Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt 12/21/25

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Ian, Court, Finn, and Biff

About 2 miles

I’m alive! I haven’t updated this blog in almost a year and that’s ridiculous. I’ve been hiking, though not nearly as much as I should be due to various life circumstances, and I try not to write posts for trails I’ve already done before anymore, but I actually found a new trail system in Austin just down the street from my neighborhood.

From the Austin Parks Department website:

The Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt encompasses 206 acres of hilly, wooded terrain intersected by creeks and ravines near the intersection of 51st Street and US-183 in East Austin. More than four miles of informal trails wind through the property, which previously lacked any major improvements. Portions of the greenbelt, once zoned for commercial and residential use, were rezoned entirely for public use in 2017.

In 2023, Austin Parks Foundation and Austin Parks and Recreation received a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife to complete approximately two miles of improvements on the existing natural trails at Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt. Texas Conservation Corps completed the first phase of trail work in 2024. The second phase will focus on the southern section of the trail network and will include closing eroded trails to support habitat restoration and improve wayfinding throughout the system. Crews will also work to establish a clear connection from the play area off Springdale Road to the trail connections on 51st Street.

It was a warm day (all of December has been warm so far) and we got a couple of miles in on unexplored trails and ended back at the dog park and playground where we let Finn and Biff play for a while. Looking forward to the continued trail improvements in the coming years!