Austin is probably one of my favorite places to day trip. In addition to having some extended family in the area, there is a TON of hiking. Which as we all know has been one of my favorite activities during COVID-19. It gets me, and Winter, outdoors for some fresh air and sunshine. This is a huge moral booster compared to the 5 weeks we spent locked up in our apartment. This trip we hiked about 2 miles at the Hamilton Greenbelt, and I came completely unprepared in jeans and sandals.
I have been taking required precautions in my state during all of my outings throughout COVID-19.
Hiking in the Wrong Attire
Luckily for me the trails here are very well maintained and not difficult at all. But dang, the heat was killer. It also didn’t help that we hiked literally in the hottest part of the day on the hottest day of the year to date. All the weather issues aside, it was a great hike. And we even managed to catch it at the tail end of wildflower season.
The hike was gorgeous! Following along Hurst Creek for nearly the entire hike with cedar and cypress trees providing some shade. Several stops along the way for the family photos and to observe waterfalls and we were at the end of the gravel trail. The Hamilton Greenbelt continues with a more rugged hiking trail, which I plan to return and hike.
At the end of the 1-mile trail is a bird blind, installed and maintained by Friends of Parks. This was a great spot to rest and cool down while observing several different native species. In just 10 minutes we had seen a White-Wing Dove, female and male Northern Cardinals, and a Black-Capped Chickadee.
Cardinal 
Chickadee 
Friends of Parks Bird Blind
Before you go – Hamilton Greenbelt
This little greenbelt is completely free to the public and maintained by the City of Lakeway. There are two trail entrances, The Hamilton Greenbelt trailhead and the Palos Verdes trailhead. Both have limited parking available which on the weekends fills up quickly. There are several picnic areas along the trail, as well as the bird blind at the loop just past the split to Palos Verdes trailhead.
Unlike myself, make sure to wear proper clothes and shoes. It will make your hike much more enjoyable, and you can hike farther than we did.
Leave no Trace
The environmental activist in me comes out at the end of every post. If we want to keep being able to enjoy the great outdoors, we have to take care of it! I have a bag to put all my trash in that I carry in my day pack. Using a refillable and reusable water bottle or camelbak instead of using a plastic bottle from the convenience store is a must. If you decide to take advantage of the picnic areas available along this trail, also take advantage of the trash bins along the trail.
I didn’t have Winter with me for this hike, but when I hike with dogs I always carry plenty of baggies to clean up after them. Even better, this park had dog bag stations along the trail, so there is no excuse.
For more of my hiking adventures head over the the Hiking page. If you are looking for another hiking spot around Austin, check out my blog about River Place Nature Trails. As always, there is more to come from me, so check back to see the newest posts on my home page.
Hi. I saw you have a link to the Friends of the Parks of Austin blog site regarding the bird blind you pictured on the Hurst Creek greenway. That is a very handsome bird blind, but we are not the group that sponsored it. I’m guessing there is another group with that name active out at Lakeway.
The link you are referring to has been removed.
Great little hike Emily..
It really was!
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