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Parks and Recreation               
  Department Header, serves as a link to return to               
  Department home page on each page
Parks
Park Directory | Playground Directory | Alcohol Prohibited Parks| Off Leash areas| Facilities| Museums, Historic Structures or Places | Gardens| Downtown Squares and Plazas| Disc Golf| Park Rules| Adopt-A-Park| Concession Contracts

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department oversees more than 17,576.06 acres of land containing 206 parks, 12 preserves (sanctuaries for native plants, native animals and unique natural features), and 26 greenbelts (parkland on creeks and canyons). Parks are open for public use each day from 5am - to 10pm unless otherwise posted. Exceptions may be authorized by the director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

view of Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail
View of Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail
View of Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail pedestrian bridge
View of Zilker Park
View of Butler Park
View of Zilker Botanical Garden
View of Butler Park at night
The City of Austin has developed a Park Viewer using GIS (Geographical Information System) mapping technology to allow you to find parks and facilities in Austin. See a map or aerial view of a park by selecting the "Find Closest Park" button. Use the pull down menu by "Park Facility" to look for specific park amenities.

Park Directory, a complete list of parkland including parks, preserves and greenbelts with maps and a list of amenities.



Adopt-A-Park, volunteer to preserve and protect your park.

Alcohol Prohibited Parks, the parks where the possession, sale and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

Community Gardens information packet and request for comments.

Concession Contracts, the Parks and Recreation Department offers three types of concession contracts within the park system.

Disc Golf, courses are available at five parks thoughout the city.

Downtown Squares and Plazas, the downtown squares are considered some of the first City of Austin parks. The plazas are small gathering places great for relaxation and reflection.

Facilities, including the Dougherty Arts Center, Austin Nature and Science Center,17 Recreation Centers, 3 Senior Activity Centers, and those facilities only open for private meetings, parties, weddings and celebrations.

Gardens, offer visitors a various amount of knowledge and experiences a great place for learning and experiencing different cultures.

Museums, Historic structures or Places, these locations represent a historic site or structure. These facilities offer a great learning experience to the public.

Off-Leash Dog Area, there are 12 off leash areas in Austin parks for you to enjoy with your dog. When not in these specified areas, the Austin leash ordinance requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet on all City land.

Park Rules are established as written guidelines for the use of City of Austin parks, wildlife preserves and recreational facilities. (City Code, Chapter 11-1).

Playground Directory
The Austin Parks and Recreations Department oversees 89 composite playground sites with playscapes for 2-5 and/or 5-12 age use, and 5 sites with swing sets only. In addition there are 16 playgrounds for public use shared with Austin Independent School District. The playgrounds are open for public use each day from 5am - 10pm unless otherwise posted. Exceptions for public time use may be for those sites shared with ASID or by the director of Parks and Recreation Department.


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