Best Dog Parks in Austin
Austin consistently ranks as one of the most dog-friendly cities in the nation, and with good reason. From dog festivals and pet-friendly restaurants, to a progressive attitude towards animal rescue and care, Austin hospitality doesn’t just apply to humans!
Here’s our guide to the best parks for active Austinites and their four-legged friends!
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail
📍Location: First Street Bridge at Lady Bird Lake
🐶Best For: The dog-friendly 10-mile trail
Residents and visitors alike enjoy trails in a range of terrains and difficulty levels, including the dog-friendly 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake. The loop includes two pedestrian-only bridges that are great for dogs and serves as a social hub for runners, walkers, cyclists, and canines.
Barkin’ Springs
📍Location: 2101 Barton Springs Road
🐶Best For: Cooling off
Just downstream from Barton Springs, a humans-only swimming hole, you’ll find what’s nicknamed “Barkin’ Springs” for its popularity with four-legged water lovers. People and their pooches can wade together at the spillway for Barton Springs. The 68-degree, natural springs water is guaranteed to cool off pups, even on the hottest Austin day.
Red Bud Isle
📍Location: 3401 Redbud Trail
🐶Best For: Leash-free roaming
Surrounded by water, this 13-acre leash-free dog park is a must visit for any canine lover. Dogs can romp and swim, under the comfort of shaded natural paths. Bring a towel – you both are bound to get a little wet and dirty. This park is on Lady Bird Lake, just below Tom Miller Dam, and is the entry point for the Redbud Trail. The park is a peninsula surrounded by the lake, and is a great place for water dogs. The whole park is leash-free!
Shoal Creek Greenbelt
📍Location: 2600-2799 Lamar Boulevard
🐶Best For: Shady strolls
You haven’t been in Austin long enough if you haven’t seen Shoal Creek… or sat creekside while enjoying a cold drink at a local restaurant… or discovered fossils walking through the creek bed in Pease Park. Flowing through the heart of Austin, from Braker Lane down to Cesar Chavez St, Shoal Creek encompasses the beauty and stresses of an urban creek. As you walk along the crushed limestone, gravel and concrete trail, you will enjoy the shady trees and opulent green spaces.
The portion of the trail from 24th Street to 29th Street is designated as a no-leash zone, and dog owners flock to the area on the weekends for the pure enjoyment of the area.
Zilker Dog Park
📍Location: 2100 Barton Springs Road
🐶Best For: Scenic walkies with views of Downtown
Zilker Park is probably one of the best known parks in Austin. With a scenic view of downtown across the lake, this dog park is not fenced, but well-behaved dogs can roam and play off-leash. It hosts rolling hills and beautiful trees as it runs along the waters of Lady Bird Lake. On weekends, the park comes alive with impromptu games of football, soccer, Frisbee and catch, family picnics, runners, and lots of four-legged friends enthusiastically getting in the thick of it all. The dog park is located in Zilker Metropolitan Park at 2100 Barton Springs Road.
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