The Best Trails To Go Hiking With Kids in Austin

One of the best parts of living in Austin is how many hiking trails are so close by. You don’t have to travel far to feel like you’re worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Here, we’ve broken down the best trails to go hiking with kids in Austin and the surrounding cities into categories like best hikes for toddlers and which hikes have water. We hope this will inspire you hit the trails with your kids!

Tips For Hiking With Kids

We love to hike and take the kids every weekend. It doesn’t have to be difficult, but there are definitely some things that help make it go smoothly.

Snakes are a part of Texas life. If you just keep to the trails, you should be ok. If you do see a snake on a trail, just back away quietly.

Make sure you show your kids pictures of poison ivy before you hike so everyone knows what it looks like. Remember the chant, “Leaves of three, let it be”. We love using the Seek app by iNaturalist on our phones to help us identify poison ivy on the trails. I also carry this poison ivy wash in our hiking bag just in case.

We get lots of fire ant, mosquito, and chigger bites while hiking. Even wasp and bee stings occasionally. It’s Texas and you can’t really avoid that. Come prepared with a good bug repellent and some sort of sting and bite remedy, like After Bite.

We love to let our kids have the freedom to run up ahead or linger behind on our hikes, but it’s always good to remind kids that if you can’t see your people, then they can’t see you.

Some other items we always have in our hiking bag are: water, sunscreen, snacks, a little towel (I like to use the Aden & Anais muslin baby blankets as towels since they are lightweight and super absorbent), wipes/hand sanitizer, a first aid kit (or at least some Band-Aids), a packable blanket like this one that gets so small, face sunscreen, bug spray, and a trash bag. We also always wear water hiking shoes like Keens, because the kids can’t resist getting in the water on hikes! If they do get fully wet, you can pack a change of clothes (but we just leave those in our car) inside a wet bag.

If it’s a hike with water, check the water quality before you go here. Wear your best water hiking shoes like Keens. The water levels will be dependent on recent rainfall and these places may not have any water if it hasn’t rain in a while. Stagnant water can be dangerous to swim in, make sure the water is running before swimming. Avoid swimming in creeks 48 hours after a heavy rain, as bacteria levels can increase due to runoff. Do not swallow creek water or get it in any open cuts or wounds.

Here’s the best hiking baby carrier if you still need to carry those toddlers.

Jogging Stroller-Friendly Hikes in Austin

• Brushy Creek Trail in Round Rock/Cedar Park is forever long and there are playgrounds/bathrooms along the way.
• Springwoods Park has two different size playgrounds, bathrooms, and a small trail underneath the trees that loops around.
• Berry Springs Park in Georgetown has a path that’s easy for bikes and strollers. Don’t forget to stop and greet the donkeys!
• Hamilton Greenbelt has some waterfalls and a path that’s doable for a jogging stroller. We saw deer here as well!
• Joe B Freeman Park in Round Rock has another trailhead for the Brushy Creek Trail, and a Bigfoot Sighting sign when you enter the trail!
• Ann & Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail is the best way to see the heart of Austin.
• Wells Branch- Mills Pond/ Katherine Fleischer Park Trails are so beautiful. The best part of Katherine Fleischer Park is the little green playhouse, but we love wandering along the hike & bike trails too.
• Mueller Lake Park has a long path around the lake that’s paved. Visit with the ducks, play at the playground, stop by the Thinkery or even the farmers market on a Sunday.
• Tanglewood Park Loop is a short and easy neighborhood hike with a cool playground nearby.
• Waterloo Park is the newest Austin park, complete with three miles of wheelchair and stroller-friendly trails. The unique playground is small, but definitely worth checking out.
• Dick Nichols Park has a stroller-friendly trail around the park.
• Old Settlers Park in Round Rock has over three miles of paved trails and two fantastic playgrounds: Virg Rabb and Joanne Land.
• McKinney Falls Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail is over 2 miles and has a hard surface, good for strollers and bikes.
• Bee Cave Central Park has a couple of hard surface trails for strollers and bikes.
• Pease Park to Lady Bird Lake trail is easy for strollers.
• Elizabeth Milburn Park in Cedar Park has a long trail that’s good for strollers. Be sure to bring the kids bikes so they can try out the BMX track while you’re there.
• Garey Park in Georgetown isn’t’ free, but it’s definitely worth checking out. There are so many trails, one of which leads down to the San Gabriel River. There are stroller-friendly hiking options here, as well as an excellent playground and splash pad.
• Lakewood Park in Leander has a great stroller-friendly path, as well as a kayaking lake, playground, splash pad, skatepark, and more. You could stay here all day!
• Twin Creek Historic Park in Cedar Park is paved and beautiful. The parking lot is tiny. Take the path to the right when you see the Trail sign. If you go left (down the hill) it leads to the gold course, not the hike. The hike is paved and leads to a historic house. Go right to stay along the paved trail.
• Trailhead Park + Canyon Creek Trail has a paved path for the first quarter mile or so.

