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FREE Parks, Trails & Nature in Austin
Austin's parks, trails, and natural spaces are some of the best FREE things the city has to offer. From the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Zilker Park to Lady Bird Lake and the Veloway, there are hundreds of acres of FREE outdoor space to explore year round. This section covers FREE parks, nature trails, swimming holes, overlooks, and outdoor destinations across Austin and the surrounding area.
Parks, trails and nature in Austin
Austin's biggest parks, trails and preserves, sorted by what you want to do.
Big parks 10 places
Emma Long Metropolitan Park
FREE Mon–Thu; $5/vehicle Fri–Sun and holidays. The Turkey Creek Trail is FREE every day. Open 7am–10pm.
Visit siteCommons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park
215-acre Lake Austin park with hiking trails, prairie restoration, fishing access, and good birding.
Visit siteGreat Hills Park
FREE 80+ acre NW Austin park with wooded hiking trails and a playscape. Open daily, dawn to dusk. No restrooms; street parking only.
Visit siteGovalle Neighborhood Park
FREE East Austin park with a no-cost drop-in Summer Playgrounds program for kids 5–12, weekdays 9am–5pm.
Visit siteMueller Lake Park
FREE 30-acre park with a 6.5-acre lake, 2.6-mile loop trail, amphitheater, and FREE parking garage. 4550 Mueller Blvd.
Visit siteOnion Creek Metropolitan Park
517-acre South Austin park with groomed trails, pavilions, and an adjacent greenbelt with an off-leash area.
Visit siteRoy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park
~400-acre riverside park with a FREE disc golf course, wooded trails, and Colorado River access.
Visit siteSoutheast Metropolitan Park
FREE Travis County park in Del Valle with a 2-mile ADA trail, 3-mile primitive trail, bouldering wall, and ballfields. Open daily 8am–dark. 4511 Hwy 71 E.
Visit siteWalnut Creek Metropolitan Park
293-acre NE Austin park with 15 miles of hiking/mountain-biking trails, a large off-leash dog area, and picnic grounds.
Visit siteZilker Metropolitan Park
Austin's beloved 351-acre urban park on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake — home to Barton Springs Pool, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, and Zilker Botanical Garden.
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Trails and greenbelts 5 places
Barton Creek Greenbelt
Seven miles of limestone canyon trails, swimming holes, and cliff jumps winding through the heart of South Austin.
Visit siteLady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail
10-mile paved loop around Lady Bird Lake through the heart of Austin — flat, scenic, and FREE to use any time.
Visit siteShoal Creek Trail
~4–5 mile creekside trail through central Austin from Lady Bird Lake north to 38th St.
Visit siteViolet Crown Trail
FREE year-round hiking on Austin's flagship long-distance trail, with a new Mile Zero trailhead at Zilker Park. Dawn to dusk.
Visit siteWaterloo Greenway
FREE downtown park and 1.5 miles of trails along Waller Creek, linking Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake. (Moody Amphitheater concerts are ticketed separately.)
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Nature preserves 6 places
Blunn Creek Nature Preserve
FREE 38-acre preserve near downtown with a 1-mile loop trail and hilltop overlooks. Open daily, dawn to dusk. No dogs allowed.
Visit siteBarrow Preserve
Small 10-acre spring-fed nature preserve on upper Bull Creek with quiet, columbine-lined canyon trails — a hidden gem.
Visit siteBull Creek Preserve
Austin Water preserve along Bull Creek in NW Austin with the Forest Ridge Trail. Hiking only: no dogs, no bikes, no restrooms, and groups of 10 or fewer.
Visit siteMayfield Park & Nature Preserve
Historic garden cottage with free-roaming peacocks and koi ponds, adjoining a nature preserve overlooking Lake Austin. No pets.
Visit siteSt. Edward's Park
FREE hill-country park along Bull Creek with shaded creek trails and swimming holes. Open daily. Off Spicewood Springs Rd, past Loop 360.
