Onion Creek District Park

Great park, squirrels enough to keep dogs entertained, clean water for swimming, nice trail. Kiddy park other side of street. Easy access to park as well. Don’t see a lot of folks here. Weekends more dogs show up but always good owners with good dogs. The only reason i like this better than Walnut Creek is the water is closer for my lab (she is ten and likes to swim and has arthritis, so the closer the better). Never had parking issues. The group moving this project forward should be commended.

I just don’t give a lot of 5 stars. This is worth 10 stars. My dogs say 100. This was in a list of off leash dog parks I happened to find and now we’re going 4 – 5 times per week, it’s wonderful here!
Once you turn left off of Pleasant Valley, drive until you reach the end of the road. The canopied tree lined street is going to have your dog (or kids) extremely excited.
Here’s what you’ll find:
*It’s unbelievably huge. We still haven’t explored it all and we go almost everyday.
*There’s clear and a nicely flowing creek for the pups to swim or play in. Not too deep, you can see to the bottom.
*City Parks keeps a lot of the grass mowed, but it can get tall quickly in the growing season.
*Usually we meet a few dogs, but not a lot. It’s big enough that you can be fairly isolated or it’s possible to socialize.
*There’s a playground near the parking area with kids playing and restrooms
*There’s a nice long trail through a large horse fence that I’ve never seen horses on, but apparently they’re common to see. The trail follows the water to the left (east) and is about 25 min to the end and has two different spots for the dogs to drink and swim. It’s very densely wooded on the sides of the trail.
This is a great spot for off leash for a well behaved dog that doesn’t run off. If your dog tends to roam, this would not be an advisable spot as they can really get lost in the woods.

Love taking my three dogs off leash here. Nice long trail with water and shade. It’s a little creepy the part of town it’s in but I’ve never had an issue. Only reason for four stars and not five is because people ride horses there and I have three big dogs that are not fans. It can be stressful because I don’t want the rider, the horse or my dogs to get hurt.

I love this park and bring my two dogs here everyday. I wish it was an official leash free park, but other than that it’s great! Try walking the trail and hit a left at the fork to find a small river.

When we arrived, there’s no parking lot so I drove around for a good ten minutes searching for one before deciding it’s probably safe to just park on the side of the road. If you follow Google Map directions to this park it will have you end up at the very end of Onion Creek Dr and this is where I parked. Straight ahead you’ll see the entrance to trails and kid playgrounds, and to the left you’ll see a small wide open trail that goes downhill to the creek.
The place was EMPTY! We went today (Tuesday) around 4pm. The creek water was super clear and clean, it was shallow, and best of all no other dogs or people. This is the perfect off leash spot, but I have a greyhound that I can’t trust bc she runs. It was probably a 2 minute walk from car to creek and saw 3 poop bag/​garbage stations.
Because I just moved to the state and I’m not familiar with the surrounding area. Because there was absolutely nobody else in the park. Because a keychain of pepper spray can only do so much. I went with my gut and decided not to explore the trails by myself. They didn’t look very clearly marked, and I have no sense of direction! I will update when we are able to go back and explore the trails and more of the park with my boyfriend! Piper just needed a quick dip to cool off, so Onion Creek served its purpose today.
If anybody has suggestions on where to park, and other entrances to the creek, the feedback would be appreciated!

They are in the process of removing a couple of neighborhoods adjacent to the park and creek. Yes, they are tearing the houses and roads out. My sister-in-law’s old house… gone! It was probably due to flooding, but I hope the residents were sufficiently taken care of. I biked through the community today. Newly stripped houses marked with green circles ready to teat down. Whole sections leveled with only driveways and mailboxes left. It’s a beautiful park with a sad story about displaced families and community. I hope they do somethong beautiful with tje new land.

This was great for dogs! They were able to swim and had plenty of room to roam. We also only encountered a few people during our visit on a weekend day which was vet refreshing considering how crowded other parks can get. Excited to check out the trails some more!

