Meandering amidst verdant trees, picturesque bridges, and other diverse landscapes along the Colorado River’s periphery, the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail (previously known as the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail) extends from Tom Miller Dam in the West to the Longhorn Dam in the East. The trail, a delightful 10.1-mile stretch, ranks amongst Austin’s most cherished. It caters to a variety of outdoor pursuits such as walking, jogging, biking, and even kayaking on the river itself.
The trail, primarily composed of crushed granite, encourages peaceful interaction among athletes of varying skill levels. Merely 2.5% of the trail boasts an incline greater than 8%, making it flat enough for novices but still providing ample challenge for regular runners. Numerous access points and bridges, including the renowned Congress Avenue Bridge — domicile of the Congress Bridge Bats — pepper the trail. This arrangement allows convenient modification of your route’s length and easy exploration of the Town Lake’s other side or a fresh starting point. However, it’s important to note that some segments of the trail are interrupted, linking through city sidewalks on Town Lake’s South shore on either side of IH 35.
The trail is also dotted with several mile markers, with the 0-mile marker nestled between the South 1st Bridge and the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue. Alongside these markers, a plethora of Austin’s attractions are scattered around and near the Town Lake trail. These include Zilker Park, Capital Cruises Kayaks Rentals and Bat Watching Tours, Austin Rowing Dock, Barton Springs, Auditorium Shores, Austin High School (with tennis courts), Deep Eddy pool, Eilers Park, Downtown YMCA, Fiesta Gardens, and Festival Beach. The trail serves as a connecting thread to numerous other hike and bike trails located both North and South of Town Lake.
Despite being in close proximity to Austin’s bustling downtown, it’s a wonderful surprise to find such an idyllic outdoor sanctuary in the heart of this vibrant metropolis. Thanks to Austin’s mild weather and abundant sunshine, this natural beauty can be savored nearly all year round.
Exciting Activities to Explore at Lady Bird Lake
Capital Cruises Bat Observation Excursions Capital Cruises Austin, renowned for being the location of the country’s most sizable electric paddle wheel boat, is also acclaimed for its remarkable Sunset Bat Observation journey. The popularity of this tour ensures it’s fully booked most nights during the bat season, sometimes even a few days prior. The prices for this exhilarating experience are set at $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for children. It’s advisable to arrive approximately half an hour before sunset and due to its high demand, it is often necessary to purchase tickets beforehand.
Live Love Paddle Congress Bridge Bat Observation Excursions Engage in an immersive kayak journey to observe and learn about one of the most substantial urban bat colonies globally, right here in Austin, Texas! The adventure begins at our office located in the AMLI South Shore apartments on Lady Bird Lake, from where we kayak up the lake to witness the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Live Love Paddle takes pride in being the only enterprise in Austin offering this unique experience in kayaks. The charge for this unforgettable adventure is $45 per person.
Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail
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