Visit siteWild Basin Wilderness Preserve
227-acre Hill Country preserve — FREE weekdays (walk-in); small fee on weekends/federal holidays.
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Gardens and nature centers 2 places
Zilker Botanical Garden
FREE on FREE Days a few times a year, including Saturday, December 26, and FREE any day with an EBT, WIC, STAR, CHIP, Medicaid or MAP card. Parking is FREE.
Visit siteAustin Nature and Science Center
FREE admission to the exhibits, Dino Pit and nature trails in west Zilker Park. Open Mon to Sat 9am to 5pm and Sun noon to 5pm.
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Views and wildlife 4 places
Congress Avenue Bridge Bats
FREE viewing of North America's largest urban bat colony, emerging at sunset roughly mid-March through early November. Watch FREE from the bridge or the lawn on the southeast bank.
Visit siteHornsby Bend Bird Observatory
FREE birding hotspot open sunrise to sunset, with FREE guided bird walks on the second and third Saturdays each month. 2210 S FM 973.
Visit siteMount Bonnell
Austin's highest point at 775 ft — a short staircase climb rewards you with sweeping views of Lake Austin and the Hill Country. FREE, open daily.
Visit sitePennybacker Bridge (360) Overlook
FREE half-mile hike to one of Austin's most photographed views — Lake Austin and the 360 Bridge. Limited roadside parking.
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Water and fishing 3 places
FREE Public Boat Ramps — Lady Bird Lake & Lake Austin
Unimproved FREE launches on Lady Bird Lake plus concrete ramps on Lake Austin, open year-round, no fee.
Visit siteMcKinney Falls State Park
Low-cost day-use state park just 13 miles from downtown with two waterfall swimming holes, hiking trails, and camping. Kids 12 and under FREE.
Visit siteTPWD Neighborhood Fishin' Program
FREE catfish-stocked ponds around Austin, restocked every two weeks May–Sept — a low-barrier way for families to fish close to home.
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Dog parks 1 place
Dog parks: off-leash parks around Austin
Off-leash dog parks across Austin and nearby cities, including Red Bud Isle, with the rules for each. See the dog park section on the Pets page.
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Things to do for FREE in Austin parks
Austin's city parks have a lot more than trails.
Know before you go
- These courts, playgrounds, pools and play spaces are FREE to use.
- Splash pads and neighborhood pools are seasonal, and hours and closures change, so check the City page before you go.
Tennis and pickleball courts 5 listings
Austin High Tennis Center courts
Three outdoor courts on W. Cesar Chavez St. that are FREE and open to the public whenever they are not reserved for school use.
Visit siteDick Nichols District Park tennis courts
Two side-by-side tennis courts at 8011 Beckett Rd. in southwest Austin, also lined for pickleball, next to a FREE neighborhood pool in summer.
Visit sitePickleball courts at Austin parks
Open play at more than 15 City parks, first come, first served, 7am to 10pm daily unless posted. Courts include Pan American (307 Chicon St.), Rosewood (2300 Rosewood Ave.), South Austin Neighborhood Park (1100 Cumberland Rd.) and Mary Moore Searight (907 W. Slaughter Ln.). Some parks ask you to bring a portable net.
Visit siteNeighborhood park tennis courts
City neighborhood park tennis courts are first come, first served and cannot be reserved. Play is limited to one hour when others are waiting. The City tennis centers charge court fees, so look for the neighborhood park courts.
Visit siteDottie Jordan Recreation Center tennis courts
Two outdoor tennis courts at 2803 Loyola Ln. in northeast Austin. You can check out nets, paddles and balls at the recreation center.
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Basketball courts 3 listings
Alamo Pocket Park basketball court
A covered, lighted outdoor court at 2100 Alamo St. in East Austin, beside a playscape and a multi-use field.