This is a review for the hiking trail and creek. We frequently go to Bull Creek Park because we live in the Arboretum, but we wanted to try something new, so we came to Onion Creek. In my opinion, Onion Creek is quite inferior to Bull Creek, but it is a decent option for people living more to the south.
Pros:
– Not a lot of people
– Off-​leash. Since Bull Creek is no longer off-​leash, this is much appreciated
– The trail gives you access to the creek in several places
Cons:
– The end of the trail is underkept and overgrown, so you end up walking through plants a lot
– There is a lot of debris on the sides of the trail. Well, actually it’s trash wood, foam padding, you name it
– The trail is not marked at all. It’s hard to tell if some small trails coming off of the main trail are real. We just assumed they were not.
– The trail is boring, and not as shaded as some reviews seemed to suggest.
– Horse manure. For some reason, it’s okay to not pick up horse manure but dog poop is a huge no-​no.
The bottom line is while this trail is not horrible, it’s not that good compared to the other options we have in Austin.

i absolutely love this park! I have take my dog here a few times and each time I have only run into a couple of people. it is more of a secluded wandering path that a hiking path but it is green and has a wonderful stream for your dog to run around in.
It agree with others that it is a hidden gem since most people I mention it to look at me with confusion. Good. I prefer it quiet like this with less dogs to wrestle my dog when all she wants to do is investigate and play in the water.
Off-​leash, quiet, and beautiful.

Onion Creekpark– this is a good park for hiking and biking that seems to be less traveled. Would highly recommend it if you’re looking to get out of the house for some exercise.

Austin’s best kept secret: A huge off-​leash dog park with a creek for dogs to swim in, and a hiking trail.
I have been living in this neighborhood for about 4 years and was hesitant to review this place because I wanted to keep it to myself– however I think that with the changes happening at Auditorium Shores, this park is likely to become a lot more popular… I’m already seeing a lot more new faces there.
There are horses on the trails, so you may want to make sure you can keep your pup in check to avoid any horse vs dog mishaps. Also, beware of wildlife: I’ve heard people say they’ve seen snakes — I haven’t seen any yet, but I have had a few close calls with skunks and families of deer.
My understanding is that the parks department does some of the maintenance here, but there is also a volunteer group that comes through every couple of weeks to help keep the park clean. So, please pick up your garbage/​take it with you if possible… however there are garbage cans and doggie bag stations.

I’m giving Onion Creek Park 4 stars rather than 5 simply due to the lack of shade. The park is well maintained and the parking was plentiful. It was just practically impossible NOT to be sunburned sitting out at Onion Creek for a weekend tournament. A nice park, just plan ahead for bathrooms and shade/​sunscreen.

I love taking my dog here and socializing with the other dog owners, or just enjoying the peacefulness of the park.
Pros: cool people and dogs, off leash, not crowded, beautiful scenery
Cons: Horse crap, since this is also a horse-​riding park.
Shady activity (maybe because of the part of town it is in), not much lighting – this is currently being worked on though by the city. I haven’t been in a few weeks, but I heard they’ve recently replaced the decrepit playscape. I don’t feel safe, even with my dog, walking on the trails though because of the crime activity in the area. I really enjoy the open part though.

I feel I need to update this after a year, because frankly 3 stars for a place I come to all the time now seems a bit low. And it also feels like Austin PARD puts more attention into this place these days. But still, it’s generally as quiet and secret as ever.
As someone else mentioned before, I too have seen a rattlesnake. Or at least, a dead one. Pretty unnerving. But, if you get your dogs up on shots, it’s not a big deal.
There is a marked increase in horse traffic in the past year, which is a pain for someone like me who has to gather up dogs that are ready to take on anything with 4 legs, while the horse riders don’t seem to think their mount will react to smaller mammals nipping at their ankles. But, they’re not always there and the telltale horse trailers are there at the entrance so you’re pretty much always ready for it. All things considered, it’s a small price to pay for the best hidden doggie park in the city.

