Two Ways To Hike Bull Creek (Plus Eat Out After)

Addie Gross Hikes

There are several trailheads along the Bull Creek Greenbelt, and in this post I will cover two of our favorites that we repeat several times a year. We love going to Bull Creek in every season! It’s a place we love to hike, and look forward to eating out at Waterloo Ice House for lunch afterwards (it has a playground).

Bull Creek District Park

Address

6701 Lakewood Dr, Austin

The Hike

We come here for swimming and/or creek wading on warmer days. This spot has a parking lot and a bathroom (but it will get super crowded on hot summer days). Most people come for the natural rock “water slide” that occurs after there’s been some rain and the water is flowing nicely.

On warm days when we don’t want to swim, we at least go wading with our Keens on.

It’s a fun spot to look for tadpoles and minnows and even turtles sometimes.

Another cool thing about this location is this grotto:

And I believe these might be wagon wheel ruts:

We usually hike all the way to this little waterfall. You can usually stay dry along the sides if you don’t want to walk through the water.

One thing to keep in mind is the water safety and quality. There are signs posted saying the water isn’t safe for swimming. Many people still do, so use your own discretion. Check the water quality before you go here.

Inga VanNynatten Memorial Trail

Address

The Hike

This part of the greenbelt is our other favorite spot to hike. You don’t have to get wet if you don’t want to, so we typically do this one on colder days. The trailhead is right off Old Spicewood Springs Rd. We park at the tiny parking lot where there’s a public toilet, but there are a couple of other parking areas next to this one if you can’t find a spot. We love hiking all the way out to the waterfall and then turning around and coming back the same way we came.

We are out and back in a little over an hour, even with spending some time at the waterfall area for a while. It’s not a hard hike and our 5 year old can do it no problem, but he wont turn down a ride from his big bro on the way back, either.