Barton Creek Greenbelt
Austin, Texas
Address: | Barton Creek Greenbelt, 3755 S Capital of Texas Hwy B, Austin, TX 78704, USA |
GPS: |
30°14'49.8"N 97°48'45.7"W Maps | Directions |
State: | Texas |
Trails/Routes: | 1.2 mi |
Rivers Trails Rocks Wildflowers Bicycles
Hike
This hike can be up to 7.9 miles long and starts up near Zilker Park. You can choose the length of your hike, walk, or run. The easiest access to the Greenbelt, though, is through the Loop 360 Entrance. This location is filled with biking, hiking and running trails. There are great locations to have picnics.
On the trail there are a couple of great swimming locations. When the water levels are right these are the access points to go to to find the best swimming locations:
- Spyglass Access (1601 Spyglass Dr.): There is usually easy-access street parking at this location. Once you head down the hill at the trail access, take a left and you’ll find your way to the Flats & the Campbell’s Hole swimming spot.
- Gus Fruh Access (2642 Barton Hills Dr.): You could get to Gus Fruh from the Spyglass entrance and just simply keep going, but you can take a more direct route and park in this residential neighborhood. The water in this location is beautiful and the swimmning is perfect.
- Trail End/Sculpture Falls Access (1710 Camp Craft Road): Here you will find the trails end, the famous Hill of Life and the Sculpture Falls swimming area. Be warned, however, that you’ll need to be ready for a half-mile uphill hike to get to the falls. The falls are small and beautiful and is a great location for family-friendly fun.
This trail is open year-round and have great activities for families. The best times to go are earlier in the day before it gets too hot and right before the sun sets.
More Information
Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read MoreDirections
From Austin, Texas
- Head south on Congress Ave toward W 5th St (0.3 mi)
- Turn right onto W Cesar Chavez StPass by the lake (on the left in 0.3 mi)(1.5 mi)
- Keep left at the fork, follow signs for TX-1 Loop S and merge onto TX-1 Loop S (2.8 mi)
- Take the exit toward Texas 360 Loop N/Capital of Tx Hwy (0.1 mi)
- Merge onto Frontage Rd (0.9 mi)
- Keep right (0.1 mi)
Zilker Access - From I-35 exit on Riverside and head west. Drive 1.5 miles to Barton Creek Rd and turn left (west). Drive one mile past the Lamar intersection and the Zilker Park entrance will be on your left. The Zilker trail access will be west of the Zilker Pool. Use this entrance if you are planning on riding a bike or if you need to lose a few more pounds.
Spyglass Access - From Mopac/Loop 1 exit on Barton Skyway and head east. Barton Skyway will dead end in less than half a mile. The trail begins where the road ends. Use this access to reach the New Wall/Great Wall. This access can be used to access Gus Fruh
Gus Fruh Access - From I-35 exit on Riverside and head west. Drive 1.5 miles to Barton Creek Rd and turn left (west). Drive about one mile past the Lamar intersection and turn left on Robert E Lee Rd. Take the first right on Barton Hills Dr. Continue down Barton Hills for exactly 2 miles. The access is in the middle of residential neighborhood on the right near the intersection of Barton Hills Dr. and Horseshoe Bend Cove. Use this access to climb at Gus Fruh and Urban Assault
Loop 360 Access - From I-35 head west on Ben White Blvd. Ben White Blvd will become 360 (a.k.a. Capitol of Texas Highway). After Ben White Blvd becomes 360 the road will head down a steep hill. This will be approximately 1/4 mile from Mopac/Loop 1. Turn right at the light on the steep hill and turn into the bank parking lot. The trail access will be located at west side of the bank parking lot. Use this access to climb at Seismic Wall and Bee Hive Wall.Courtesy of texasoutside.com
Trails
Distance ?
1.2 milesElevation Gain ?
-15 feetReal Ascent ?
186 feetReal Descent ?
201 feetAvg Grade (0°)
0%Grade (-16° to 13°)
-28% to 23%Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.
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