I have to say, this IS a lovely park. .. however, I felt I had to let people know:
We encountered a rattlesnake last Sunday (4÷8÷2012) while hiking on the trail. It was in the tall grass next to the trail rather than right *on* the trail, but there nonetheless. My dogs like to wander off and on the trail and it was a very scary experience. The younger of the two found the snake and was very curious to see what it was. It coiled and was ready to strike. Luckily, I was able to get the dog to stop and I lunged in and yanked him out of there. The good part is that rattlers will let you know they’re there and that they don’t want YOU there — that sound is unmistakable and unforgettable! Be careful!

5 stars for proximity to my house in the 78 745, 5 stars for size, 5 stars for seclusion, 5 for wildness, and 5 for being dog and horse friendly. I’ve been living south-​central side for 5 years and I just discovered this place today. I let the dogs roam safely off leash only coming across one other person and dog in a very large park space.

Onion Creek is a great Park with not much human foot traffic. A few years back when I was boarding my horses in Buda we would ride here often. So, just an FYI watch out for gifts left behind by horses and since there is an off leash dog area you might run into a loose dog on the trail. This is actually a trail that I always keep my dog on leash for fear she might get kicked by a horse or run into some unfriendly wildlife. If you do choose to let your dog off leash make sure they have excellent recall because there are lots of animals rustling in the bushes and their scent left behind.
The main trail is wide with many overgrown side trails to explore. The waypoint has surprisingly clear water with lots of fish and a great spot to let your Pup cool off.
I am knocking off a star because I have seen dogs that do not have their parents with them — another reason I have to keep my dog on leash and carry a stick in case any dog or wildlife is not friendly. But, do not let that discourage you from visiting — it is a beautiful hike.

My dog, Shiner (yes, after the beer — and his full name is Shiner Black), LOVES this place! (and so do I!!)
I agree with Kim R. — this is a «secret» park. Hardly anyone goes here and while I kind of like it that way, I can’t really imagine why…
Off leash — check (although we don’t trust Shiner completely yet to let him off leash the whole time — he’s part beagle and the sniffer side of him takes over)
Water/​creek for Shiner to romp around in (when he’s not scared) — check
Nice hiking paths — check
Not too many 4 legged friends (if any) — check
I also agree with Kim R. and Christina A. that the main downside are the horses. We have yet to run into any, but Shiner has stepped, slipped and smelled his fair share of horsey poo. However, I don’t really see it as a negative. I think it gives character to the place.

I’m so glad I found this dog park! i’ve taken our pup twice so far and each time he wore himself completely out. He has tons of room to run around, play fetch, and explore. Not only that, but it’s the closest park to my house so its location is very convenient.
Either not many people know about this park, or they are afraid to come out here because it’s in East Austin. The few people that I’ve met are very responsible dog owners and, from what they’ve told me, it seems that they’re the only ones that frequent the area. It’s a shame, really, that more people don’t take advantage of all the running room and bring their dogs out here instead of, for example, Norwood Park.
The downside, as was mentioned in the previous review, is the horses. I have yet to run into any, but I’ve seen their «presents» laying around. I guess horse owners aren’t as diligent about picking up their messes as dog owners. I wish they were – Beto thinks horse poo is mighty tasty. :(

Onion Creek is one of my secret parks, but I’ll share it with you. It’s so secret that I want other dog owners to know it, love it and use it so it doesn’t ever go away.
I very rarely see other dogs at Onion Creek, but it’s a great park. Several equestrian properties abut Onion Creek, so there are tons of well-​worn trails. There’s water, too. That’s the upside.
The downside is that you very well may run into horses, so don’t let your dogs offleash unless you’re sure that your dog can peacefully coexist with horses. Don’t put your dog or riders in danger!