin

Situated in the foothills of Texas Hill Country, Austin is an outdoor recreation playground, thanks to its many lakes, rivers, and trails. Explore Austin Outdoors offers the details you need to easily find 20 of the Texas city’s top outdoor locations and a wide variety of activities, including trails to a sculpture garden, state park, swimming hole, and more. Along with hiking, biking, and paddling, you’ll find thrilling sites for pursuits that require a bit more adrenaline, such as paddleboarding, wakeboarding, and ziplining. The full color guide’s pocket-sized format is great for a backpack or back pocket, and every site description includes maps, color photos, and directions. Written by local outdoors writer Charlie Llewellin, this is your guide to enjoying Austin in the best possible way: outdoors!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634041164
Publisher:	Menasha Ridge Press
Publication date:	11/14/2017
Series:	Explore Outdoors
Pages:	26
Sales rank:	1,023,261
Product dimensions:	4.20(w) x 7.30(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Charlie Llewellin moved to Austin from the UK in 1991 and became involved in the city’s music scene, playing in bands and working for the South by Southwest music festival. Driving to play in other cities exposed him to the state’s varied landscapes. He soon took to exploring Texas on his own, from the pine woods to the desert and from the prairies to the coast. In the 2000s, Charlie worked for Texas Monthly magazine, to which he contributed many outdoors articles. A writer, photographer, and traveler, he now lives in Blanco, from where he continues to wander the Hill Country and beyond.

Read an Excerpt

Lady Bird Lake

Experience wild nature and downtown views from a canoe or stand-up paddleboard. 

Difficulty: Moderate

Length/Time: Approximately 2.5 miles; 1-2 hours

Hours/Fees: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. daily; Per boat, $10–$25 per hour

Getting There: 2418 Stratford Dr. (Rowing Dock). GPS: N30° 16.4886', W97° 46.4558'

Contact: 512-459-0999; rowingdock.com

Additional Information: A couple of hours on Lady Bird Lake (named after former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson) gives you an opportunity to get a good look at both the city’s soaring architecture and its wilder side. Choose whether to cruise downriver toward the city skyline or head upstream under the high cliffs of Rollingwood toward Red Bud Isle and Tom Miller Dam. There’s plenty to see either way.

Pick out a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard. The paddleboard is the most challenging (but most likely to allow you to pass for a modern Austinite). Once on the water, you can reach either downtown or Red Bud Isle and be back in an hour, but, really, take two hours—you’ll have more of a chance to relax and explore the nooks and crannies along the banks. If you go upstream, the current helps with the return journey, but wind speed and direction also play a part in the decision. If you go this way, watch for blue herons and egrets, and look for a couple of springs coming out of the cliffs to your left. Do remember that swimming is not permitted in the lake, for fear of injury from underwater objects.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Barton Springs Pool
• Commons Ford Ranch
• Covert Park at Mount Bonnell
• Homestead Trail at McKinney Falls State Park
• Inga’s Trail at Bull Creek Greenbelt
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• Lady Bird Lake
• Mayfield Park and Preserve
• Next Level Ride Wakeboard Park
• Pace Bend Park
• Pine Ridge Trail at McKinney Roughs
• Reimers Ranch Park
• River Place Nature Trail
• Shoal Creek Greenbelt
• Southern Walnut Creek Trail
• Turkey Creek Trail
• Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
• Violet Crown Trail
• Wild Basin Preserve
• Zip Lost Pines at McKinney Roughs
• Best For . . .
• Map