Good morning, everyone...another day given, another day to be grateful! ‍♂️ Downtown is an amazing place yo live. I live downtown central so walking & experiencing the beauty, traffic, & noices but in a fascinating way...after 6 months is still exciting. There are trails & parks, & food, shopping & if you are a people watcher....there are beautiful people everywhere; different people around every corner. It is an experience I will always be thankful for. Here are the parks & trails I walked through as I continue healing from trauma yesterday.
Playground
Ummm, play on the grounds. Bro it's sounds like you either old as dirt & hell don't remember how to play...or you should work on your question.
Restrooms
Here we go again...umm I wouldn't recommend napping in a bathroom but, you can empty your system. Baldder bowels etc. Please bring sanitizer because: you don't want to touch any surface more than necessary. I recommend using the bathroom at home before you leave.
Dog-friendliness
Yes....people & their pets are everywhere. It is becoming increasingly necessary to expand the places we go....to accommodate our pets. I personally wouldn't have a pet while living in the city. I will wait until I move out of TX.
Picnic area
Yeah...plenty of space to have picnics however; I can't say that I actually see alot of tables to sit & eat. Interesting!!! I will keep an eye out for picnic tables.

This park had gotten a major upgrade and it's incredible! This was already a great place to enjoy the outdoors but not with all the new play areas it has become a fantastic place for families to come and enjoy a few hours. There are new slides, swings for kids and adults ping pong tables (bring you own equipment) and mini climbing wall fornyounger kids and a huge climbing area for older kids. The splash pad is back and just in time for the summer for all to keep cool. There are plenty of shaded areas but make sure to still bring some sunblock. The city of Austin parks and the rest of the contributors of this project have outdone themselves. I just hope that people will do their part in helping to take care of it so it will last.. Definitely make some time to come check this place out, you will not be dissapointed. Enjoy!!!

This park is amazing! ....aside from the mandatory paid parking... stupid. But the park has a splash pad, rock climbing & slide area for toddlers and preschoolers, hills and tunnels, all stage swings, and a giant jungle gym for kids of all ages.... honestly, as a 35yo, it was really fun to climb with my kids to the top. Definitely worth the trip .... not sure about the paid parking... but still, the park is awesome. Lots of places to sit for adults when you're not chasing your toddler around like a chicken with their head cut off. Lol.
Restrooms
Over behind the jungle gym, behind the parking area.
Dog-friendliness
Large open fields with poop bags and disposal cans.
Picnic area
Lots of seating area and usable space.

Very fun, unique playground. Yeah parking kind of sucks but understandable considering its location. Unfortunately though it's a great place to get your windows smashed and your stuff stolen. In broad daylight. In a parking lot literally 30 feet away from the playground. Check out the Google maps aerial view to check out the encampment just the other side of the embankment and trees in the parking lot behind the Dougherty Arts Center. Maybe no one from there was involved in our car being broke into. Just the same though, how safe do you feel with your kids running around here after you see that?

My first time at this park today and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I live in Lubbock where there are almost no decent trails to ride a bike or jog on, and the set up in downtown Austin is just beautiful and amazing. The only real downside to it is because it’s so nice. There are tons of people here and riding a mountain bike on the trail is a little bit challenging just watching out for pedestrian traffic but as long as you don’t ride like a jerk it’s not so bad

Cons: Parking was NOT free. Bathrooms were NOT open (on a really beautiful day) signs on them said they would be opened in Dec 2022. They were not. Not porta toilet to use either. Park was very busy when we were there. No sun shades for protection from the sun. Pros: My kids had a great time. Lots of different things for the kids to do. Lots of climbing structures. Some fencing to keep the kids in. Felt relatively safe. Trails nearby for walking. Beautiful view.

I’ve driven by here quite a bit and there’s way more in this area than I thought. Nice walking areas and city views. There’s a decent off leash area, only wish it was fenced in since my dog can’t be trusted. The dock area is great for dogs that love to swim or even to step in a cool off. There’s fun little fountain / sprinkler area but the dogs aren’t allowed. Parking isn’t too bad. There’s a lot by the 1st street bridge and more along Riverside.

