There are so many beautiful parks and natural areas to explore in Austin and throughout Texas, especially as you head west into the Hill Country. I enjoy sharing my nature hikes here at Digging. I hope they’ll inspire you to lace up your boots or put on your swimsuit and get outside too!
BALMORHEA STATE PARK POOL
Located 400 miles west of Austin
BARTON SPRINGS POOL
Located in Austin’s Zilker Park
BAT WATCHING at CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE
Located in downtown Austin
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
Located 436 miles west of Austin
- Big sky, scorched earth at Big Bend National Park (Day 1), March 2012
- Canyons, river, and sky: Big Bend country (Days 2-3), March 2012
- Nightlife in Terlingua, Texas: Ghost town and the Starlight Theater, March 2012
BLUE HOLE REGIONAL PARK
Located 38 miles southwest of Austin in Wimberley, Texas
BRACKEN CAVE PRESERVE
Located 66 miles southwest of Austin near San Antonio
BULL CREEK GREENBELT
Located in Austin
- Rock scrambling at Bull Creek on New Year’s Day, January 2017
- Bull Creek beauty worth fighting for, November 2016
- Water and stone flow along Austin’s Bull Creek, February 2016
- Fall foliage and waterfall along Bull Creek, November 2014
DAVIS MOUNTAINS and McDONALD OBSERVATORY
Located 430 miles west of Austin, near Fort Davis
ENCHANTED ROCK
Located 95 miles northwest of Austin
HAMILTON POOL
Located 30 miles southwest of Austin
- Autumn hike at Hamilton Pool grotto, November 2019
- Hamilton Pool swimming hole, a Hill Country blue lagoon, March 2019
- Visit to Hamilton Pool, May 2009
INNER SPACE CAVERN
Located 26 miles north of Austin in Georgetown
JACOB’S WELL NATURAL AREA
Located 36 miles southwest of Austin, near Wimberley
KINDER LAND BRIDGE, MEMORIAL PARK
Located in Houston
KLYDE WARREN PARK
Located in Dallas
KRAUSE SPRINGS
Located 36 miles northwest of Austin in Spicewood
LADY BIRD LAKE HIKE-AND-BIKE TRAIL
Located in Austin
- Golden hour at Lady Bird Lake and downtown Austin, December 2023
- Paperwhites and palmettos at Lady Bird Lake, January 2019
- Autumn stroll around Lady Bird Lake, November 2016
- Belting It Out along the boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake, February 2016
- Leaf peeping and Living a Great Story at Lady Bird Lake, November 2014
- Rich autumn color at Lady Bird Lake, November 2010
- Slacklining at Lady Bird Lake in Austin, November 2010
- Town Lake love affair, November 2006
LAGUNA GLORIA
Located in Austin
LAURA W. BUSH NATIVE TEXAS PARK
Located in Dallas at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the SMU Campus
- Prairie wildflower oasis at Native Texas Park in Dallas, May 2024
- Native Texas Park: Rediscovering a lost prairie at George W. Bush Presidential Library, October 2020
LOST MAPLES STATE NATURAL AREA
Located 145 miles southwest of Austin, near Vanderpool
MAYFIELD PARK
Located in Austin
McGOVERN CENTENNIAL GARDENS
Located in Houston’s Hermann Park
McKINNEY FALLS STATE PARK
Located in Austin
MOUNT BONNELL
Located in Austin
MUELLER PARKS
Located in Austin’s Mueller neighborhood
- Octopus joins fantastical creatures at Mueller parks, January 2021
- Supersized sculpture at Mueller’s Southwest Greenway trail, January 2020
- Wild for wildflowers at Mueller’s Southwest Greenway, June 2019
- Palo verde path at new Mueller neighborhood park, May 2019
- Exploring Mueller’s Southwest Greenway, public art, and Texas Farmers’ Market, March 2017
- Edibles, green roof, and playground at Mueller Community Gardens & Gaines Park, November 2016
- Whimsical sculpture, native plants at Mueller’s Southwest Greenway, September 2009
PALO DURO CANYON STATE PARK
Located 475 miles northwest of Austin, near Amarillo
PEASE PARK’s KINGSBURY COMMONS
Located in Austin
- Blue trees in Austin’s Pease Park spotlight tree loss around the world, April 2022
- Pease Park after dark, September 2021
- Playing at revamped Kingsbury Commons in Pease Park, July 2021
PEDERNALES FALLS STATE PARK
Located 42 miles west of Austin
- White rock, green river at Pedernales Falls, February 2020
- Winter hike at Pedernales Falls, January 2019
- Falls & fall color at Pedernales Falls State Park, November 2009
PENNYBACKER BRIDGE OVERLOOK
Located in Austin
RED BUD ISLE
Located in Austin
SELAH, BAMBERGER RANCH
Located 49 miles west of Austin, near Johnson City
ST. EDWARD’S PARK
Located in Austin
WATERLOO PARK
Located in Austin
WESTCAVE PRESERVE
Located 31 miles west of Austin
