Austin Is for Runners
Austin is a fit city. Every weekend, people are out hiking, mountain biking, or rock climbing on the Greenbelt, paddle boarding or kayaking on Town Lake, and running or walking their dog on the trail surrounding the lake.
When I left New York City two years ago, I was sad to leave behind the many routes where my sneakers hit the pavement over and over again: Astoria Park, the Queensboro Bridge, Roosevelt Island, the Triboro Bridge, Central Park, Randall’s Island, the Hudson River Parkway, the East River Esplanade.
Austin isn’t the easiest city for running year-round (I give up on long runs entirely during the summer), but when the heat takes it down a notch, the trails and routes here are certainly enough to temper my New York nostalgia.
I won’t be able to run for a while after throwing my back out in dance class yesterday (I guess this is growing up.) For now, I’ll live vicariously through describing some of my favorite running routes here. Future visitors, let me know which you’d like to join me on!
Mueller Trails
I’ll start with the obvious. The trails in my neighborhood offer up to 5- or 6-miles, if you toss some street running in. The most common route I run is a 3-mile loop, easily extended to 4. The packed dirt trails are easier on your knees and bring you past sculptures, man-made lakes, fields of wildflowers, orchards, cacti, and multiple water fountains that stay on all winter. Bring some cash and grab coffee and breakfast at one of the many food trucks after your run.
Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek trail runs from 38th Street to downtown, about 4 miles one way, with varied topography. You’ll hop rocks across Shoal Creek, duck your head to avoid bumping against a limestone cliff rising next to you, and smile at dogs frolicking in the creek. You can either stop by the world-renowned Austin Public Library at the end of your run, or continue onto Town Lake trail for 14+ miles.
Town / Lady Bird Lake Trail
Town Lake is also known as Lady Bird Lake, like the Triboro Bridge is also know as the RFK Bridge — it was officially renamed but plenty of folks still call it by its former name. Lady Bird Lake runs through downtown Austin, demarcating South Austin from Central Austin. It’s actually the Colorado River, dammed in a couple of places, creating the lake. Running Lady Bird Lake reminds me of running Central Park. It’s the city’s most popular running trail, and there are multiple loops that offer varying mileage. I prefer starting out at the far east end of Lady Bird Lake, just south of Longhorn Dam, because parking is plentiful. There’s a 3-mile option if you cross the lake at I-35, a 6–7 mile loop if you cross at the S. 1st bridge, or the full 10-mile loop around the entire lake. The 10-mile loop will take you along a boardwalk, over Barton Creek, past dog beach and the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue, along the edge of Zilker Park, past Alta Cafe if you need to stop for a coffee, and past the Emma S. Barrientos Center, which I wrote about the other day. There are many public restrooms and water fountains along the route. To tack on more miles, either use the bridges to add loops or extend your run through Roy G. Guerrero Park to the east.
Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt
Offering a nice hill and a beautiful view of downtown, this trail easily offers 8 miles+ if you park at the YMCA at 51st St and 183 and head north until the trail runs into the road, then loop back. Note: toward the northern end of the trail, there’s a creepy house that reminds me of the X-Files episode Home, so maybe bring a friend. The trail also extends south of the YMCA, so offers even more mileage, but I haven’t explored that part of the trail too much yet. You also pass a wastewater treatment plant south of the Y and you can definitely smell it.
Fellow Austinites, what are your favorite running routes in the city?
