Austin Trails
*Please do not ride Austin's dirt trails when muddy!*
We have high clay content, which clumps quickly damaging both bicycles and trails.
Violet Crown Trail
The VCT is on its way to becoming the longest trail of its kind in Central Texas. Once complete, the 30-mile trail will provide a unique recreational experience as it passes through the urban wildlands of the Barton Creek Wilderness Park, the City of Sunset Valley, and eventually into Hays County. Experienced mountain bikers can ride the technical trails from Barton Creek to Ben White, and beginners can enjoy the ride from William Cannon to the Veloway.
Veloway
The Veloway at Circle C Ranch Metropolitan Park was constructed in the early 90’s and was the first facility of its kind in the United States. The Veloway is a 23’ wide, 3.1 miles (5K) long paved bicycle tract that traverses the natural terrain. Riders of all experience levels can enjoy year round, smooth riding, safely away from cars, winding through the hills and trees - just watch out for Roadrunners.
Maxwell Slaughter Creek Trail
An intermediate 5-mile singletrack loop through the woods, fields, and limestone climbs of southwest Austin. Wildflower season is awesome here. No dogs allowed, for bike & horse safety. Bikes yield to hikers & horses. The entrance is easy to miss, so look for the gate when traveling south on 1826. It's just past the Slaughter Creek crossing.
Town Lake Trail
This easy 10 mile loop with beautiful views around Lady Bird Lake in Downtown Austin is officially called the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake. It is primarily a mix of crushed granite & concrete, and it is a mixed use trail, so roll along at respectful speeds and use your bell.
Sunset Valley Trails
The Sunset Valley Nature Area is a small trail system that connects with the South Hills Conservation Area. The trails are mostly wide and flat, with some singletrack, which make for mostly easy mountain biking. The creek crossings are fun and scenic. Some areas are restricted for hikers only.
In 2023, a new family friendly trail opened that starts on Home Depot Blvd and goes under MoPac. It is technically part of the Violet Crown Trail, but we're still waiting for improved wayfinding signage, and safer infrastructure at major intersections on both ends.
Southern Walnut Creek Trail
Encompassing more than 7.3 miles of multi-use trails, this paved path rolls by trees, flatland, soft hills and of course alongside the picturesque Southern Walnut Creek itself. The trail consists of 10-foot wide concrete paths designed to accommodate a variety of users. This beautiful nature-filled trail includes 5 bridges, culverts, signs and benches offering awesome views at every turn.
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
Walnut Creek is an expansive 293 acre park situated just north of downtown Austin, featuring 15 miles of unpaved wandering trails great for mountain biking. The trails are not as technical as the the Violet Crown Trail section of the Barton Creek Greenbelt, so it's more suitable for riders of all skill levels, with enough challenges to keep it fun for everyone.
Austin Ridge Riders host regular group rides at Walnut Creek, which is a fun way to learn the trails.
Circle C
With trail heads near the Slaughter Lane Alamo Drafthouse parking lot, these trails wind around and criss cross Slaughter Creek. You can choose routes that are more or less technical depending on your ability and comfort level. It's a mixed use trail system with lots of blind curves, so ring your bell often and be alert for kids and dogs.
Mary Moore Searight Park
Miles of single track trails ranging from easy to technical, and a roughly paved path, wind through shady trees all the way down to and along Slaughter Creek. All trails are mixed use, so use your bell. Although dogs are only supposed to go off-leash in designated areas, we frequently see them off-leash along the tails, so ride at safe speeds and be on the lookout. Austin Ridge Riders recently earned a grant to build some sweet switchback berms and jumps along the trails, so consider joining the Ridge Riders for opportunities to volunteer on the trails. This park also offers disc golf, field sports, and a dedicated drone zone, which is cool if you're into that too.
South Austin Trail Network
SATN is a vast informal network of mountain bike trails joined by the greenbelts that weave between the parks and neighborhoods of Southwest Austin. We highly recommend using a combination of digital tools like Trailforks and the Austin interactive online bike map to learn your way around since most connections are unmarked and you will have to cross some neighborhood streets to find the next stretch of trails. Services like Trailforks, Strava, Garmin, etc, often show trails that are not necessarily sanctioned, so exercise healthy respect and caution anytime you're navigating a new area. Many neighborhoods consider these trails part of their own back yards, so use your bell on blind curves, watch out for kids playing, dogs walking on or off leash, and always yield to horses and pedestrians.
*Please DO NOT ride when muddy because our trails have a high clay content, which clumps quickly damaging both bicycles and trails.*
Big Loop Trail is in the works!
Thanks to KXAN for this great reporting on the city of Austin's plans to link 20 miles of existing trails to form a big 30 mile loop around town. Follow the link below to check out the city's map showing the existing trails and the plans to connect the trails.
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