Easy Hikes For Toddlers/Preschoolers (not stroller-friendly)

• Mayfield Park has peacocks you can visit and an easy loop trail. Basically the perfect toddler hike!
• Balcones District Park has a newly renovated playground and a trail that leads down to the water (if there’s been some rain recently).
• Great Hills Trail Has a trailhead at 10704 Floral Park Dr, Austin. We like to make it our goal to hike all the way to the playground, which is something our older boys can handle fine, but its harder for our little guy to make it all the way there. There could be some water at the beginning of the hike if it had recently rained. Just past the little bridge is a giant boulder that my boys love to climb.
• St. Edward’s Trail is a beautiful hike that usually has enough water here to splash and play in. There have been many car break-ins in the parking lot here, so be sure to take your valuables out of your car and mostly keep to the trail. Watch out for poison ivy and snakes along the trail.
• Walnut Creek Metro Park has a lovely newly renovated playground where we like to start before hiking. You can usually find water here, unless it hasn’t rained in quite a while. Off-leash dogs love to splash here as well. Mountain bikers will get annoyed with you if you don’t keep your kids out of their way!
• Garey Park in Georgetown isn’t’ free, but it’s definitely worth checking out. There are so many trails, one of which leads down to the San Gabriel River. There are stroller-friendly hiking options here, as well as an excellent playground and splash pad.
• Mary Moore Searight has an easy to access trail. My kids love to stay and play in the creek and catch tiny frogs.
• Lost Creek Trail on the Greenbelt is one of our favorite spots. They sometimes charge to hike here, so be prepared. The hike to the water is short, the water is fun for all ages to swim and splash and play in.
• Spicewood Valley Trail can be tricky to find (8043-8585 Scotland Well Dr, Austin). We start at Mountain View Park, head down the sidewalk through the park toward Callanish Park Drive. After you cross the street, the trailhead is between the houses. The trail itself is well shaded, and you will find the creek along the way. The trail is mostly flat, but getting down to it does require going down a steep and rocky stairway, making it not stroller-friendly.
• Mt Bonnell has stairs at the beginning that can be a small challenge for little legs, but the way down is much easier. Just keep watch of your kids as much of the trail is a drop-off and not fenced. This always makes me so nervous!
• Blunn Creek Nature Preserve is fairly easy and has a couple of creek crossings. We did have to carry our toddler part of the way for this one, but it’s not that challenging of a hike. Good trees to climb for the older kids!

Hikes With Playgrounds

• Great Hills Trail
• Balcones District Park
• Spicewood Valley Trail + Mountain View Park
• Walnut Creek Metro Park
• Freeman Park
• Berry Springs Park
• Garey Park
• Lost Creek
• River Place Nature Trail
• Trailhead Park + Canyon Creek Trail
• Southwest Metropolitan Park
• Northwest Metropolitan Park
• Cooperfield Nature Trail
• Lakewood Park
• Mary Moore Searight Park
• Pickett Trail + Chautauqua Park
• Old Settlers Park

