Free Things to Do in Austin: New East Side Trails 2025

Austin added 4.2 miles of new trail links this spring along the eastern edge of Lady Bird Lake, connecting neighborhoods once cut off from the main hike-and-bike loop.

The change arrives as the city’s population passed 1.1 million last year and summer temperatures push more residents outdoors for free recreation instead of paid venues. Local parks staff report the new segments already see 18 percent more foot traffic than the same stretch in 2024, according to trail counters installed by the Parks and Recreation Department.

East Cesar Chavez and Holly neighborhoods now link directly to the main lake trail without crossing busy streets, a direct result of the 2025 Holly District Greenway project funded through the city’s mobility bond. The same bond paid for lighting upgrades at two new access points near Chicon Street.

Swimming holes draw bigger crowds on Barton Creek

At the Greenbelt, the pool below Sculpture Falls now opens earlier in the day after the city installed a temporary boardwalk in March to handle erosion from heavier spring rains. Lifeguards posted at the site on weekends counted 2,400 visitors on the first Saturday in June, up from 1,700 the prior year. Nearby residents on South Lamar have noticed more cars parked along the shoulder of Barton Hills Drive during weekday evenings.

Live-music spots tied to the same outdoor circuit are also moving. The weekly free Wednesday sets that once anchored at the old Moontower Saloon site on South First Street now rotate between a pop-up stage at Zilker Park’s south lawn and a gravel lot behind the former Austin Chronicle building on Rio Grande Street. Organizers with the city’s Music Commission say the shift keeps events inside existing park boundaries while avoiding construction zones tied to the new South Central Waterfront plan.

Practical steps for visitors this summer

Check the Parks and Recreation website before heading to the Greenbelt, where temporary closures for trail repairs are posted daily. Early morning arrivals at the Zilker parking lot still secure spots before 8 a.m. on weekends. The new East Side trailheads have limited street parking, so riders on CapMetro Route 4 can exit at Chicon and walk the short connector path to the lake loop. Updated maps showing all free access points are available at the Austin Visitor Center on East Sixth Street.