This is a phenomenal park, well maintained and well laid out pretty much in the heart of the city... I brought my kids to fly kites after the main 4th events before we left... This park is a great example for any city to use.. I loved this place and will definitely return to continue to explore further.. These pictures just dont do enough justice for this park... Highly recommended the veiw of the city is picture perfect A must see if in Austin

It's a lovely spot for a stroll. This urban trail is absolutely gorgeous, filled with wildflowers, trees, and birds that surround Lady Bird Lake, a reservoir along the Colorado River. You'll even find the iconic Congress Avenue "Bat Bridge" here. My friends and I decided to bike around the trail, and while it was quite popular, we only encountered a few spots where we had to navigate through the crowd carefully.

Great playground. Kids had so much fun. Something for kids of every age. The only thing to be weary of is if you come with different aged kids, one kid might run one direction and the other kid might want to play at a different section of the playground. So be prepared to come with sufficient adults to watch the kids :) Over all such a lovely place to play with toilets a nice green area to run around as well.

The park seemed okay. Many seem to enjoy this area though I found that it was just okay. The encampments of people at the edges detracted quite a bit from the park. I liked the view of the city at the water line and the area was easy to get to. There were some areas that seemed better than others for relaxing. I saw many people here which is always a great sing for a community park.

Great place to relax and walk around, see the city skyline. many people doing different things, exercising, walking dogs, playing with kids. It's a fun place and near the water. Very relaxed, a nice public restroom near the Daughty art center. Close to Palmer event center. We even saw ducks and turtles near the pond and splash pad. One of my favorite spots in Austin!

I absolutely love and adore this place. The only thing that I don’t like is that there’s rats at night and you see them by the bushes there’s homeless, but what can you do we’re in Austin Tx Also, the light shut off I believe at 10 o’clock but you can still hang out, it’s just a little dark.. but exciting lol oh and keep in mind the little critters..

Like any big city, the park will be crowded, dirty and have homeless people. BUT this one offers a beautiful view of the city skyline, and is quite an expansive space on the river. If you are visiting, it is the heart of activity in Austin. There's the dog park, walking trails, playground, auditorium, bathrooms and people kayaking on the water.

Great park, so much fun for the kiddos. The playground is very unique and has lots of slides, a sandpit, huge climbing section and even a little splash pad. The public restrooms here are a different story though, absolutely disgusting. Bring sanitizer! There was no soap. The men's was locked and I was told it's always locked for some reason.

Great place for kiddos of all ages. A sand box my grandson cannot get enough of, a sprinkle area to run around and get soaked in, a pond with ducks, fish and turtles. Tge only thing I didn't like was the pond is very dirty and the some of the sprinkles don't work. Other than that please do visit. You will love it as we all do.

This playground is absolutely amazing! It’s a dream for kids all ages! I also love that it’s in the heart of Austin!
Playground
It’s absolutely massive! Such a fun place to go visit!!
Picnic area
There are tables throughout the entire playground which makes it super convenient to bring a lunch!

Beautiful park, Austin residents should be thankful for having such an amazing park. The combination of nature and city is surreal. Clear water river, calm enough for many canoes and little boats. Right next to it, the amazing and modern Austin Skyline. This park helps you explore this amazing location.

The place is most lively, and beautifully lit on New Year's Eve. Massive gathering of folks from all around the state. There's game tents for kids, bands playing lively music, and food trucks. The best part is the fireworks: one of the longest you'll ever see (lasted 12 minutes, check the photos).

Very nice park definitely recommend to anyone Downtown visiting Austin. The hill at Butler park is very calming and a nice place to go with family or friends. Went with my friends to take pictures and we got some pretty nice shots. Only downside is parking was very hard to find on weekend.

Beautiful park, great place to relax, read a book, bring your dog &/or kids, take a nap, play games, bike, skateboard or whatever! Nice, clean sidewalks, splash pad & restroom. Terry Black's BBQ is right across the street with AMAZING food. Also good place for Pokemon GO!

My favorite park in Austin! There’s a great playground and water play area for kids. Also, a large field with an amazing view of the downtown area. I love to come here for picnics, dates, and just to have fun outside.
Picnic area
A few picnic tables, trash cans

Fun outdoor park with a playground and splash pad. Also some water with turtles, a lot of turtles.
Playground
Lots of fund playground activities for kids. Pretty big playground and park.
Picnic area
Plenty of room on the grass to have a picnic.

