Enjoying the Great Outdoors near Westlake Hills, Texas
Posted by Brian Talley on March 17th, 2017
A perk to living in a Westlake Hills luxury home is the city’s surrounding natural beauty, which provides an abundance of recreational areas. To the west, the Colorado River, and to the south, Lake Austin, provide aquatic playgrounds for swimming, boating, and boarding. Trails and parks abound throughout Westlake Hills, highlighted by magnificent vistas of Mount Bonnell. Nearby Barton Creek Greenbelt often steals the show, however, blending numerous well-maintained trails, climbing walls, swimming holes, and waterfalls along the flowing Barton Creek, all with a natural canopy sheltering the virtual oasis from the harsh Texas sun.
Barton Creek itself runs from Hays County and eventually empties into Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. Along the way it is fed by the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs, but water levels are largely determined by volume of rainfall. The creek varies in size along the trails from wide and deep to other areas where it is narrow and often shallow enough to cross. There are a few waterfalls marked by signposts along a main trail, including Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls, and another waterfall near the Lost Creek area.
Entry to the park is usually via one of the many trailheads surrounding the Greenbelt. The City of Austin maintains many of these trailheads, at which visitors will find park maps, dog waste bags, and other signs of maintenance. Other trailheads are less formal, often paths blazed by visitors that have turned into park easements through years of use. One popular trailhead is located just off of MoPac/Loop 1, at the Loop 360 junction, while many people enter the Greenbelt via Barton Creek Drive. Another is off of Loop 360 near South Lamar, and nearby, off Ben White at Brodie Lane, is the Violet Crown trailhead. A myriad of unofficial points of entry also may be found in various bordering neighborhoods.
The trails themselves are numerous and sprawling, but most are marked. In many parts, the canopy shelters hikers from the sun and is home to an abundance of indigenous plant and animal life. Continuing along the trails towards Barton Springs, rock climbers have many different walls to challenge them, including Gus Fruh and Urban Assault, among others. The trails are also very popular for mountain biking.
Consistently voted one of the best hiking trails in Texas, the Barton Creek Greenbelt makes a wonderful and convenient afternoon escape destination for residents of Rollingwood and Westlake Hills. The trails are generally open from sun-up to sundown, and the City of Austin appreciates all cooperation and assistance in keeping the area beautiful.
About the Author: Brain Talley has years of experience of working as a Westlake real estate agent in Austin, Texas. He is quite an expert and he loves to share his expertise with people. He enjoys discussing real estate trends, real estate market news to help people make informed decisions.
