Activities
Austin's climate and abundant sunshine make it a natural for a wide range of outdoor activities. Everyone can find a level to feel comfortable with, whether you enjoy golf, cycling, boating, hiking, of just taking a stroll through our abundant parks. With our large population of artists and musicians, there is no shortage of theaters, art galleries, and places to enjoy live music of every variety.
If golf is your passion, we have over 75 courses ranging from public to country clubs, and many housing communities are built around golfing. The golf experience is Austin is a little different than in many metro areas, and you can actually get tee times here. It's also a year-round sport.
Lance Armstrong lives in Austin and trains here. We have some 40 and 60 mile road routes going through our Hill Country that provide excellent stamina building opportunities for cyclists setting their sights on the Tour de France. For those of us who are much less ambitious, it's okay for just staying in shape too. There are also bike trails throughout many of our parks and greenbelts, including Town Park along both shores of Lake Austin and on the south edge of downtown.
Austinites love their outdoors, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the quantity of publicly accessible walking and hiking trails within easy reach of most communities. Zilker Park on the west side of Austin has 350 acres of fields and trails as well as the famous Barton Springs Pool, a huge natural spring fed pool ideal for swimming at a constant 68 degrees year round. There are 10 miles of trails at Town Lake on the south edge of downtown, and this is an ideal spot for kayaking.
Water enthusiasts have a number of nearby lakes, including Lake Austin (at Town Lake) and the Highland Lakes. The most prominent of these is Lake Travis, just 20 miles from downtown Austin. It is 65 miles long with 270 miles of shoreline, and offers great views, great fishing (with a pro bass tournament), skiing, boating, and numerous marinas.
For indoor happenings, Austin is a cultural and artistic haven, with plenty of theaters, galleries, and performing arts events, including the Austin Symphony. You'll find an endless supply of bars and clubs for entertainment with music for every taste. The famed Austin City Limits is a 3-day running event with 8 stages and 130 bands. Another event (South by Southwest - SXSW) eclipses that as 1,400 bands come from around the world for a week-long extravaganza. The entertainment never stops as bands rotate hourly at just about every location that music can possibly be played. Austin is music from the classical to the wild side, and the art world expresses itself in a uniquely Austin fashion here.
The Austin area is developing its own list of wineries. While we excel in many things, it will be some time until California has to worry.
Whether you're looking for indoor or outdoor activities, Austin will provide as big of a selection as you can imagine, and give you the chance to enjoy life a little more. Most communities also have a range of social groups, and our warm Texas spirit makes everyone feel welcome.