City of Austin Park Rangers

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City of Austin Park Rangers

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PARD is an imperfect organization striving to build spaces that are equitable and inclusive.

Park Rangers are ambassadors for Austin's park system that promote responsible recreation, cultivate stewardship, and conserve parks' cultural and natural resources for the benefit of our entire community. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) acknowledges and recognizes the depth of systemic racism and racial violence the Black community and people of color face daily. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others, along with the violent acts against communities of color have been distressingly familiar—another chapter in our nation’s long history of white supremacy and racial violence. We are committed to creating and maintaining spaces where communities can learn, reflect, engage, and thrive. As protests and demonstrations continue around the country, PARD recognizes the leadership of Black community members and supportive allies across the city, demanding systemic change. The City of Austin’s vision of becoming a beacon of social equity underlines PARD’s commitment to reflect upon our past and embrace the challenges of our future. Through our parks, trails, swimming pools, recreation centers, museums and cultural centers, we strive to maintain meaningful connections with our community, listen intently, and will continue to push back against racism.

10/23/2026

Come spend the morning with the Austin Park Rangers for It’s My Park Day on Saturday November 7th from 9am to 12pm. Today's featured project is the Givens Giveback & Cleanup! Whether you’re a longtime neighbor or simply love Austin’s parks, we’d love to have you join us as we give a little love back to Givens District Park. Together, we’ll pick up litter, spruce up the park, and help make this special community space cleaner, brighter, and more welcoming for everyone. Come lend a hand, meet your neighbors, and show Givens some love!

Givens Giveback & Cleanup
It's My Parks Day
Saturday November 7th, 9am-12pm
3811 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78721
Meet near Martin Banks Pavillion

Register by clicking on the link below.
https://austinparks.givepulse.com/event/938015-its-my-park-day-givens-giveback-clean-up

10/19/2026

Join A Ranger Fishing! Get hooked! Ever wanted to learn how to fish but didn't know where to start? Join one of our FREE fishing programs this weekend! Saturday AND Sunday we'll be at Zilker Park with all of the gear you need to hook a big one. We're reel-y excited about this program. Catch us there!

Join A Ranger Fishing
Saturday and Sunday
October 24th and 25th
9:30am-11:30am
2105 Andrew Zilker Rd, 78746
Barton Creek, Zilker Park

We'll also have a knot tying activity and Backyard Bass at the Zilker Caretaker's Cottage.
This event is free and open to the public. All ages. Fishing License required for those aged 17 and up. We'll be on Barton Creek, down the stairs from the playground. See you there!

https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/park-rangers

10/17/2026

We're very thankful to everyone who came out to our guided hike at Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt last Saturday! This greenbelt provides some great nature access along the trails in northeast Austin. We are happy to share it with you! Our next guided hike is on Sunday November 8th at Louis René Barrera Indiangrass Wildlife Sanctuary, further north and east. This preserve is usually closed to the public, but we're going to open it up for this special event. More details to come. Stay tuned!

https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/park-rangers

10/15/2026

It will be perfect biking weather this weekend! Join us at the Zilker Caretaker’s Cottage on Saturday October 17th and Sunday October 18th for two fun-filled mornings of biking along the Butler Hike and Bike Trail and chatting with Rangers.

Park Ranger Bike Tours
BYOBike
Saturday October 17th and Sunday October 18th
9:30 AM- 11:30AM
Zilker Caretaker’s Cottage, Zilker Park
2105 Andrew Zilker Rd, 78746

Get ready to pedal through scenic trails and learn how our natural spaces influence the culture of Austin. This event is perfect for families, friends, and anyone looking for an active adventure. Grab your bike, pack some snacks, and get ready for a memorable ride…with us! We can't wait to see you there!

Know Before You Go:
Bring Your Own Bike - Helmet Required - 5 mile ride on shared trail - Mostly flat, decomposed granite trail - All ages.
Free and open to the public. Parking is currently free at Zilker Park.

10/14/2026

ACL is over. Tens of thousands of people use park trails to gain entry into the festival grounds in Zilker Park. This year, we gave out hundreds of gallons of water to incoming festival goers and provided some minor first aid. Folks dressed in festival garb chose shoes (including mud boots) that cause blisters and we were happy to provide band-aids to them. We had fun people watching and helping people get into the gates safely.

https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/programs/park-rangers

10/09/2026

We took our new class of Park Ranger Cadets from Akins High School to explore the Austin Nature and Science Center in Zilker Park. Some of them had never been there while others had grown up at ANSC summer camps. They really liked the live animal exhibits and we couldn't get them out of the Dino Pit. A big part of our work is introducing the cadets to opportunities for natural resources careers in the Austin area. We walked with them from the cottage all the way across Zilker to the Nature Center. That was so they could be acquainted with Zilker Park, since some of them might end up working with us as interns next summer.

