Slaughter Creek Trail

Good place for a trail run. Five mile loop is easy to follow, and shared with mountain bikers and horses (with their riders). It’s an easy two mile run from my house, so convenience is another plus.

I used this trail to do some hiking in preparation for my Appalachian Trail backpacking trip last year. It has periodic ups and downs with rocky terrain. I was hiking it in the Austin Summer so it was very hot and there were several areas that have no tree cover. There is no water so be sure to bring your own. I was easily able to hike the entire loop in about 40 minutes. I know that people use this loop for mountain biking but I have actually never seen any others on the trail when I’ve been out. I can only speak to the hiking aspects of the trail as I’ve never biked on it but will update the review in the next few weeks after I have. It was great being able to go only a few miles from home and feel like I was out in a secluded nature park with not another soul in site.

This is absolute loveliness. Do not take your dog, this is a critical water recharge area and they are protecting it from feces. Hikers and horse riders only. And you must scoop up after your horse!

Beautiful 5 mile loop so close to home. My first time but it wont be my last to experience everchanging nature at it’s best. Next time I’ll be bringing my bike, I’m a beginner so this trail is a perfect.

This is a great trail for mountain biking, I have a basic bike and after changing to some more appropriate tires it has become extremely enjoyable. I see runners /​horse riders nearly everyday, along with lots of deer. The «all trails» app tries to take you to a completely different location, the address is correct 9901 ½ fm 1826 ATX 78 737

Great 5 mile loop for beginner bikers or intermediates who wanna go fast! Mostly smooth, some rocky sections, decent elevation gain but very gentle grades. It’s all well maintained and signed.
It’s a pleasant easy hike/​walk as well. Be warned that at least half the trail is through exposed grassland, so you get nice views but it is really toasty under the summer sun.
The main letdown is the entrance location; you can’t get in from the nearby neighborhoods or Circle C Park, which all directly abut the preserve, so you pretty much have to drive there unless you like walking/​biking on shoulderless 1826. Lame! Apparently they want to limit the number of people in the park at one time? At least now there’s a pretty well worn path along 1826 to Slaughter Lane, so it’s easy to bike down from there.

Can’t believe I never new this place was there, I’ve driven past it daily for 4 years. I ran the trail, great place. I only came across 1 other person on the trail.

This gem of a trail doubles as a water quality and nature preserve. What’s great about it is it’s hard to find (no big signs off 1826) and it’s very basic. A historic old house, a few sheds and then miles of old ranch land. That’s it — and that’s all you really need.
I’ve been there four times and perhaps seen 5 other people total, all of them mountain bikers. The seclusion is amazing — considering it’s really surrounded by the Circle C development. There are only a few spots where you can seen houses. One area you might hear soccer games at a nearby park and another you’ll hear noise from 1826. For the most part — it’s rustic, hilly, rocky, wooded and just plain beautiful.
It is a little difficult for a novice to navigate the trail map (make sure you have one) and don’t get caught out there late in the day because the automatic gate closes at dusk and could lock you and your car in until morning!
The best time to go is in wildflower season. LOTS of natural wild flowers you won’t normally see on the roadside. I also like that it was a former ranch so some of the old buildings and fencing still stand. The old stock tank (connected to Slaughter Creek) is still there. What’s cool is the whole place is gradually being re-​taken by nature, so the old prairie grass, birds, frogs, foxes etc are returning.
It’s also one of the few spots SW that hasn’t been completely taken over by cedar trees. Some have actually been removed in efforts to restore the land to what it was like 150 yrs ago. You’ll see several variety of mature oak and cedar elm — which looks very cool in the fall when the leaves turn.
No dogs. Strollers aren’t really functional because the trail is basic. Horses are allowed so watch out for a pile every now and then. When it rains the trail closes — so check their Facebook page.

If you’re a novice mountain biker, this is a great place to come out and learn how to ride. There are only a couple of technical (mainly rocky) sections to be wary of, and there is very little altitude change… so, no real climbs to speak of.
The 5-​mile singletrack trail runs through some beautiful grassland, occasionally passing through the welcome shade of a small grove of trees. That said, this could be a brutal place in the heat of summer, with the sun directly overhead.
As Tara M mentioned, it is pretty difficult to find. I too passed it twice before I eventually saw the entrance.
Definitely a great little place to get out and do some low-​key mountain biking. Plus, after you’ve been riding for a bit and you’ve worked up a good apetite, the Salt Lick (BBQ) is just 10 minutes down the road.

If you happen to live near the Y in Oak Hill and like hiking, biking or horseback riding this is a great 5 mile trail loop.
Dogs are not allowed so I probably will not be back but I am still a fan because of the historical significance of the 100 acre property that is owned and maintained by the City of Austin Water Utility.
The property is really hard to find and I passed it twice before I saw the Trail Closed sign on the open gate with no signs other than the small sign past the entrance that I posted a pic of. It is located 1 mile from 290 on the left just after you pass the miniature donkey farm. It is a one lane private road like all the other farms in the area so drive slow and look for it on the left.
What I found most interesting about this trail was the historical significance. A widow of 3 children bought the property in 1858 and in 1860 she married a man who built the limestone Trautwein Homestead around her one room home next to the hand-​dug water well a small shed in the back of the now abandoned home. I read all this on the posted Trailhead (pics posted) and unfortunately Google did not bring up anymore info on the family.
The trail is open dusk till dawn and the gate opens and closes automatically — lots of warning signs posted so you do not get locked in!