Family-Friendly Hikes With Water

• Turkey Creek Trail is a popular off-leash dog area, so there will be loose dogs running around. It’s close to Emma Long Park if you’d like to stay for a beachy swim or picnic. We also love to visit Ski Shores Cafe (temporarily closed!) while in this area, one of Austin’s best restaurants with a playground. 
• St. Edward’s Trail is a beautiful hike that usually has enough water here to splash and play in. There have been many car break-ins in the parking lot here, so be sure to take your valuables out of your car and mostly keep to the trail. Watch out for poison ivy and snakes along the trail.
• Great Hills Trail Has a trailhead at 10704 Floral Park Dr, Austin. We like to make it our goal to hike all the way to the playground, which is something our older boys can handle fine, but its harder for our little guy to make it all the way there. There could be some water at the beginning of the hike if it had recently rained. Just past the little bridge is a giant boulder that my boys love to climb.
• River Place Nature Trail is everyone’s favorite trail. We usually enter at 8820 Big View Dr, Austin. Admission is $10 on weekends and holidays, but weekdays are free! We love this hike because of how challenging it is. The hike follows right along the riverbed, which will only be flowing after a big rain. It starts off easy and kid-friendly, but we always turn around when we hit the really intense stair sections, as that part can be quite a challenge.
• Bull Creek The three main trailheads are: Bull Creek District Park: 6701 Lakewood Dr, Austin. Lower Bull Creek Greenbelt: 5343 Old Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin. Upper Bull Creek Greenbelt: 6958 Old Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin. The first address is closest to the “water slide” area which is the most popular spot. The water quality is always questionable for swimming, but people still do it all the time.
• Milton Reimers Ranch Park costs $5 per adult, cash only. We’ve done the Climbers Canyon trail and brought our floats for the kids to play in the Pedernales River and beach area.
• Pedernales Falls has a terrific swimming area, where the kids can play in the water all day. You’ll want to make reservations for this park before you go ($6/adult). Check out the falls when you get there, but you can not swim at them. The swimming area is a bit of a hike down lots of stairs (definitely not stroller-friendly).
• Walnut Creek Metro Park has a lovely newly renovated playground where we like to start before hiking. You can usually find water here, unless it hasn’t rained in quite a while. Off-leash dogs love to splash here as well. Mountain bikers will get annoyed with you if you don’t keep your kids out of their way!
• Barton Creek Greenbelt There are so many different access points to the Greenbelt. We love Campbell’s Hole, Gus Fruh, Twin Falls, Sculpture Falls, Lost Creek, and The Flats. The Greenbelt is one of the most popular places to hike in Austin, so it will definitely be busy on a nice weather day or a weekend. Be sure to check greenbeltnow before you go to check out what’s happening with the water.
• McKinney Falls State Park has two great falls areas where you can swim or play in the water, as well as Onion Creek access that you can hike along. Reservations recommended ($6/adult). There is a path here that is stroller-friendly.
• Crockett Gardens and Falls. This is definitely too hard for little legs to make it the whole way, so you will end up carrying the younger ones (not stroller-friendly). Our big kids were even tired of hiking here, and they are used to hiking. But, it’s still so worth it (just take rests as needed and bring more snacks and water than you think you’ll need, especially on a hot day). There are spots to jump into the lake along the way, if the kids are hot and brave enough. We parked at 2100 Cedar Breaks Rd, Georgetown. Look for the San Gabriel River Trail sign. You do not have to pay for just hiking here, but camping has a fee. The rocky trail to the falls is about 2.5 miles long but you can cut out about a mile of the hike by jumping down a five-foot wall. It’s hard to explain exactly where you can find the wall, but we just asked fellow hikers we passed by and they told us how to find it. The falls are refreshing to stand under but are very slippery! We arrived at the parking lot early in the morning, and it was already full when we got there. When we got back to the car in the afternoon, the parking lot was mostly empty, so go later in the day if you’d like to avoid the crowds.
• Chalk Ridge Falls has a beautiful trail along the Lampasas River as well as an impressive waterfall/swimming hole.
• Tejas Camp at 4560 Co Rd 258 in Liberty Hill is probably the best-kept secret in town! It’s part hike-part campground-part watering hole along the North San Gabriel River. The camp sites are just up from the water. You can bring canoes or kayaks or just wades and swim and try to catch fish all day. The only downside is that there is zero shade down by the water.
• Dino Tracks in Leander The south fork of the San Gabriel River is home to some real dinosaur footprints in the riverbed! Parking lot is a small dirt lot in front of a fenced off area where the San Gabriel River crosses the 183, just north of Leander. For GPS, try 601 S. Gabriel Dr. Leander. Head towards the river and hike west down the riverbed for about a half-mile. The tracks have been filled in with white plaster, but just ask someone else that’s there is you can’t find them. The exact GPS coordinates are N 30°37.016′ W 097°52.098′.
• Brushy Creek Trail has water access that my kids love to play in. We start at 2310 Brushy Creek Rd, Cedar Park (Brushy Creek Sports Park). Park near the basketball courts and take the path toward the bridge. After you cross the bridge, a ways up the trail, you can find a little trail that cuts off to the right and leads right down to the water.
• Spicewood Valley Trail can be tricky to find (8043-8585 Scotland Well Dr, Austin). We start at Mountain View Park, head down the sidewalk through the park toward Callanish Park Drive. After you cross the street, the trailhead is between the houses. The trail itself is well shaded, and you will find the creek along the way. The trail is mostly flat, but getting down to it does require going down a steep and rocky stairway, making it not stroller-friendly.
• Secret Beach has a little trail that ends at a “beach”. We park at 800 Grove Blvd, Austin. Getting to the trail isn’t that hard, but also isn’t well marked. The trailhead is across from the parking lot. The trail splits left or right, next to the park sign. Keep right at the fork and stay to the right until you come to a hill heading down to the water. It can be dangerous for kids to swim here, but we have done it and others do too. There’s a shallow, zero-depth beach-like area that little kids, toddlers, and babies can wade in. The deeper parts are good for older kids and stronger swimmers. You can see through to the bottom of the clean and clear water. But when they open the dam, the river rapidly floods, making it unsafe for anyone to swim in. This usually occurs around noon, give or take an hour or so. It’s an off-leaash dog hike, so there will be loose dogs running around. Use your best judgement on swimming here, as there are warnings online that swimming or tubing in this part of the Colorado River are not permitted. The rushing water after the dam release is intense and scary and should be considered before swimming here. The banks will quickly become covered in rushing water, so watch your stuff if you put it too close to the water if you get there before the dam is released!
• Pickett Trail in Georgetown will lead you to Blue Hole, or you can start there. Either way, it’s a refreshing way to cool off from your hike!