Have you ever been to the Austin Nature and Science Center? Click the link to learn more about the Austin Nature and Science Center.
https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/locations/austin-nature-and-science-center

10/08/2026

How many people wide should your crew travel on trails? It depends. The general recommendation is that your squad should be a maximum of two people wide. Austin's trails vary and so do trail widths. Some trails are only one person wide and two abreast just won't work at all. Other trails can accommodate two-way travel with walkers, runners, and cyclists on the same trail. Consider other users and don't take up more than half of the trail. Be trail aware of your grouping and adjust for other users.

We heard a cyclist yell at some walkers on the Boardwalk recently. He said "SINGLE FILE!!!!" to some people who were actually using good trail etiquette. No cool bro. It's not even accurate. Double file? That's the correct term, right?

Click the link for a directory of Austin's trails.
https://www.austintexas.gov/parks/locations/trail-directory

10/07/2026

Join Austin Park Rangers for a Guided Hike at Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt, Saturday October 10th from 9am-11am. We’ll examine this unique riparian corridor, the historic Chisolm Trail, and wander through the wooded hilly trails. Stick around after the hike, we’ll be handing out Junior Ranger Activity Books. Complete 5 activities from the book and we’ll swear you in as a Junior Ranger, right there on the spot. We’ll meet at the parking lot on 51st St near 183. Look for the Ranger truck.

Austin Park Ranger Guided Hike
Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt
183 Trail 51st Street Trailhead, 78723
Saturday October 10th
9:00am-11:00am

9:00-9:30am – Skins and Skulls Touch Table
9:30am-10:30am – Guided Hike
10:30-11:00am - Junior Ranger Activity Book

https://maps.app.goo.gl/BM3LFATFiDZCLKH9A

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Free and open to the public! Free parking onsite.
No reservation is required. All Ages. Expect a 1.5-2 mile hike on shared uneven trails. Dress appropriately, bring water and snacks. Leashed pups are welcomed, strollers not recommended. There will be one road crossing facilitated by rangers. There are no bathrooms at this site.

10/03/2026

Interpretive bike ride with Austin Park Rangers??? INTERPRETIVE BIKE RIDE WITH AUSTIN PARK RANGERS!!! Join us at the Zilker Caretaker’s Cottage on Saturday October 17th or Sunday October 18th for a fun-filled morning of biking and exploring culturally relevant locales along the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Get ready to pedal through scenic trails and learn how our natural spaces influence Austin. This event is perfect for families, friends, and anyone looking for an active adventure. Grab your bike, pack some snacks, and get ready for a memorable ride…with us! We can't wait to see you there!

Park Ranger Bike Tour
Saturday October 17th or Sunday October 18th
9:30 AM- 11:30AM
Zilker Caretaker’s Cottage, Zilker Park
2105 Andrew Zilker Rd, 78746

Know Before You Go:
Bring Your Own Bike - Helmet Required - 5 mile ride on shared trail - Mostly flat, decomposed granite trail - All ages.
Free and open to the public. Parking is currently free at Zilker Park.

10/01/2026

Rangers were alerted to this rope tree house in a park in south Austin. We received the notification through 311. It was a semi-permanent structure connected to the trees with hammered-in nails. When someone changes the physical conditions in adjacent or public lands with no authorization, it's called an encroachment. Building your own trails in parks would be another example. We waited a few days to see if it would get taken down. Then we put a notice on it that we would remove it in 7 days. After 7 days, we removed it. While a couple nails are unlikely to cause catastrophic damage to a tree, there is some risk to the trees that we would like to avoid. Parks are shared resources and wild spaces are intended to be wild. Feel free to put up temporary hammocks using tree wraps. Stay on trails. Let the wild be wild!

Report encroachments by calling or using the 311 app. Click the link for more information about Austin 311.
https://www.austintexas.gov/3-1-1

Address

2105 Andrew Zilker Road
Austin, TX
78746

Telephone

+15129782600

Website

http://www.austintexas.gov/parkrangers

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