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Austin Town Lake

Hike and Bike Trail

 

 Town Lake Trail Parking

 Capital Cruises Bat Watching Tours
  Austin Rowing Dock
About Austin's Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail
Winding through trees, bridges and more along the shores of the Colorado River, the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail stretches from the Tom Miller Dam in the West to the Longhorn Dam in the East. The Town Lake trail's 10.1 miles are some of the most popular in all of Austin. It is great whether you like to walk, run or bike!

It is hard to believe that you are just seconds from the downtown of a large, vibrant city like Austin while you are enjoying Town Lake and the natural beauty of the outdoors. And this beauty can be enjoyed practically year round because of Austin's mild climate and sunny skies.

A host of all athletic levels commingle peacefully along the mostly crushed granite trail. Only 2.5% of the Hike and Bike trail has more than an 8% grade so it is flat enough for beginners but long enough to challenge the most frequent runners. There are many access points and bridges along the trail, including the famous Congress Avenue Bridge with all the Mexican Free-Tailed bats. This allows you to easily vary the lengths of your run and get a change of scenery by trying the other side of Town Lake or starting a different point. Be aware that the trail breaks, connecting via city sidewalks on the South shore of Town Lake on either side of IH 35. See below for a chart of distances

Hike and Bike Trail on Town LakeAlong the trail are several mile markers. The 0 mile marker is located between South 1st Bridge and the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue. And along with these mile markers, there are many Austin attractions along and near the Town Lake trail. Among these are Zilker Park, Capital Cruises Kayaks Rentals and Bat Watching Tours, Austin Rowing Dock, Barton Springs, Auditorium Shores, Austin High School (with tennis courts), Deep Eddy pool, Eilers Park, Downtown YMCA, Fiesta Gardens and Festival Beach. The trail also connects to many other hike and bike trails both North and South of Town Lake.

Check out these activities for extra fun on Town Lake

  • Capital Cruises offers bat watching tours, kayak and peddle boats, and dinner cruises.
  • Austin Rowing Dock offers kayak rentals, rowing classes, and more just past the Mopac Bridge

Town Lake Trail Guide

BRIDGES

MOPAC

PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN

SOUTH 1ST STREET

CONGRESS AVE.

IH-35

LONGHORN DAM

MOPAC

-

3.47

4.55

4.94

7.12

10.2

PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN

3.47

-

1.56

1.96

4.13

7.21

SOUTH 1ST STREET

4.5

1.56

-

1.08

3.25

6.32

CONGRESS AVE.

4.94

1.96

1.08

-

3.22

6.30

IH-35

7.12

4.13

3.25

3.22

-

4.00

LONGHORN DAM

10.2

7.21

6.32

6.30

4.00

-
Directions:  There are several places to park along Austin's Town Lake.  The largest lot is located beneath Mopac Bridge.  There is also a decent sized lot on 1st street next to Capital Cruises and the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue area.

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