Running trails in Austin, TX
Austin has 44 trails in the directory — 7 paved and 8 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 boardwalk, 10 loops that return to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 16 shaded, and 5 open 24 hours. 38 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 42,827 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
McKinney Falls State Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 8,091 reviews
Popular site for camping, hiking, biking & fishing, & for "Old Baldy," a 500+-year-old cypress tree.
Covert Park at Mount Bonnell
4.7 ★★★★★ 7,189 reviews
At 785-feet tall, or 106 steps, this hilltop park is the highest point in the city.
Barton Creek Greenbelt
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,508 reviews
This popular urban natural area offers opportunities for biking, hiking, swimming & rock climbing.
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,190 reviews
This large public park known for its system of hiking & biking trails also has a playground & pool.
Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,930 reviews
Quiet 21-acre grounds with walking trails & a wildlife habitat with free-roaming peacocks.
River Place Nature Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,701 reviews
Picturesque, riverfront park offering a popular forested hiking trail, waterfalls & wildlife views.
Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,516 reviews
Over 300 acres of land with facilities for hiking, horseback riding, grilling, disc golf & more.
Mills Pond Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,240 reviews
Quiet neighborhood park featuring walking trails amid lush foliage, plus a pond with a fishing pier.
The Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,187 reviews
7,250-ft. boardwalk along & across the lake, offering views of the shoreline, city & turtles.
St. Edward's Greenbelt
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,174 reviews
80-acre park provides dog-friendly trails & swimming amid lush greenery, small waterfalls & ponds.
Twin Falls
4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,014 reviews
Greenbelt hiking area featuring waterfalls and a creek, plus swimming and a rope swing.
River Place Nature Trail Canyon Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 725 reviews
Park featuring a riverside walking trail with steps, elevation changes & picturesque views.
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 666 reviews
Natural area focused on protecting animals & promoting environmental education with public trails.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 468 reviews
Waterfront walking/cycling path featuring scenic views of the downtown skyline.
Shoal Creek Greenbelt
4.6 ★★★★★ 442 reviews
A ribbon of a park spanning nearly 81 acres, which include shady trails & a dog park.
Southern Walnut Creek Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 401 reviews
Paved, well-maintained trail for cycling, hiking and dog-walking that passes through scenic areas and parks.
Lower Bull Creek Greenbelt
4.7 ★★★★★ 387 reviews
Park featuring hiking trails, grottos, and springs, plus a waterfall.
Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 369 reviews
Laid-back waterside trail offering views of downtown, picnic tables and a playground.
Hill of Life
4.7 ★★★★★ 356 reviews
Popular trail along the Barton Creek greenbelt known for its two waterfalls, plus views of its namesake creek.
Brushy Creek Greenbelt
4.8 ★★★★★ 315 reviews
Park with a picnic area and restrooms, plus trails for walking and mountain biking.
Walnut Creek Greenbelt
4.6 ★★★★★ 319 reviews
Wide paved & unpaved pathways cut through this rugged creekside area that links 2 parks.
Southwest Greenway
4.6 ★★★★★ 253 reviews
Sculptural landscape with a pond, 2 waterfalls and wildflowers.
Boggy Creek Greenbelt
4.6 ★★★★★ 217 reviews
Creekside park covering 89 acres with open fields & shady areas, suitable for picnicking & walks.
Roy and Ann Butler Hike and Bike Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 201 reviews
Scenic waterfront trail loop for hiking, running & cycling, with restrooms & drinking fountains.
Spicewood Valley Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 177 reviews
Dog-friendly hiking area featuring a trail along a stream, waterfalls, and shade.
North Star Greenbelt
4.6 ★★★★★ 172 reviews
Quiet ribbon park with a partially shaded walking & jogging path amid blooming trees & flowers.
Hiking Trail Walnut Creek Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
Kid-friendly park with a playground and a network of trails that's open to hikers and bikers.
Northwest Greenway
4.5 ★★★★★ 162 reviews
Tranquil park featuring a hiking/biking trail, covered picnic area & child-friendly playgrounds.
Blunn Creek Nature Preserve
4.4 ★★★★☆ 146 reviews
Trail system, nature preserve featuring creeks, trees and an extinct volcano.
Blunn Creek Greenbelt
4.7 ★★★★★ 106 reviews
Serene, wooded green space along a creek featuring a tree-lined trail & BBQ pits.
Williamson Creek Greenbelt
4.4 ★★★★☆ 91 reviews
Natural linear park along a creek with wildflowers enjoyed by mountain bikers, hikers & dog walkers.
Falconhead West Primitive Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 75 reviews
Scenic park, boasting hilly terrain and a variety of trails for hiking, walking and trail running.
Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 64 reviews
Popular, riverside hiking & biking area boasting a 12.68-mile trail, scenic waterfalls & wildlife.
River Place Nature Trail Little Fern Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 63 reviews
Park featuring a moderately challenging hiking trail with a 4-mile round-trip distance.
The Terrace Hiking Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 54 reviews
Walkable trail for hiking, jogging, biking, dog walking and scenic views.
Lincolnshire Trailhead 1
4.5 ★★★★★ 27 reviews
Austin to Manor Trail
5 ★★★★★ 5 reviews
Westcreek Greenway
3.5 ★★★★☆ 2 reviews
Central Williamson Creek Greenway
1 ★☆☆☆☆ 4 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Austin
- Match the surface to your legs. Austin gives you a choice: 8 natural surface, 7 paved, 6 mixed, and 4 boardwalk. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 10 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Austin is River Place Nature Trail at 6 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 5 trails in Austin are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 38 of the 44 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 26 have trailhead parking, 14 have restrooms, and 10 have a water fountain in Austin. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 16 shaded, 6 with mile markers, 15 that runners describe as quiet, 34 dog-friendly, and 10 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Austin trails by type
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Mixed trails
- Boardwalk trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Austin
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.