Johnson Creek Trailhead on Lady Bird Lake Makes Lake Austin Living Even More Appealing

The hike and bike trail at Lady Bird Lake is certainly a favorite among green space offerings in Austin, and now that favorite is getting a facelift. Though the entire trail is experiencing some renovations, those who frequent it for their fitness routines and to feed their urges to get back to nature are likely familiar with the construction happening at the Johnson Creek Trailhead, located underneath MoPac near Austin High School.

Also known as “The Rock,” this area is the most used trailhead; nearly one-third of the visits to the trail (totaling nearly 1.5 million every year) start at this trailhead. With those statistics in mind, The Trail Foundation, whose mission is “to protect and enhance the Trail at Lady Bird Lake,” recently endeavored to make this starting point more user-friendly.

The design of the renovation was done by Austin-based Bosse & Pharis Associates and will cost approximately $350,000. Major donors to the project include Austin Parks Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and other family foundations and individuals who will see their names on the new granite blocks added to the end of the trail. The renovations should be complete within the next two months, and planting projects can move forward with the help of rains that recently hit Austin.

Trail users should keep a look out in the coming months for the following changes and additions:

·        a wider trail

·        additional blocks of granite for stretching and sitting

·        a bank of water fountains

·        a rainwater garden featuring native plants

·        carefully selected native Central Texas trees for shade and beautification including desert willow, live oak, elm, yaupon holly, Mexican plum, and Texas wild olive

·        the absence of invasive non-native species of trees, as well as those at the end of their natural life

·        retaining walls and erosion control systems

This trail is one of the crowning jewels of Austin and a place where Central Austin residents are able to spend much of their free time. If you’re searching for a new home in Central Austin or a downtown Austin luxury home, call Austin Realtor Brian Talley. He’ll set you up with a custom home search – as soon as he’s finished with his run!