Town Lake Running Trail – The Rock

Beautiful trail! Really lovely hike, very easy to walk at a leisurely pace, and a nice reprieve from the horrible construction around downtown Austin!

If you’re ever on the four mile loop, you’ve probably seen me. These days, I’m averaging about five days a week, and on the two days I don’t go, I wish I had.
Weather doesn’t matter, in fact when its a bit crappy out its a lot less crowded and more enjoyable. It’s amazing what a little cold snap or light drizzle can do to thin out the crowds.
I see the same people all the time, and have my own little nicknames for them. I’m sure they may have a nickname for me, too, so it’s all good.
Town Lake trail has changed over the years, hell it’s not even called Town Lake anymore really, but it’s always been a big part of the city’s character and it still is. I love the new sections they put in on the east side, and even the new Auditorium Shores work has come out pretty nicely.
I’m somewhat amazed at how well-​maintained the trail is, despite its heavy traffic. Even after hellacious storms, I can get my miles in the next morning. I may have to step around some puddles or new washes created by the rains, but the trail is still safe and open for business.
This year a big storm created a big tangle of tree and bushes right across the trail. I and others had to climb over this 5 foot high bramble, and continue our runs. By the next morning, the area was back to normal. Nice work City of Austin.
Anyway, I’m rambling at this point. If you’re visiting Austin, go take a leisurely walk lakeside. You won’t regret it.

As I contemplated what I should do for my 300^th review, I figured it was high time I reviewed my favorite place in Austin.
Now, I could mention all of the people who use the trail that I really wish would stay home (I’m looking at you, group of mommy joggers who take up the entire trail or you, large group of people slowly walking — why do you all have to walk four people across? You take up the whole trail!) but, hey, at least they’re exercising, right? And with obesity rates what they are in this country, I don’t think I should really complain about people exercising… even if they are very annoying and have no sense of trail etiquette. I could also mention that I really wish they had lights so that those of us who work odd schedules could run at night, but I guess I understand why the city won’t do that.
Instead, I will tell you that I’ve been running on this trail ever since I moved to Austin. For seven years, my feet have hit that trail and grinded out miles in the rain, sun, wet, dry, hot, and cold. You name it, I’ve run in it, and it never gets old. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve gone around that 4 mile loop and I never get bored. The scenery is beautiful, there are so many people to watch, so many dogs to pet, so many things to see. I could run this trail every day of my life and I honestly believe that I will never tire of it.
This trail has always been there for me. Whereas people were unreliable and untrustworthy, the trail was always there. Rain or shine, morning or evening, I could always trust that the comfort of my feet hitting the trail was an option. Finding my pace, focusing on breathing, listening to my laces rhythmically hit my shoes with each foot fall — I could find solace in those small things, even if it felt like my whole world was falling apart.
It’s no secret that I am not the picture of mental stability, and doing things that were productive instead of self-​destructive is a lot tougher than you might think. The hardest thing about fighting severe depression is not the lack of happiness, but losing my vitality. Trying to find motivation when my brain is whispering «why bother?» feels like a losing battle every day, and I do frequently lose. I tell myself all the time that I’ll go running tomorrow and when tomorrow comes, it becomes, «Well, maybe tomorrow.» It can be a little disheartening.
When I do get out here, though, I feel the most alive I’ve felt in years. Breathing hard, blood rushing to my face, my hands sweaty — and I feel grounded. Safe. Any day that I finish a run on the trail is a good day. Some of my best successes have been on this trail. Running my first full mile and turning that into running my first four miles. Maintaining a good pace. Running an 8 minute mile without trying. Finishing 10 miles, even if I didn’t run all of it. Training, albeit very poorly, for a marathon.
Running is not something I would consider myself good at, but it is a gentle reminder that I can do things that are difficult and challenging in my darkest moments. You completed a marathon without training, so you can get through this.
I will live with mental illness for the rest of my life and that scares the shit out of me, but as long as I am in Austin, you can find me at this trail, working through the depths of despair with the comfort that only this place can bring.

It’s a great trail to run. It’s got to be the most run trail in Texas, almost too many people on the weekend, but scenic as ever. You trot by Zilker Park, Barton Creek, City Hall, Auditorium Shores, and all the time Town Lake is there. And I’m there too-​3x week.

Beautiful place for a run, jog, walk, bike etc. It is very peaceful when there is not much of a crowd around.

