Austin Area Parks

The Austin area is home to a number of beautiful parks and nature preserves.  At these parks and preserves, you can enjoy biking, walking, running, and hiking.  At some, you may also be able to enjoy boating and swimming as well as other recreational activities.  Here is a look at just a few of the parks and nature preserves you can visit in the Austin area.

Austin Parks

There are many parks in the Austin area for you to choose from.  The 215 acre Commons Ford, for example, offers numerous trails for you to explore.  Or, you can swim, camp, and take your boat out on Lake Austin by visiting Emma Long.  If you are interested in playing disc golf, volleyball, tennis, basketball, or fishing, on the other hand, you might want to visit Mary Moore Searightt. You can enjoy similar activities a the 400 acre Zilker park or you can walk ten miles of scenic trails that run along the Colorado River at downtown Austin’s Town Lake.

Travis County Parks

In addition to the parks found in the city of Austin, there are plenty of other parks to explore in Travis County.  The 323 acre park of Arkansas Bend is located on the north shore of Lake Travis.  Here, you can enjoy fishing, hiking, picnicking, and camping.  The Ben E. Fisher park, on the other hand, features a play scape, a volleyball court, two basketball courts, and short walking path.

For those that love water sports, the Bob Wentz park is a great place to visit.  This park is located on Lake Travis and is next to a 150 acre tract of land.  You can also enjoy boating on Lake Travis by visiting Cypress Creek.  If you prefer land sports, the 273 acre East Metropolitan Park features a basketball court, youth baseball fields, a swimming pool, hiking trails, multi-use fields, and play scapes.  This is only a small sampling of the parks available in Travis County, as there are literally dozens of parks for you to choose from.

Nature Preserves

In addition to the many parks in the Austin area, there are also several nature preserves available to enjoy.  These preserves are maintained by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and help perverse the area or native animals, plants, and features.  In order to preserve these areas, visitors generally cannot bring firearms, bicycles, pets, or motorized vehicles into the preserves.