9 Outdoor Activities in Austin Your Family Will Love

Known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin, Texas, offers many activities for residents and visitors to enjoy. In addition to its vibrant music scene, Austin is home to several parks and lakes popular for hiking, biking, and swimming.

As one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States, the downtown Austin real estate market experienced massive growth in home prices in 2021. Although the area might not be considered the “hottest” housing market in 2022 from a seller’s standpoint, those looking for downtown Austin homes for sale will be interested in Austin’s potential for long-term investment opportunities and its reputation as a great place to live and work.

If you’re in the market for a new home and looking to make a move on downtown Austin real estate opportunities, you’ll be amazed by the number of recreational activities available in your own backyard. Here's a list of nine outdoor activities in Austin your family will love!

Whether exploring designated lake trails or drawing up your course, you’ll love kayaking or paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake. Proximity and accessibility to many downtown Austin homes for sale make the reservoir one of the top spots in Austin for outdoor activities. Motorized boat traffic on Lady Bird Lake is prohibited, giving paddlers total access to the lake. Recreational paddlers, fitness enthusiasts, and even rowing teams use Lady Bird Lake as a place to enjoy the outdoors.

Located in the heart of downtown Austin, Moody Amphitheater has become the place to experience outdoor events in the city, including concerts, movies in the park, dance performances, and other types of outdoor entertainment. As part of a robust downtown Austin real estate revitalization effort, Waterloo Park features more than 1.5 miles of hike-and-bike trails, stunning Hill Country Gardens, food trucks from local vendors, welcoming gathering spaces, and the 5,000-capacity Moody Amphitheater. Since its opening in August 2021, Moody Amphitheater has hosted thousands of music fans in its first concert season and expects another big year in 2022.

Just 13 miles south of the state capitol, visitors can enjoy various outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, mountain or road biking, hunting for hidden treasure, and more at McKinney Falls State Park. With nearly nine miles of trails, hikers can enjoy an afternoon of hiking or biking with the family on the park’s paved and unpaved trails. McKinney Falls State Park offers over 80 campsites with electric and water hookups and six cabins for visitors who want to stay a bit longer. Visitors can also fish and swim in Onion Creek.

Barton Creek Greenbelt offers over seven miles of natural surface hiking and biking trails along the Barton Creek watershed in Austin. With eight access points throughout Austin, mountain and road bikers can enjoy the beautiful surroundings and habitats home to several endangered wildlife and plant species.

Located in downtown Austin, Auditorium Shores boasts excellent views of Lady Bird Lake and the downtown skyline. If you own a dog and are interested in downtown Austin homes for sale, you’ll love the Auditorium Shores Dog Park. While renovations to the park have decreased the dog park’s size, dogs can still roam off-leash, enjoy a game of frisbee or catch, or take a quick swim in Lady Bird Lake. Dog owners don’t have to worry much about their canine friends roaming too far, as the park is partially fenced-in.

Zilker Park is a 351-acre metropolitan park with access to various recreation opportunities, facilities, and special events for both individuals and families. Zilker Park is a prime place featuring excellent views of the Austin skyline, a natural spring-fed swimming pool, a sculpture garden, paddle boarding, kayaking opportunities, and dinosaurs at the prehistoric gardens section of downtown Austin real estate for picnickers.

Climbing enthusiasts can be found rock climbing and bouldering within the slender crevices and exposed rock walls at Reimers Ranch. Although experienced climbers consider Reimers Ranch one of the best places to climb in the area, Reimer’s Ranch boasts a wide range of difficulties, perfect for every level of climber.

Fed by three natural, underground springs, Zilker Park’s Barton Springs Pool is an enormous, three-acre swimming pool with average temperatures at around 68-70 degrees year-round.

Considered to be one of the crown jewels of Austin, Barton Springs Pool attracts nearly 800,000 visitors annually. The natural springs that feed into the pool have been essential to the park for a long time. Andrew Zilker purchased the land in 1901 and ultimately donated the land to the city for use as a city park. The pool is open daily, and admission costs between $2 to $5 for residents and $4 to $9 for non-residents.

As one of the highest points in Austin at 781 feet, Mount Bonnell is a great place to get your outdoor adventures started and witness some of the city's incredible views. Rising on the eastern bank of Lake Austin, Mount Bonnell provides one of the best vantage points to see panoramic views of the city.

If you’re looking to purchase a home in Austin, Texas, or looking to experience the variety of outdoor activities the city has to offer, you’ll have plenty of opportunities. When you’re ready to get serious about buying a home or making an investment, reach out to Austin real estate agents at Thomajan + Ladner Group for more information about downtown Austin homes for sale.