This is a great place to take a run, walk, bike ride, SUP, canoe, kayak, or walk your dog. It’s clean, shaded, and you can take various routes for a 3 mile to 10 mile path depending on your preference.
We came here on a hot and humid Austin afternoon with our dogs but due to all of the shade from beautiful trees it was a pleasant and enjoyable 3 mile walk.
Along your path you’ll encounter other walkers, runners, bikers, etc making it feel safe and even providing a but of a competitive feel. :)
The view is great as the path twists and turns while following the water way bank. At several spots you can even take a dip to cool down. Also, you’ll find yourself going over several bridges that offer great downtown or hill views.
This is a great place for locals, tourists, young and old, 2 or 4 legged to come get some fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors without getting too far from the city.

I love this trail and the improvements they have added over the past few years is great. The scenery is beautiful and generally everyone is nice on the running trail. You do have cyclist, casual walkers, hardcore runners and those that jog/​walk with their dogs/​kids. You learn very quickly the «rules of the road» when at Town Lake. They have added parking now near the fitness bars/​dog park area which makes it super easy to just park and start going. My husband and I found parking on Sunday at 11am no problem.
The boardwalk is so pretty and it’s longer then I expected… It was great to see turtles and other water creatures as you jog by. It wasn’t too packed either and again everyone was respectful (of personal space) while working out. I plan to do this place twice a month at the minimum. Oh yeah, there is signs for a food truck area off of the trail (past the boardwalk) that leads you to riverside. So while running if you need a cool down or break you can gets shaved ice or something to eat. The whole trail I think is about 10+ miles and they are constantly adding improvements.

I’m old. Everyone knows this.
And I get the irony of me doing this review, as what I do at Town Lake would never be considered «running». So just indulge (or ignore) me while I describe why I don’t like Town Lake. It’s not the cluster-​**** of traffic and parking issues you need to navigate just to get there (ok, well, that is pretty annoying). And, sure, I wish it were less popular, so I could get into a meditative state, instead of continually worrying about dodging the next runner/​dog/​kid/​cyclist/​swarm of gnats. But if you want to do a solid four, or six, or eight mile trek, without doing the same lap at your local middle school track a boring bazillion times…
But nonetheless, here are things that annoy me while at Town Lake:
* Tai-​Chi guy. Sure, you’re entertaining for the three or four seconds I need to dodge you. But please just go to one of the more open areas, like on the Austin High side of the Mopac bridge, and not the path itself!
* Dog on waaaay too long a leash for the area
* Unbelievably fit double-​stroller-​pushing mom breezing by me uphill as if she herself was on wheels
* Shirtless guy who should always wear a shirt (I think that’s all the shirtless guys)
* Poop-​leaver, who (apparently) always seems to have the largest dog ever, or perhaps a small cow
* Cyclist trying to set a speed record, who then gets annoyed when he has to slow for congestion
* People walking four abreast without concern
* Shirtless guy, who at first appeared to be wearing a sweater
* Jacket-​around-​waist lady. ‘Nuff said.
* Out of order water fountain
* Young child on a bike way too far in front of his parents
* Couple you knew would smell nauseatingly like patchouli before you even get near them
* Condos now blocking the view of our beautiful State Capitol dome, when I’d rather be seeing mountains
* Austin’s «signature» building, that looks like nose-​hair trimmers
* Ironically not self-​aware selfie takers
* People in no control of their children (take them to the Zilker Playscape)
* Person completing their second lap without so much as breaking a sweat
I know I have many more because, honestly, I’m really just a sad and cranky old man. But I’ll save those for another time…
BUT…
Saturday, when it was clear and 70 in January, an agile young lass ten feet off the ground on a tall unicycle went by, in complete control as if she were sitting on a bench, and at a respectful speed. And I thought two things:
1) Add that to the list of things I’ll never be able to do successfully attempt because it would probably result in a seriously debilitating injury (like that fake indoor skydiving stuff, or anything involving the phrase «cross-​fit»), and
2) (said in the voice of King Leonidas) This. Is. AUSTIN.
Town Lake is Austin. And therefore it’s great. Suck it, everywhere else.
4.51 stars, so I can round to 5, but still keep it lower than some parks I think are better. ;)
NOTE: Unilocal asked me if this place was «Good for Kids». I said «No».

I ran this trail every morning with my dog. Ample, seeing many of my neighbors and really granting me the best peace of mind before going to work each day. It really helped me establish a good sense of balance between work and personal mental wellness with all the stress that a day can bring.

