August 14, 2015
Grab your bike or hiking shoes — starting Friday, nature lovers will be able to experience a natural trail stretching from Austin into Hays County.
A six-mile stretch of the Violet Crown Trail will open to cyclists and hikers, going from Zilker Park to Sunset Valley.
The $12 million project started when the City of Austin wanted to come up with a way for people to enjoy all the land it bought to preserve the aquifers.
“The land we’re standing on was not open to the public until we built the Violet Crown Trail. The land south of the historic Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is beautiful, historic ranch land that will be open for the first time because of the Violet Crown Trail,” said George Cofer, executive director of Hill Country Conservancy.
The next leg of the trail to be finished will connect Sunset Valley to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in South Austin.
When complete, the Violet Crown Trail will be more than 30 miles long.