Austin, TX

Lady Bird Lake (Butler) Trail

Photo: 101 Degrees West

The signature run in Austin. Ten miles of trail on each side of Colorado River, right downtown. Very nice, winding trail with views of the river, combination paved and firm gravel, lovely green and shade in spots…and some 30,000 runners a day! It’s very festive, with pedestrian bridges, boathouses, and two public pools, including Barton Springs. A highlight is the 2+ mile boardwalk on the south side. Good crossing points are S. First St. bridge, Pfluger Pedestian Bridge, and near the Eddy Pool at Mopac, and Pleasant Valley (note new pedestrian bridge crossing at the western end at MOPAC, not shown on maps!). There are a couple of sections where the trail is a bit tougher to find, and not as interesting. For a unique experience, plan your run to see the hundreds of thousands of bats flying out from the Congress St. bridge at sunset in summer. Favorite sections:

North side: Congress St. bridge east to Edward Renton Park is a park-like 2 miles. West of Congress St., it’s also very nice but a little confusing past the rowing center.

South side: Congress St. east to Pleasant Valley is great along the water, including a boardwalk that juts out to the water in several sections. The area around the Long Center and the Zach theater is open and festive.

bridge-trail-distances

There are many options for loops, using one of the bridges, or to lengthen it at Ziker Memorial Park by running along the the more rugged Barton Creek Trail. Water and bathrooms.

See this printable map for more details!

Essentials
  • Up to 10.4 miles RT. Many loop options
  • 211 ft.
  • Numerous Options. See table. Congress St. or South First St. are good starting spots

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Essentials
  • Up to 10.4 miles RT. Many loop options
  • 211 ft.
  • Numerous Options. See table. Congress St. or South First St. are good starting spots