Zilker Park

Zilker Metropolitan Park is Austin's great green backyard, a 350-acre expanse along the Colorado River just southwest of downtown. Donated to the city in the early 20th century by businessman Andrew Zilker, it has grown into the hub of the city's outdoor life and the setting for its biggest festivals, backed by a postcard view across Lady Bird Lake to the skyline.

Its natural spring is the jewel. Barton Springs, fed by the Edwards Aquifer, forms a large outdoor pool that stays around a bracing 68 to 70 degrees year-round, drawing swimmers even in the depths of winter. Around it spread sports fields, a botanical garden, a hillside of native plants, a miniature train and canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals along the river, giving the park a use for every season, age and interest.

It is best known as a festival ground. The park hosts the sprawling Austin City Limits Music Festival each autumn and the towering Zilker Holiday Tree and Trail of Lights through December, events that together draw hundreds of thousands. On ordinary days it is a place for picnics, frisbee, dog-walking and lazy afternoons by the water, capturing the easygoing, outdoorsy spirit the city is known for.

Practical notes: the park is free to enter, though the spring pool and some attractions charge a small fee, and parking fills quickly on warm weekends. Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable weather; summer afternoons are hot, making the spring-fed pool especially welcome. It is a short ride from downtown and connects to the popular hike-and-bike trail that loops the lake, an easy way to arrive on foot or by bicycle. Free outdoor concerts and movie nights fill the lawns on many summer evenings.