Great park to meander around across from the skyline of Austin. Plenty of areas to sit around and work remote if that's your thing. There's also a little soccer league that takes place here in the afternoon that seems to be a fun competitive thing to try

Awesome park in Austin downtown. Has limited parking space with wheelchair accessible parking. Has children's park and fountain within the park. Its maintained clean and is good for pre-wedding photo shoots with lake view. #Must recommended in Austin

What a wonderful place to bring your child. This is such a lovely playground with a gigantic climbing structure, slides, blocks to climb and a hobbit like area filled with tunnels and mounds for your kids to run through. My son has a blast!!!

And another great Austin park. Combine this with a walk around the lake at Auditorium Shores and you can take the family out for a full day. Bench swings, picnic and ping pong tables (bring your own paddles/ball), big slides, climbing net,

This park has so much to do for kids of all ages - there is a great place to climb that looks like a big blue spiderweb, there is an area to run and play that looks hills and tunnels, there is sand to play in, outdoor musical instruments

Beautiful park along the water that is like heaven for dogs! So much room to run, things to sniff, and fun to be had. Also lots of pretty places to sit, picnic, read, and relax for humans. Great spot to be on a nice day or around sunset!

The city has done a lot with this park. When it first opened there were only water spouts, now look at this! It's huge! Watch for the rats and mice at night though. Not a ton of 'em but you'll spot one or two coming out of a bush. Lol

Cute little park. You wouldn't think the little pond there would have fish, but it does. Not great to fish with kids because the fish are extremely pressured, but if you're a solo angler and you're patient you can get a few bites.

This park is under construction, bit the trails are very nice walking around the lake. We did the electric scooter rides and they were fun. Once the construction on the park side is completed this will be a very beautiful park.

This park has it all. Plenty to do with lots of free space. You could spend hours here with your kids. We sure did! The park is showing some minor needs for maintenance and seeing the traffic, I'd say it's fared pretty well.

It’s a very beautiful place in the middle of the city. I loved the downtown views from here. There’s a cute amphitheater, kids park and a fun fountain. There’s a golf course right beside the park too. Enjoyed my time here.

There are so many facilities for kids to play. And there are two table tennis table that you cn play pingpang with your friends. There are a very busy place. You'd better park near Starbucks. It is free on Sunday.

What an amazingly cool place! As a visitor from Austin, I loved all of the open outdoors space. The food trucks were really cool benefit. I think this is a great idea that a lot of larger cities should implement.

This park is beautiful every time we go, regardless of the season. I love the turtles in the pond and the fountain is peaceful. Don't forget to go up on Sahm Hill for some great shots with the skyline behind you.

This is a really great park. Our kids are getting bigger and they will enjoy this place. There are plenty of spots for parents to sit. I haven't ventured into the restrooms so I'm not sure if they're kept clean.

Great to walk through in the morning or evening. Lot of people on the weekends. Always fun when lots of families and pets around. Best when the Austin Symphony does their free concerts in the park in summer.

nice park focused on kids' activities such as swings, slides, rock climbing, etc. awesome views of downtown. plenty of space to play soccer run around, etc. Walkable distance from eatries, restaurants.

Nice place for kids and family. We spent good time here. Bikes available for rent as well. Kids will enjoy a lot. Paid parkings near by, also Free parking available for 2hrs but very limited slots.

Perfect for everyone! Amazing playground! Wish this was around when I was a kid in Austin! Great walks, views, location to Town Lake and honestly, just perfect! Perfect backdrops for photos too!

Love it. The only bad thing about it is that the parking is very limited. But the park was nice. Beautiful scenery. I'll post more pics of the trip. It is worth it to stop and explore the park.

Beautiful park and playground!! The bathroom is terrible and gross though and I think I need to complain to the City directly on this....
Playground
Fun playground!! Gross bathrooms!!!

Huge park with lots to do for all ages! It has a great view of downtown too! This is my favorite spot to come skate, walk and then sit down and just enjoy the view while my kids run around

I love walking here, most of the trail paths have a clear view of the water. Parking is difficult sometimes but once you do find parking, the complete loop is about 3 miles or more.