Where else can one find a trail with such great Austin scenic views, water fountains along the way for weary (aka: me) and smooth running path. I frequent this trail often and love ever minute of it. Being a loan «running» girl (I use the term loosely, it’s more of a walk/​jog) it’s nice to find a place that no matter the day of the week I find there’s enough people that frequent the trail therefore I feel safe. If you’re a late night/​late evening runner however I do not suggest this path. I once got caught on the trail after the sunset and it was freaky and felt a bit vulnerable, however I guess that goes with any trail after dark. Hey Austin, speaking of which, if ever there was a great running trail to do a Haunted Halloween scare, this would be it. Just a suggestion. Happy Running/​Walking all!

It does not get much better. Every day I am here biking, walking and running.

Always a pleasant place to exercise and take in some good views! Except on a rainy day, it is always a good time to walk around the trail. Now with the new boardwalk expansion it is even more pleasant to walk around and enjoy some time with nature. This trail is great for everything from a couples date, to taking the kids around. Just be careful with the speedy bicyclist that sometimes like to get too close to the walkers and runners. There are plenty of shady spots and benches to rest and get some water.

This is the default meeting place for any runs on townlake. If you have lost something, check The Rock with the plaque and you’ll find car keys, stuffed animals, random widgets people run with, all here for waiting for their owners.

Town lake is pretty much the Nordstrom of running trails. The views are amazing and running the trail always reminds you that there are so many things that Austin offers. If you run the whole trail you’ll see several kayak/​SUP/​canoe rental places and even a designated doggy play area.

Is their any better trail than this one in Austin? I don’t think so!!! Nowhere else will you run and see tons of good views of the city and what it has to offer.
I was born and raised here so let me just say… even I’m impressed with how awesome the trail is. You see people from all walks (no pun intended) of life, but you get in shape while enjoying the view.

Run, run, run, jog, walk, stroll, stroll, crawl, crawl, sit! Okay, so this isn’t the best workout plan, but I’m a work in progress. I’m not a runner by any means, but I just love this trail and seeing all the runners motivates me to run as well. The trail is well kept, crowded on the weekends, and full of life. Some construction going on but not enough to keep me away.

Riding a bike around the lake is one of the special experiences in this very special city of ours. The lake is fine. The path is fine (except for a small stretch on city streets). There are numerous paths to the lake area from different parts of town, so access is excellent. A complete circuit makes for a nice exercise experience.
There are places to stop just off the trail — the pool at Barton Springs, statues of Austin icons, places for funky foods and ices, an outdoor café at the Four Seasons, etc., etc.
This is really a top thing to do for both visitor and resident. For most times of the year, here’s a tip: do it on a weekday, if you have the choice. The trail can be crowded with walkers and runners.

The Rock (the area at the north end of the Roberta Crenshaw pedestrian bridge under Mopac) is my favorite place to park when visiting the Town Lake trail. There are tons of free parking spots and even if they’re all occupied, wait a bit and someone is bound to leave as you’re driving around.
About a month ago, the awesome new bathroom was completed and now we don’t have to use the Tennis Center one anymore.
Unlike the other parking spots for the Town Lake trail, you can actually change clothes here. There are also multiple water fountains, benches, stretching areas, and even a runner’s shower.
I like to pick The Rock as a meeting spot for walks. It’s also a great area to hang around because there are so many people intersecting there.

This is what makes Austin so Austin. You’ll whine and complain that you can’t find parking, but trust me, it is totally worth it. The best place to park …? Take Barton Springs road towards Zilker, then turn onto Strafford and take that all the way until you see a bunch of cars parked underneath Mopac. You did it! It’s an absolute gem in the middle of this city. You can run to the pfluger pedestrian bridge for a 3 mile loop back to Mopac!
I’ve been running at Town lake for about ten years now and it is just as amazing as ever. I can’t wait until they complete the boardwalk near IH-​35.
You have no excuse to be lazy! Go outside and get some fresh air. This is Austin people! It was 80 degrees yesterday and it’s early February. Running weather is here!

Apparently there’s another Town Lake Trail that has a billion more reviews, I couldn’t find it because I’m blind. Anyway, I’m sure they all say this place is awesome!
I’ve been running/​walking the dogs/​going on a stroll with friends here for a very long time. Every visit there’s a new thing to notice– the ducks on the lake, the pretty bench covered in sunlight, the trees in bloom, the fresh dog poo on the trail. Haha just kidding, but really, it’s incredible. In most places there is tree coverage so it makes running at 6:30 p.m. bearable in the summer. There are also numerous loops people can take, depending on how long or short they want their run to be. Be careful if you wanna go for a late run (8:30p.m.), the bugs come out in clouds in random places… and a mouth/​nose full of nats is not very fun.
This trail is great for anything– a date, exercise, or just a relaxing getaway. GO! I always take out-​of-​towners here to see how beautiful Austin is.
I love this place!