Austin’s Top Trails Voted by Trail Roots Members
Best Trail for Hill Training
Canyonlands / Mt Lakeway Trail
The Rundown
This trail is 30 minutes outside of Austin, but worth the drive, especially if you’re training for hills. The main route takes you up to the top of Mt Lakeway (about 2.5-3 miles up) with gorgeous views. To add on, keep exploring past the peak for a variety of trail options that lie beyond. This trail is great for a long and technical run and is beautiful in the fall and spring. If you’re a late starter, keep an eye (and ear) out for mountain bikers as trail traffic picks up mid-morning.
Address: 187 Trophy Dr, Lakeway, TX 78738
Parking: Street parking on Trophy Dr. and overflow parking in the school or swimming pool parking lot.
Difficulty: Challenging (Rocky and Hilly)
Distance: 3 mile loop, up to a 15 mi out-and-back
Terrain: Single track dirt and some exposed limestone. This is sticky clay dirt and slippery rock when wet.
Amenities: Restrooms .5 mi down the trail at junction of Trophy and Canyonland trails
Long Run: Connect Canyonlands to Mt Lakeway over to Serene Hills to Bee Cave primitive trails for nearly 15 mi.
Strava Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/16088629
Bonus Tip! For post run breakfast, head to Vivel Crêpes & Coffee in town for some well-deserved calories.
Trail with the Best Views
Joel’s Loop
The Rundown
Joel is a long time Trail Roots member and created this route which has become well known in the trail community. If you need long, technical miles, with a good amount of vert, this route is a good one. Located in central/southwest Austin, it’s a quick drive from the city center and has epic viewing spots along the way.
Address: Moonshadow Access 3906 Travis Country Cir (neighborhood access/not a public trailhead)
Parking: Neighborhood street parking available
Difficulty: Intermediate (technical rocky trails and difficulty navigating)
Distance: 8 mile loop
Long Run: Joel’s loop is part of the greenbelt trail system, so you can add on more miles running towards the hill of life or back towards Lady Bird Lake.
Pet Policy: Dogs on leash
Facilities: None
Strava Route: www.strava.com/routes/2778745525936120018
Additional Info: To get to the trail you must use the groomed crushed granite 200 meter trail that heads east from Travis Country Cir. This dead ends into the Greenbelt access (on "Power line" ) where you will start on the single track. This is called Power line because you will see the tall power lines above and the head straight across the greenbelt from East to West. You can take Power Line trail straight down 1.25 mile to Barton Creek.
Bonus Tip! Download the route! This trail can be confusing and there is no signage or trail markers. Also, if there’s water in the creek, jump in on a hot day.
Best Trail to Run Fast
Slaughter Creek Trail (Now Maxwell Trail)
The Rundown
Slaughter Creek Trail Preserve had a recent name change, it is now called Maxwell Trail. This trail is a member favorite and is great for new trail runners who are still finding their footing. With mostly-flat, mostly-smooth trails, runners can work on picking up the pace. And with an easy-to-follow 5-mile and 3-mile loop, navigating is easy. The parking lot can fill up fast, so be sure to get there early before the mountain bikers show up.
Address: 9901 Farm-to-Market 1826, Austin, TX 78737 (Gate opens at sunrise and closes at sunset)
Parking: Limited to about 20 spots (other places to park are at the nearby Gorzycki middle school)
Difficulty: Easy - flat and easy to navigate
Distance: 5k and 5 mi routes
Terrain: Dirt and crushed limestone
Amenities: Port-o-johns
Pet Policy: No dogs allowed as this is a preserve
Strava Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/13901343
Additional Info: Check the Slaughter Creek Trail FB Page before heading out if it’s rained within the past few days. The trail closes when wet.
Bonus Tip! Runners and bikers are required to travel in opposite directions. We recommend not using headphones so you can hear bikers coming head on.
Most Technical Trail
Southwest Parkway
The Rundown
Just south of Austin are some technical trails that boasts excellent views. It’s also lightly used so you can get some peace and quiet. Prepare to do some climbing, this trail is great training for mountain races.
Address: 7415 Southwest Pkwy Building 6, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78735
Parking: Behind Marigold Cafe and Black Rock Coffee Bar parking lot
Distance: 6+ miles without much repeating
Difficulty: Hard (Steep hills, rocky terrain, lots of climbing)
Facilities: None
Pet Policy: N/A
Strava Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/2898627476780131526
Additional Info: To get to the trail, run along W William Cannon on the sidewalk towards Tecoma Cr, you’ll see a trail on the left side about .5 mile down.
Bonus Tip! Bring extra water and snacks, this route can take longer than you’re expecting due to its technical trails.
Looking for more trails? We’ve got you covered. Check out all of Austin’s Trails on our website.