The Most Beautiful Parks In Austin

Snap a pic with Austin’s skyline in the back at Zilker Park, or hike Mount Bonnell for a shot of the Colorado River. Perhaps the beauty of Austin’s green spaces is enough without the stunning views, but we’ll let you be the judge. Read ahead for a list of the most beautiful parks in Austin, Texas.

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Mueller Lake Park

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Mueller Lake Park is an urban retreat great for strolls, water sports, and picnics. The park, like many of Austin’s green spaces, is well maintained. There is a large play area for kids of all ages, and the park attracts a small number of vendors serving ice cream and street corn. Around prom season you’ll likely find teens in tuxes and ball gowns taking photos at beautiful Mueller Park.

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Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve is perfect of a quick, relaxing stroll. Mayfield’s peacocks remain a key attraction to the park, and you’ll find several running about and showing off their dazzling feathers. If you see a peacock, walk slowly up to it if you’d like to take a photo, as they will run from overzealous would-be selfie pics.

Zilker Metropolitan Park

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Zilker is the granddaddy of all Austin parks, and home to the Austin City Limits music festival. While Zilker is often crowded, it is brimming with activities. You can take a leisurely walk through the botanical gardens, or try paddle boarding for the day. Zilker is also the perfect place to snap a photo of Austin’s skyline.

Covert Park at Mount Bonnell

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Come to Covert Park for the views and the privacy. There is a challenge at Covert Park; you will have to climb a long stairway to get to the top of Mount Bonnell, but trust us, the view is worth it. You’ll have panoramic views of the Colorado River and the ritzy homes on the other side. We recommend going about an hour before sunset for truly terrific photos.

Red Bud Isle

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Red Bud Isle is a small park on an island in the middle of the Colorado River. This park is a great place to bring your dog, and you may let your dog off-leash in most areas of the park — because it is somewhat of a hidden gem you may not run into many other people or dogs. As you might imagine, due to the island nature of the park, parking can be tricky, so be sure to get there a bit earlier than you would regularly to find a spot.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.