The City's Water Quality Protection Lands (WQPL) offers a variety of access alternatives - including hiking trails (in progress), participation in guided educational activities, and assistance with volunteer projects that contribute to land management. The emphasis with access is on education, one of the objectives of the program and something agreed upon through the stakeholder process as permissible on all WQPL holdings.

Trails & Self-Guided Access
The type of access most people may think of first is use of hiking trails, specifically for self-guided access. Two interpretive trail construction projects undertaken by stakeholders and guided by an official agreement with the City of Austin are anticipated to be completed in 2007/2008. Built by volunteers with some support from the WQPL program, these trails will allow citizens to have a self-guided, educational wildland experience. One trail is 1 ½ miles in the Bull Creek area accessed off of Spicewood Springs Road and is for foot traffic only. The other trail is 4 ½ miles in the Slaughter Creek area, accessed off of FM1826 and will be available for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Once trail construction is complete and interpretive signage is installed, the trails will be opened through community announcements. Check back on this site for trail maps, access rules, and other related information and links.

Guided Access & the Wildland Experience
More than simply an opportunity for exercise, the Division wants to provide the public with unique wildland experiences where they can learn about our local environment and how they can help be stewards. Programs in place and under development are designed to provide guided access-a format where information can be conveyed and where citizens can enjoy these lands, some of which are quite rugged, in a safe manner.

Interpretive Hikes
The guided interpretive hike program on WQPL began in June 2005. Led by trained volunteers, these hikes occur on the first Saturday of every month [make "first Saturday of every month" a link to calendar page] excluding August and alternate between two very different properties. The hikes were initiated on the Slaughter Creek Management Unit with a relatively flat, ½-mile route that offers excellent and easy viewing of oak-dotted grassland and creekside areas, home to a wide variety of native plants and animals. Scheduled for 1 ½ hours, this hike is a good choice for those who do not want a challenging hike or have young children. The property is accessed off of FM 1826 in southwest Austin.

In response to the requests for a longer and more rigorous hike, tours on the Lower Barton Creek Management Unit, specifically the tract called Parkhouse, began in February 2007. This 2 ½ hour hike follows a 3 ½ mile route over rugged terrain crossing classic Hill Country landscapes, offering beautiful views of surrounding wildland and a glimpse at a small, hidden natural spring. This hike is not recommended for small children, those with difficulty walking on rocky slopes, or those unaccustomed to vigorous physical exercise. The property is located near the Austin Zoo west of the "Y" in Oakhill.

Groups such as garden clubs, scout troops, environmental science classes and neighborhood associations are welcome to request a guided hike by completing and submitting an outreach request form. Staff will work with you to select a date, determine availability of staff or trained volunteers, and arrange a hike that accommodates your group's interests and skill level. Please note that scheduling of these hikes depends on restrictions due to ongoing land management or other circumstances. Guided access is also available on a small 3-acre tract called Brodie Wild accessed off of Slaughter Lane through the Native Plant Society of Texas - Austin Chapter. Under an agreement with the City of Austin, NPSOT manages this property. Their dedicated and ongoing efforts have resulted in documentation of a surprising list of over 200 native plants, installation of property signage, cutting of brush, and removal of garbage. Members of the group periodically scheduled guided walks or will try to accommodate requests based on availability. The City's Wildland Conservation Division staff has also been a driving force behind Austin Nature Day, an area-wide event initiated in the spring of 2005 to showcase the variety of exceptional outdoor facilities and programs available to our community. Several special activities were scheduled as part of Austin Nature Day on WQPL properties. The schedule for each year's activities is typically posted at the beginning of the year, though information and photographs from past years are viewable. Activities scheduled on City wildlands will be posted on the event website as well as our own calendar.

Access through Volunteering
Since 2004, the Division has been building a robust volunteer program and has benefited from the generous, dedicated, and skilled efforts of many wonderful people. Projects are organized first and foremost to meet the management needs for conserved properties but, by inviting volunteers onto the properties, they also provide those individuals with an opportunity to experience the land and learn from project leaders about land management techniques.