A beautiful walk next to the river that can then end at the playground. We stayed for about an hour and a half in the playground, so it's kid approved for sure. Enjoy the evening!

Parking can be competitive, but it's a great place for kids. Our 4 year old loves everything. There's a rope jungle gym, slides, swings, hills to climb, tunnels, sand, games etc.

Greatest park on Earth..fabulous place to relax work so many seats..great river to go down...big spaces jyst the best park I've ever seen after going to many major cities …

Amazing park for kids of all ages. Lots to do. Splash pad area. Climbing. Swinging. Slides. Tunnels. Parkour style for bigger kids as well. Great picnic spot. Close to trails.

Great photo ops everywhere you turn and so much for the kids to do, they'll never want to leave. Don't forget a change of clothes for the splash pad. Clean restrooms on-site.

This place was gorgeous 10/10 it's a must see when in ATX
Playground
Huge with water features
Restrooms
Clean free to use
Dog-friendliness
Huge dog park

Best playground we found for my Pre-K daughter. There's a huge rope pyramid, slides , interesting art/terrain, swings, hobbit-home like tunnels under hills, and more.

Used to be a small park with great austin skyline view but now its upgraded to a childrens park. Kids will have lot of fun at this park, the highlight is splash pad.

I never knew the park existed and I’m now going to take all my friends here! The beauty and the overview of the city is enough to calm you of your stress of the day!

You can have a nice walk in the afternoon or a night stroll in the well lit park. Always clean and manicured lawn. And the new amphitheater is awesome.

A great children's park that has taken a lot of thinking about how to be interactive. Also had a nice view of the city skyscrapers. Highly recommended

Loved this park and the kid adores it. Climbing running sliding. To much fun. A great place to go with younger kids.
Playground
Fun fun fun

We love strolling through the park when the weather is nice. I like to use the iNaturalist plant ID app to discover new plants along the hike.

When u want to get the best view of the city come to this place in the night time. The view is awesome and it’s clean and safe place as well.

I asked my kids (6 & 4) what was their favorite part from our family roadtrip to Austin and they didn't even hesitate: "BUTLER METRO PARK!!"

This place is great. There is lots of parking, biking and walking trails. The River is close by, and this park is great for some relaxation.

A wonderful place to walk around , have picnic, read a book , play volleyball. And, yes, you can park for free, if you find a spot!

Perfect view of the sky line along the river. A bit trashy along the shoreline but there are ducks and smooth walking trails.

Pitch and putt! Fun, little course. Old school but kept up well. Great location and great staff. Very laid back. Swing easy!

There is parking on both sides of the park. What I enjoy the most is the location and the splash pad is great for the kids

Beautiful @ night lots of people riding scooters and bikes playing in the water with colorful lights …

A perfect spot to catch some sun, take a walk, ride a bike and enjoy some nice skyline views!
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A popular must see photo-op location. Every time I visit this spot there are more buildings added to the skyline.

Great park, parking is hard to find and the lot that used to be free is now pay to park! Cmon Austin, do better!

Having a great time. Very nature-centered. Beautiful trails. You shouldn't get bored if you're into sights.

Great place to hangout! Beautiful view of Austin skyline. Awesome park for kids & water splash. Must visit!

We love it here. It has an awesome view too. There are restrooms, awesome tunnels, slides, rock climbing.

Great place to go with kids. Lots of space for throwing balls/frisbees and playground options.

Best view of Austin Skyline at close range. Good park. Only negative is the lack of parking.

Very nice park good for walk and for kids it is amazing kids just love to be here

Always a great place for exercise, relaxation and beautiful views of downtown!

Really cool park! Awesome installations. Free parking not too far up the hill.

Beautiful park with many activity areas for kids. My grandsons favorite park!

Great place to bike and just enjoy the view. And smell the fresh air.

Good playground. Nice views of the city. Parking is very difficult.

Great park but what a waste of water in this time of high drought

Omg amazing views, a little scary being so high up but beautiful.

Very spacious park and clean definitely take my kids here

It is a good place to see the skyline of Austin downtown.

Fun day out at Butler Park with family. Love this spot!

Nice park to walk and spend some time with nature!

Beautiful walk along the river in downtown Austin.

Amazing park, Great walk and views.

Great park for kids of all ages.