Hikes with Waterfalls

• Bull Creek 
• St Edwards Trail
• Chalk Ridge Falls
• Barton Creek (Hill of Life, Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls)
• Brushy Creek Trail, Twin Lakes Trailhead
• River Place Nature Trail 
• Spicewood Valley Trail 
• McKinney Falls 
• Hamilton Greenbelt 
• Krause Springs 
• Crockett Gardens and Falls
• Hamilton Pool
• Gorman Falls
• Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

Hikes With Rope Swings

• Krause Springs
• Gus Fruh
• Blue Hole Wimberley
• St Edwards Trail
• Bull Creek

Hiking Day Trips

• Inks Lake Great for a hike all year long! We’ve been both in the hotter months for a hike and a swim at Devil’s Waterhole and a hike on the Pecan Flats Trail during the winter.
• Enchanted Rock is my boys’ favorite place to hike. It’s definitely too hard for my youngest to make it all the way to the top, so be prepared to carry your younger kids at least part of the way up.
• Pedernales Falls State Park
• Lost Maples is known for having the best fall foliage in Texas, but it books up early, especially in the fall. Make reservations early!
• Buescher State Park We’ve both camped and hiked here. It is lovely! There’s also a lake if you like kayaking.
• Blanco State Park has camping, hiking, and a great little swimming area for hotter days.
• Hamilton Pool isn’t allowing swimming these days, and you will need a reservation to get in. It’s still a beautiful hike with a stunning view.
• Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center has a very nice hike for families, who can reserve a private guided tour for 4-5 people for $60. It’s a short 15 minute hike to the grotto, you can spend 30 minutes there, and then another 15 minute hike back, for a full hour there. It’s perfect!
• Balcones Canyonlands has many different trails, and the Creek Trail at Doeskin Ranch was easy enough for our littlest guy to do all on his own.
• Panther Canyon Nature Trail at Landa Park in New Braunfels is an easy hike, out and back, a little over 3 miles total and would be fun after a rain. It’s also well shaded if you go on a hot day. Be sure to stop at the oldest bakery in Texas, Naegelin’s while you’re over that way!
• Chalk Ridge Falls
• Gorman Falls at Colorado Bend State Park
• Blue Hole Wimberley has beautiful hiking trails and a swimming hole with a rope swing.

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