Best Hiking Trails in Austin
Austin, Texas — updated August 22, 2026
Seven Austin trails ranked by how well they hold up as actual hikes, from the dirt network at Walnut Creek to the stair climbs off Big View Drive, with the review evidence behind each rating.
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Austin's trail map splits roughly in two: the flat, heavily used water-level paths around Lady Bird Lake, and the rockier creek and hill routes scattered out toward the city edges in Northwest Hills, South Austin and the North Lamar corridor. The ratings below run tight, between 4.5 and 4.8, so the more useful signal is how many people have voted. A 4.7 backed by thousands of reviews is settled; a 4.8 backed by fewer than a hundred is only a strong early read.
1. Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
The most thoroughly tested trail system on this list. Walnut Creek holds a 4.7 across more than 4,000 reviews, which is the kind of sample size that makes a rating hard to argue with, and no other Austin trail here comes close to that volume. It sits off N Lamar Blvd in north Austin, well away from the downtown lake crowds, and the draw is the sheer amount of connected dirt: hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers all share it, so expect company on weekend mornings. Arrive early if parking matters to you. Wear shoes you do not mind muddying after rain.
2. River Place Nature Trail
The closest thing in town to a genuine climb, and the one people train on. Its 4.6 rating rests on more than 1,600 reviews, a large enough base to trust, and the complaints buried in any trail this popular tend to be about crowding rather than the route itself. The trailhead is on Big View Drive in northwest Austin, a long way from central parking and transit, so plan the drive. This is the hardest option on the list in terms of effort, which is exactly why it ranks high in a city where most paths stay level. Bring more water than you think you need.
3. The Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake
The lakefront section that carries walkers out over the water rather than around it, rated 4.7 from more than 1,100 reviews. That combination of high score and heavy sample makes it the most reliably good of the central options. The South Lakeshore Blvd access point puts you east of downtown, which is the quieter end to start from, and the surface is flat and even throughout, so it works for anyone not looking for elevation. It is busiest at sunset, when the skyline views pull in walkers, runners and photographers at once. Early morning is the calmer visit.
4. Onion Creek Greenbelt
A southeast Austin creek corridor with a 4.5 across 476 reviews, enough to call the rating stable rather than provisional. It ranks here because it delivers something the lake trails cannot: a wooded, low-traffic walk inside city limits. The Onion Creek Drive entrance is the practical one. As with any greenbelt built along a creek, conditions change with rainfall, so check recent weather before committing to a long loop. Good choice for hikers based south of the river who do not want to fight for a parking spot downtown.
5. Bauerle Ranch Park
Far south Austin, off Pall Mall Drive, with a 4.5 from 275 reviews. That is a smaller evidence base than the trails above it, so treat the rating as well supported rather than proven. What earns it a place is location: it serves the stretch of the city below Slaughter Lane, where trail options thin out considerably. The network here is unpaved and shaded in parts, which makes it a summer-morning option when the exposed lakefront paths turn punishing. Note there is no concession or facility infrastructure worth planning around, so pack water and go.
6. Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail
Austin's signature loop, and the trail most visitors mean when they ask where to walk. The rating is a 4.8, but it comes from only 95 reviews, so read it as a promising figure rather than a settled one. The Veterans Drive access point on the west side is the one to use if you want the Zilker end rather than the downtown congestion. The route is flat and paved, shared with cyclists and runners, and it fills through the evening rush and all weekend. Go at dawn for the version with room to move.
7. Lakeshore at Lady Bird Lake Metropolitan Park
A 4.8 rating, but from just 97 reviews, which is the thinnest evidence on this list and the reason it sits last despite the high score. The park runs along S Lakeshore Blvd on the southeast side of the lake, giving walking access to the water without the downtown crush. It suits a shorter, flatter outing than the hill trails above, and it pairs naturally with the Boardwalk section nearby if you want to extend the distance. Worth a look, with the caveat that the score has not yet been tested by many people.
What we left off
The Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail was dropped as a duplicate: it is the same central lakefront route as the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail, listed under a second name and access point, and we do not run one trail twice. No chains or closed locations were removed from the previous version.