Barton Creek Greenbelt facts for kids
The Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin, Texas is a super cool outdoor area managed by the city's Park and Recreation Department. It's like a long, green playground that stretches for about 7.25 miles (11.67 km)! It starts near Zilker Park and goes all the way to a spot called "The Hill of Life."
The Greenbelt has three main parts: the Lower Greenbelt, the Upper Greenbelt, and the Barton Creek Wilderness Park. You'll see big limestone cliffs, lots of trees and plants, and shallow water areas.
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Weather in the Greenbelt
Since the Greenbelt is in Austin, Texas, it has a humid subtropical climate. This means it gets hot summers and mild winters. The area usually gets about 30 to 35 inches (760 to 890 mm) of rain each year. Most of the rain falls in the spring, and then a good amount in the fall.
You can find small pools of water in the Greenbelt all year round. However, the main creek that runs through it only flows strongly for about one or two months a year, depending on how much rain falls. The water from Barton Creek helps all the plants in the area grow really well!
Fun Things to Do
The Greenbelt is a fantastic place for people who love adventure because it has so many different types of land.
The big limestone cliffs are perfect for rock climbing. You'll see hikers and bikers enjoying the trails all year. If it's been raining a lot, mountain biking can be a bit tricky because the trails cross the creek, and it might be full of water.
When there's been plenty of rain, the creek fills up enough for fun water activities like swimming, cliff diving, kayaking, and tubing (recreation). There's even an event called "Tubin the Belt" where lots of people float down the creek on tubes one Saturday in the spring!
The Barton Creek Greenbelt is also known for its caves. One famous cave is Airmen's Cave. It's the longest cave in Travis County, stretching for about 2 miles (3 km)! Because some people got lost exploring it and needed help, the entrance was sealed with a locked steel gate. But don't worry, you can still explore it! Special groups arrange guided tours on certain days.
A Look Back in Time
The creek that created the Greenbelt was named after William Barton, who settled nearby in 1837.
Over the years, more and more land was added to the Greenbelt. For example, in 1974, the City of Austin bought over 132 acres for parkland, and then a bit more in 1982.
The trails in the Greenbelt have an interesting past. The very last part, known as "The Hill of Life," used to be closed to the public. But a person named John Hartman worked hard to get it opened. He gathered many neighborhood groups to convince the Parks and Recreation board to open the trail, and he succeeded!
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, people had to find ways to get around fences to reach the cool, clear water of the creek. The first "River Rats" (people who loved the Greenbelt) had a clear message for everyone: "If you carry trash in, you carry it out! Don't let your trash mess up our clear creeks and rivers!" This idea helped keep the Greenbelt clean.
More recently, organizations like The Trust for Public Land have helped expand the Greenbelt even more. They donated land in 2007 and 2009. Between 1992 and 1999, they bought almost 1,000 acres of land and gave it to the city. This helped turn a small public area into the big park we know today. They hope to keep adding more trails in the future!
Keeping the Greenbelt Great
The City of Austin's maintenance team works hard to keep the Greenbelt in good shape. In 2011, they got help from five members of AmeriCorps, a group that helps with conservation. This crew completed over 100 projects! They worked on stopping erosion (when soil washes away), restoring habitats for plants and animals, and mapping the area.
Many other groups also play a big part in keeping the Greenbelt nice. These include Greenbelt Guardians, Central Texas Mountaineers, and the Austin Ridgeriders. Many of these groups come together every year on the first Saturday in June for a big volunteer day called National Trails Day.
Popular Spots
Some of the most popular places to visit in the Barton Creek Greenbelt are:
- Twin Falls
- Campbell's Hole
- The Flats
- Gus Fruh
- Sculpture Falls
Images for kids
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Twin Fall Hammocks on the Greenbelt
