Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt — Attraction in Austin

It's easy to miss the entrance on Springdale as it looks like a construction entrance more than anything, but be assured, there is a rather large solitary park back there.

I've hiked through Little Walnut Creek Park a few times and never so much as seen another person. I could tell by the way the dirt crunched beneath my feet that I was the only one to have walked them in weeks. The trails aren't well kept or even well defined and I've never been able to find a map, but it can turn into quite a long walk if you aren't careful. There is a trail that essentially traces around the edges of the park, but since there's a chain link fence there is no exit besides the one on Springdale. There is also fair bit of junk that appears to be the remnants of a homeless camp and some large concrete cisterns that smell of human waste. It's easy to get away from these though.

If you're looking for a quiet place to be alone in nature this is a pretty...

This is a large, undeveloped park that has excellent potential. In its current state, there is no infrastructure outside of an unpaved road that runs the length of the park and a trailhead at the SW corner. The park has a few unofficial trails that are easy to navigate rising to 100+ feet of elevation with some great city views at the top. There are lots of abandoned homeless camps and trash, but still an enjoyable place to take a dog for an hour or two. The city of Austin has created a plan to begin to develop this land for public park use with the trailhead built in 2021 as the first step. The first phase of construction is slated to begin in 2024 with funding/planning to take place in the interim. With a thorough cleaning and some infrastructure this has a chance to become the Walnut Creek of...

Pros: I'm glad to see a patch of nature preserved in an area otherwise dominated by highway 183. I'm sure this park is great for wildlife especially.

No crowds unlike many other Austin parks- I never saw one person there. Found some nice fossils.

Cons: Only one trail is listed on Google Maps, even though there are several branches running throughout the park. I was afraid to take any of them. Can feel a little uneasy hiking there alone.

It would be helpful at least to have labeled trails/a map, both at the park itself and on Google Maps. It's just big enough of a park that one could get lost in there. Paying attention to which way the highway sound comes from does help you navigate though.

If there is a trail that leads down to the creek, I'd...