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Johnson Creek Greenbelt

Type: Trail

Length: 1.11 Miles

Elevation Gain: N/A

Cost: N/A

Rating:

(2.00)6

Difficulty: 1star

(1.33)

Solitude:

(1.92)

ADA Accessible: N/A

Bikes Allowed: Yes

Dogs Allowed: Yes

Interpretive Guide: No

City: Austin

County: Travis

More Information: More Info

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The trails runs from Veterans Drive (across the street from the Town Lake hike and bike trail) north to Enfield Road. The entirety of the path is paved and generally easy to navigate.

The southern end of the trail includes numerous spur trails going off in all directions, joining the trail with Austin High School, 5th Street, 6th Street and Lake Austin Blvd. The northern 3/4ths of the trail is a straight shot by comparison.

Traffic is your constant companion as the trail parallels MoPac Expressway and several other busy streets in the area. When not running next to a major road, it's probably running underneath one. The trail goes through a couple of tunnels along its path that might cause a little concern for some, particularly those alone.

A restored windmill beside the trail contains a marker that indicates that site was the home of Effie Cara and Wylie Wilson Bennett. No additional information is provided and none could be found online.

Photos

A closer view of the windmill. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

The restored windmill structure along the trail marks the spot where Effie and Wylie Bennett made their home. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Did we mention there are lots of bridges on or near the trail? (Photo by Austin Explorer)

The southern half of the trail passes under numerous bridges, but also manages to have a bridge or two of its own. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Much of the trail is paved and travels between MoPac and Winsted Street. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Log Entries

Car Companions
By Austin Explorer on 11/20/2013
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Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Cars will be your common companion along much of the route. Traffic noise is ever apparent, but this trail is a convenient way to get down to the Town Lake hike and bike trail.

First time on this trail
By jar935 on 2/10/2013
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Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Quite liked it. Not a lot of "nature" per se, but some interesting scenery and plenty of branching off trails for further exploration. Saw a parking lot by Austin High School for those who drive. Some problems with erosion and rickety bridges that proved unpleasant due to my screaming fear of heights. But if you're not the sort who gets dizzy on a step stool, like me, you'll probably be fine. Will definitely visit again.

Nice in parts
By texaskdog on 5/9/2010
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Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: 40 minutes

Starts on Enfield as a sidewalk but a ways off the road. Eventually goes under Mopac and becomes nice the rest of the way. If you don't mind being under several highway bridges many times, it's a cool path. Lots of small bridges too. What the last 10 blocks of Shoal Creek trail should be!

By DBrown on 2/11/2010
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Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A

biked it a few times
By barefoot mcgraw on 10/29/2009
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Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A

quite enjoyable on a road bike, though there is a sharp turn when you get down near the overpasses, and as i vaguely recall, no railing.

also a rather dark tunnel that i do not think i would have ventured into as a solitary female had i been on foot.

still, not too bad, and i do want to return sometime to get pictures of the mill or whatever that old structure is.

Heavy erosion and trail closure
By Riff Raff on 5/11/2006
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Distance: 0.20 Mile Duration: N/A
I'd walked on a bridge over this trail a number of times walking between my office building and Thundercloud. Did not know the name of it at the time, but erosion has not been kind to this trail. The trail was laid in concrete, and much of the foundation for the trail has been washed away since then. Large concrete slabs have half-fallen into the creek area, and some of the slabs that haven't fallen (yet) have entirely too much visible space underneath for anyone to actually contemplate walking on them. I was rather surprised that access to that trail had not been closed, as it's obviously a dangerous area.

I took another section of this trail going to and from the Town Lake Hike & Bike trail today and sure enough, there's actually a trail closure sign further south of the section I'd already seen. So, it's a serviceable connector between 5th Street and Town Lake Hike & Bike but you wouldn't be able to go farther north than that without using the surface streets. The trail near Enfield road could be better, but I wouldn't hold my breath. This area needs a whole lot of work.

Recommended Item

The Complete Walker IV
Colin Fletcher, Chip Rawlins
~~List Price: $30.00~~ Your price: $28.17

For the first time since 1984, we have a new edition of the classic book that Field & Stream called “the Hiker’s Bible.” For this version, the celebrated writer and hiker Colin Fletcher has taken on a coauthor, Chip Rawlins, himself an avid outdoorsman and a poet from Wyoming. Together, they have made this fourth edition of The Complete Walker the most informative, entertaining, and thorough version yet. The eighteen years since the publication of The Complete Walker III have seen revolutionary changes in hiking and camping equipment: developments in waterproofing technology, smaller and more durable stoves, lighter boots, more manageable tents, and a wider array of food options. The equipment recommendations are therefore not merely revised and tweaked, but completely revamped. During these two decades we have also seen a deepening of environmental consciousness. Not only has backpacking become more popular, but a whole ethic of responsible outdoorsmanship has emerged. In this book the authors confidently lead us through these technological, ethical, and spiritual changes. Fletcher and Rawlins’s thorough appraisal and recommendation of equipment begins with a “Ground Plan,” a discussion of general hiking preparedness. How much to bring? What are the ideal clothes, food, boots, and tents for your trip? They evaluate each of these variables in detail—including open, honest critiques and endorsements of brand-name equipment. Their equipment searches are exhaustive; they talk in detail about everything from socks to freeze-dried trail curries. They end as they began, with a philosophical and literary disquisition on the reasons to walk, capped off with a delightful collection of quotes about walking and the outdoor life. After a thoughtful and painstaking analysis of hiking gear from hats to boots, from longjohns to tent flaps, they remind us that ultimately hiking is about the experience of being outdoors and seeing the green world anew. Like its predecessors, The Complete Walker IV is an essential purchase for anyone captivated by the outdoor life. Read more