Austin Texas hiking

[audrey]

We'll be in Austin in late summer for a wedding and of course will go out a few days early so as not to "waste" such a long trip.

I've ordered a hiking guide but would like to hear if anyone has done or knows of good spots in the vicinity. No, Big Bend is 500 miles away, darn it.

 

[DougPaul]

Natural Bridge Caverns is close by and quite nice. http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com

Doug

 

[Michelle]

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/enchanted-rock

I had a nice visit to Enchanted Rock this past Sept (we were there when the park opened at 8am and it was already dreadfully HOT).
Lots of trails, we attempted some caves (headlamp required) but turned back at the sight of THOUSANDS of spiders
Maybe I'm not painting a very nice picture here................it is a fun little area to explore, I swear!! Great place to spend the morning and then
go shopping in nearby Fredricksberg!!! Have fun!

 

[DougPaul]

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/enchanted-rock

I had a nice visit to Enchanted Rock this past Sept (we were there when the park opened at 8am and it was already dreadfully HOT).
Lots of trails, we attempted some caves (headlamp required) but turned back at the sight of THOUSANDS of spiders
Maybe I'm not painting a very nice picture here................it is a fun little area to explore, I swear!! Great place to spend the morning and then
go shopping in nearby Fredricksberg!!! Have fun!

I second the suggestion.

Thanks...
I had visited there too and was trying to find the name so I could suggest it too.

Even if you don't go underground, it is a nice spot. We climbed to the top of the rock but didn't go into the caves beyond natural light.

Doug

 

[audrey]

Thanks, Doug and Michelle. I also found a few more very photogenic spots such as Hamilton Pool, as well as a nature preserve you can visit by appointment only. It's fun to research a place you've never been. I'll probably pass on the spider caves!

 

[Stan]

After spending a couple weeks in Guadalupe and Big Bend NPs, didn't expect much i the way of hiking in that part of Texas. We stopped in San Antonio and did the River Walk ... in Naconas, not hiking boots. Never made it to Austin where we had planned to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center but never got that far. Stopped to visit Gruene Hall, oldest dance hall in Texas operating since the 1870's, about 50 miles from Austin and stayed there instead, catching one of our favorite bands. A couple of nice restuarants nearby on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Made a day trip to Lyndon Johnson Ranch and that was an enjoyable peace of history in Texas hill country.

 

[audrey]

Thank you, Stan. The Wildflower Center will be a must for me.

 

[Adventurous]

I second the suggestion.

Thanks...
I had visited there too and was trying to find the name so I could suggest it too.

Even if you don't go underground, it is a nice spot. We climbed to the top of the rock but didn't go into the caves beyond natural light.

Doug

I third that suggestion. I did a one night backpack at e-rock many years ago. I haven't seen anything like it before. We did one cave, the entrance was marked and I was fortunate enough to not run into spiders. It was a tight squeeze in a couple of spots but you're not in there that long. We spent most of our time exploring the rock.

Hamilton Pool is a beautiful spot but it was more of a walk than a hike - an hour will suffice.

If you're looking for something different - I did a canopy tour near Austin at this place http://www.cypressvalleycanopytours.com/.