Growing up at my parent’s house in south Austin I spent many summer days hiking, biking, and swimming all over Barton Creek. I think it’s one of Austin’s best undiscovered features. I’m not talking about Barton Springs pool which everyone knows about but the park and wilderness area upstream from it. I remember the first time a friend showed me the super secret path down to the creek, at the time I felt like a new secret world was just opened up to me. We spent the next several summers down there for entire days at a time. There are a few bike trails down there that are perfect for maintain biking. You can choose to stay on the north side of the creek where the trails are relatively flat or try the south side for a little more adventure where with more rocks, turns, and jumps.

A few weeks ago Tina and I spent the weekend at my parents and I was lucky enough to be able to share Barton Creek with her. Since this was August, in Texas, it was hot! So we left early in the morning before it got too hot from my parents neighborhood, Travis Country, and hiked down to the creek. Unfortunately it hadn’t rained for a while so the creek was bone dry. But that didn’t stop us! I showed her one of the many springs along the creek, and we stopped at Twin Falls. I loved this place, it’s really great natural waterfall. The water has cut several channels in the rock so it has everything Jacuzzi pools, flat shallow water, deep water, and there is a secrete cave behind one of the water waterfalls!

Panoramic view of Twin Falls along Barton Creek when it’s dry as a bone. Photo taken August 2010.