Located minutes from downtown Austin, rests one of the state’s best kept secrets, a scenic eight-mile trail known as the Barton Creek Greenbelt, which boasts hiking trails that run along the Barton Creek waters.
Some parts of the year as many as several thousand people will visit the greenbelt in a day. What makes the greenbelt so special is its diversity. People of all ages enjoying any number of outdoor activities. The trail has the regulars that jog, bike, kayak, swim, walk dogs, rock climb and meditate, then the spring crowd looking to beat the Austin heat by swimming in the abundant swimming holes.
Best of all, a day at the greenbelt is completely free, and with the economy slumping, “free” has replaced “please” as the new magic word. “My apartment complex doesn’t allow dogs by the pool, so here I am”, says new grandmother Toni Rideout. Thousands of Austinites can’t be blamed for choosing their dog, cigarettes, cigars and a couple of extra dollars in their pocket over the historic Barton Springs.
All of these perks come with a drawback, water only flows several months a year, depending on rainfall. Swimmers can expect water in Spring, but usually the ever increasing summer heat will dry the place out by Aug. All of the swimming holes and the creeks were dried up in the midst of the 2009 Central Texas drought, but 2010 looks very promising for this outdoorsy community.
Another disadvantage is dogs are supposed to always be on a leash and alcohol is prohibited. The alcohol ban went into effect in 1997 because the city had been cleaning far too much alcohol related trash. The attention has caused this community to be somewhat self –governing, so know many greenbelters will not tolerate polluters or will simply leave with more trash than their own. In 2006, Cambpells Hole was actually named “Best Place to Pick Up Litter” by The Austin Chronicle. “I’ve seen people ticketed for having a dog off a leash or for drinking beer, but not enough (times) to worry me”, says personal trainer Jason Mitchell.
The three main gathering places for people looking to socialize along the trail are named Sculpture Falls, Twin Falls and Campbells Hole. Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls are located at the hiking entrance near the Mopac South u-turn, just south of downtown. Dedicated greenbelters will take the two-mile hike to Sculpture Falls, which is the most intimate of the three locations due its accessibility. About one mile into that same hike greenbelters will come across Twin Falls, which is ideal for hanging by the water, but not necessarily swimming.
The main gathering spot along the greenbelt is easily Campbells hole, which is located on Barton Skyway. Most people choose this location because of its easy access. Finding a parking spot never takes long at Campbells Hole, a convenience store is next to the entrance so greenbelters can get food and water, and the hike is less than a half mile. “I went to Sculpture( Falls) last week and it was awesome, but today I was short on time so I came here (Campbells hole) instead," says University of Texas graduate Lauren Forbes.
With the summers seemingly getting hotter every year in Austin, the greenbelt provides a great escape from the sun and mainstream places such as pools and lakes. Austin was packed full of tourists last week for the annual South By South West Music Festival, and with Austin packed full of people, it’s nice to know that there are some tucked away spots that can remain Austin’s best kept secrets. Jason Brister, a 31-year old chef puts it best when he says,”I love South By(SXSW) but those crowds are paying hundreds of dollars a day, while this place is free.”
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