The best outdoor activities in Austin, Texas

Sure, Austin has its fair share of nice public pools, but why pay money to dip in an over-chlorinated concrete tub when there are plenty of prime natural swimming spots available along the expansive Barton Creek Greenbelt that won’t cost you a dime? For chill vibes and some fun cliff-jumping (if the water’s deep enough), we recommend Campbell’s Hole, accessible via Spyglass Drive. For a social soak in some sweet rapids fed by small waterfalls, we suggest Sculpture Falls, accessible via Camp Craft Road.

Touted as “the one and only mini urban boutique” drive-in movie theater in North America, the Blue Starlite is a must for your special date or night out with friends. With a focus on nostalgia (childhood movies, cult, indie, art house, etc.), the theater offers double features on select evenings, but only to 15-40 cars per event, so pack in your friends and purchase tickets in advance.  Bonus for the 21+ crowd: It’s BYOB.

If you live in Austin, it’s easy to take easy access to natural bodies of water, including the downtown-adjacent Lady Bird Lake, for granted. For an on-the-water view like no other, head to Capital Cruises and rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard—if you’re feeling super fancy, opt for a swan paddleboat—and traverse the lake, Colorado River or Barton Creek with the ever-expanding gorgeous city skyline in full view.

In the Live Music Capital of Texas, there are countless locales to catch live music outdoors on pretty much any given day. But if your time out is precious, you'll want to at least attend these two annual events: Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park, which hosts more than 130 bands and 225,000 fans from across the globe over two weekends each October; and KGSR's summertime concert series, Blues on the Green, at Zilker Park, which features a variety of local artists over four nights in the summer.

It doesn't cost a dime to stroll onto the Congress Avenue Bridge and observe the jaw-dropping spectacle of the world’s largest urban bat population jettisoning from underneath it in cyclone-cloud formation as they fly over Lady Bird Lake eating insects. But, at some point, it’s absolutely worth the money to take a kayak tour offered by Viator that allows you to see the sight from underneath the bridge. While you’re waiting for the bats to take flight, a knowledgeable guide will use a special light to show you the creatures in hang mode, and, for those willing to spend a little more, there are private tours available from the zillions of on-water experiences on the platform.  

Barton Springs Pool, ATX’s outdoor gem, is a surefire swell time on almost any day—even the cold ones! (It’s true: the year-round average 68-degree water feels warmer when it’s brisk out). But for a purer Austinite experience, head to this Zilker Park-adjacent swim spot on the night of each month’s first full moon. Our advice: arrive early, because of overcrowding in the past, the city now limits the capacity. If you’ve ever wanted to channel your inner wolf and howl at the top of your lungs without fear of judgment, this lunar party’s for you!

Lake Travis has some fabulous picnicking and boating opportunities, but if you really want to see it from an unbeatable perspective, book an outing with Lake Travis Zipline Adventures. The tour, which lasts about 3 hours (including orientation and boat travel to and from the starting location), essentially lets you fly across the lake and parts of the hill country via 5 different zips ranging in length from 250-2800 feet. A “Night Flight” tour is also available. 

Maybe getting out on the water isn’t your thing, but you still love the serene sight of it with the city skyline as a backdrop. The solution: a stroll along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Boardwalk, which hugs the south shore of downtown-adjacent Lady Bird Lake for 10 miles. It is particularly stunning at sunrise or sunset as the light refracts off the buildings and onto the water, but with seven viewing areas and more than 300 piers (including ADA accessible), it’s a superb option for exercise or leisure at any time of the day.

Equal parts nature reserve and art exhibition, the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria—an extension of the Contemporary Austin—is one of the purest representations of Austin’s dedication to promoting creativity and preserving nature. The park features rotating exhibitions and permanent installations, not to mention regular family-friendly activities like the Action Pack, free with admission and stocked with games, puzzles, and art-related activities to try out as you walk the green grounds.

A few areas of the Austin Nature and Science Center, located in the western corner of Zilker Park, are indoors, but most of the center’s activities—designed for people of all ages—are outside to help visitors “increase awareness and appreciation of their natural environment.” Check out all the programs, relating to biology, astronomy, and paleontology, among other subjects.

Peter Pan Mini Golf, located South of the river near Zilker Park, has long been considered a staple family fun spot—with its handcrafted sculptures of various animals, a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex, and, of course, Peter himself—since first popping up in 1946. An ideal activity to partake in with kids in tow, the golf course also happens to be a top spot for carefree adults kickin’ it, largely thanks to its new BYOB policy.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which boasts 650 native Texas plants across gardens, meadows, and nature trails, is open for visitation Tuesday-Sunday. For a special nocturnal experience, mark your calendar for Thursday nights in June. On those evenings, the center hosts Nature Nights, which feature interactive presentations, hikes led by various experts, and “nature crafting” for kids, all to learn about Central Texas’ plants, animals, and ecology.