Visit siteHancock Recreation Center outdoor court
An outdoor basketball court at 811 E. 41st St. in central Austin, next to a covered playground. Weekdays from 3 to 6pm and camp days are reserved for City programs.
Visit siteGivens District Park courts
Two lighted tennis courts and outdoor basketball courts on the grounds at 3811 E. 12th St. in East Austin. The recreation center and pool are being renovated.
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Playgrounds 7 listings
Zilker Park Playground
The big playground at Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd. It closes on Austin City Limits festival weekends.
Visit sitePease District Park playground
Playground at 1100 Kingsbury St. in central Austin, with courts and a splash pad in the same park.
Visit siteSpringwoods Park playgrounds
Two playgrounds, one for little kids and one for big kids, at 9117 Anderson Mill Rd. in northwest Austin.
Visit siteMary Moore Searight Park playground
Playground beside the parking lot at 907 W. Slaughter Ln. in south Austin, in a park that also has an 18-hole disc golf course.
Visit siteRoy G. Guerrero Park playground
Play equipment at 400 Grove Blvd. in southeast Austin, in the big riverside park with two disc golf courses.
Visit siteDove Springs District Park playground
Playscape at 5801 Ainez Dr. in southeast Austin.
Visit siteLittle Walnut Creek Greenbelt Trailhead playground
A new playground that opened in summer 2025 at the trailhead off Springdale Road.
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Disc golf 1 listing
Austin's FREE Disc Golf Courses
Seven city-run courses: 18 holes at Bartholomew, Zilker, Mary Moore Searight, Circle C Ranch and Roy G. Guerrero, plus 9 holes at Little G in Guerrero Park and at Davis Spring.
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Skate parks 2 listings
Mabel Davis Skate Park
A 12,000 square foot concrete skate park with a skate bowl and street elements at Mabel Davis District Park, 3427 Parker Ln.
Visit siteHeath Eiland and Morgan Moss BMX Skate Park
A 30,000 square foot park for skaters and BMX riders at 1213 Shoal Creek Blvd., with a skate bowl, a large plaza, shade structures, a restroom and rideable public art.
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Pools and splash pads 6 listings
FREE Pools & Splash Pads
City-run outdoor pools and splash pads open FREE to the public in summer, including the iconic Barton Springs Pool (small fee) and several FREE neighborhood pools.
Visit siteBig Stacy Pool
FREE pool open year round at 700 E. Live Oak St. in south Austin, with lap and recreational swim most days. It closes on some holidays and whenever the air is 32 degrees or colder.
Visit siteColony Park District Pool
FREE lap pool open year round at 7400 Loyola Ln. in northeast Austin. The activity pool is closed for the winter.
Visit siteLittle Stacy Wading Pool
FREE wading pool, 1 to 3 feet deep, at 1401 Sunset Ln. The 2026 season ran June 13 to August 16, so check the City page for next year's dates.
Visit siteFREE City Splash Pads
Seasonal, May 1 to October 31, so they are closed right now. No entry fee at Bailey, Bartholomew, Chestnut, Clarksville, Eastwoods, Lott, Metz, Ricky Guerrero and Rosewood.
Visit siteFREE Neighborhood Pools (summer only)
Most City neighborhood pools are FREE to enter in the summer season, including Dittmar, Govalle, Metz, Murchison, Reed, Rosewood and West Austin. Season dates differ by pool. Barton Springs, Deep Eddy, Bartholomew, Springwoods, Garrison and Northwest charge an entry fee.
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Outdoor fitness 2 listings
Davis-White Northeast Park fitness equipment
Outdoor fitness equipment gathered in one spot, built in 2023 for ages 13 and up with rubber safety surfacing.
Visit siteButler Shores exercise equipment
Outdoor exercise equipment along the Butler Trail near Riverside Dr. and Lamar Blvd., easy to pair with a lap of the Lady Bird Lake trail.
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Hours and programs change often. Call ahead before you go. Know something that belongs here? Email freeinaustin@gmail.com.