Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

We took Rim Rock trail with our 10-​year-​old son, and we had a blast. The landscape is varied — flat at some points, steep at others. There is shade in some parts but not in others, so be sure to take some sunscreen. We went on a Saturday morning and ran into only a handful of other hikers… there were just enough people there to make me feel like we wouldn’t be completely alone in case of emergency (since we lost cell service out there), but we were all so spread out that we just occasionally saw the other hikers from a distance.
I think the shorter trails at Balcones would be great for little kids. Rim Rock was perfect for my 10-​year-​old, but I wouldn’t take a younger kid on that one.

This place is awesome! I love hiking here. I’ve brought my kids and they loved it. The sunset deck is amazing. Just wish you could bring dogs!

Great place for a family hike. We have kids from 8 to 15. They all loved it. Not really a work out but a good hike, pretty views and a waterfall.

Not a lot of trails, but they are out-​of-​the-​way and thus sparsely used. You get some pretty great vistas all to yourself, and it’s just a few miles from Austin, and even closer to Cedar Park. There are two trailheads, several miles apart. You can do all the trails on either one in a little more than an hour, depending on how fast you go. There are some fun uphill sections also. The HQ has a short trail also, but I haven’t done that yet. Worth the trip.

Gorgeous trails! Great place to go for a hike — and it’s really not far from Austin! Great day trip!

One of my favorite central TX hikes. It’s a little off the beaten path, so there’s never very many people here. The hike to the top of the ridge is enough of a climb that it will «wind» mist low-​landers. Actual switchbacks. I did this hike 2 – 3 times before I discovered the Indian grass trail… My new favorite. Every time I hike it, I’m amazed I’m in Texas!
It’s a good 3 – 5 miles of hiking to get the blood flowing, beautiful in the spring when the flowers bloom!

The address listed will take you to the headquarter which only opens M-​F. The actual entrance to the park is about a mile to the east of the headquarter.
It is free to enter and opens 7 days a week.
The trails aren’t that hard, there were some small up hills, but it wasn’t bad at all. Kind humid though.
There are bugs in the forest, so get you bug spray ready.
I was here the day after the thunderstorm and it was cloudy, the trail can be a bit muddy and slippery, but it wasn’t bad.
Overall, a great place to get away from the city, get back in the nature with beautiful view of the Hill Country and get some exercise in.

Pretty nice for a mostly simple few hour hike. It’s good to get away from the city for a bit and experience the stillness of the Hill Country. Not too many people out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Pretty easy to find and there is some good information here:
Happy trails!

We ventured out to Doeskin Ranch based on a fellow Unilocaler’s review, and we are happy we did! It made for a great afternoon 5 mile hike. Bring plenty of water and beware of snakes.
If you are unfamiliar with the area, it can be difficult to locate this section of hiking trails, so I thought I’d add the coordinates for anyone in my shoes.
Latitude — Longitude:
30.620 994,-98.74 468

Regarding hiking — the Balcones Canyonlands refuge for two endangered migratory birds contains two of the nicest trails in the Austin area: Doeskin Ranch and Warbler Vista.
Warbler Vista (located along FM 1431) is a moderately easy hike through the cedar and oak canopy on the side of a ridge. The trail is shady and well-​maintained, and they have interpretive markers along the way to illustrate plants or features that can be observed. Make sure you pick up a pamphlet at the trail head. The trail terminates at Sunset Deck, which is a very attractive structure at the top of the ridge with a nice view of the valley below. If you walk all the trails and do a loop it is approximately 3.65 miles.
Doeskin Ranch (located along FM 1174) is the more challenging and scenic of the two trails in the refuge. There are five trails in the system — most of which are connecting loops. The most interesting portion is Rimrock Trail to Shin Oak Trail to Indiangrass Trail. Rimrock gets moderately challenging when you are climbing switchbacks up the ridge. It offers moderate views. The remote Indiangrass Trail loop is the best part of the hike (just make sure you follow the cairn rock pile markers). The trail passes through rolling hills of cactus and rocks and is quite beautiful. Beware rattlesnakes. If you walk all the trails in this system it is approximately 5 miles.
Either trail is totally worthwhile for an afternoon hike! You could even do both trail systems in one day. Just check and make sure the refuge is not closed for hunting before you go.

Beautiful area with nice trails. Super nice people working here as well. The girl and I just missed bird season which is a total bummer. This is a reserve for two different endangered bird species. Great for all ages.