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Lists of Parks in Austin, Texas compiles notable public parks, greenbelts, preserves, and metropolitan parks maintained by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD). As of 2025, Austin’s park system spans roughly 15,200 acres of parkland across the city.^[1] According to the Trust for Public Land’s 2025 ParkScore, Austin has 512 parks, with 68% of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park; approximately 10% of city land is parkland.^[2][3]

Public parkland in Austin dates to the nineteenth century. In 1875 Governor Elisha M. Pease and Lucadia Pease deeded 23 acres along Shoal Creek for the city’s first public park, now Pease Park.^[4][5]

Between 1917 and 1934, entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Jackson Zilker transferred land that became Zilker Park; major improvements, including park buildings and the enlargement of Barton Springs Pool, were constructed during the 1930s through federal programs such as the Civil Works Administration and WPA.^[6][7]

By the early 20th century, Austin had expanded its park portfolio with district and neighborhood parks; through the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the system added large metropolitan parks, extensive greenbelts (e.g., Barton Creek Greenbelt), wildlife sanctuaries, and lakefront spaces around Lady Bird Lake.^[1]

Austin’s 2025 ParkScore profile reports:^[2][3]

• 512 parks across the city.
• 68% of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park (national median: 76%).
• Parkland equals roughly 10% of city land area.

 PARD reports approximately 15,200 acres of parkland under management, reflecting metropolitan parks, preserves, greenbelts, golf courses, and specialized facilities.[1]

Amenities and facilities range from regional greenbelts to neighborhood playgrounds, pools, splash pads, sports complexes, and off-leash areas. An April 2024 city briefing summarized common counts of public amenities (playgrounds, dog parks, restrooms, etc.) used by ParkScore evaluations in recent years.^[8]

Park need & equity. While access is high in the urban core and along some greenways, the city’s adopted long-range plan and ParkScore maps identify access gaps and parkland deficits in parts of far North Austin, the Southeast, and areas of rapid greenfield growth where new neighborhoods outpace park acquisition. Addressing these gaps is a continuing focus of parkland dedication, acquisitions, and partnerships.^[9][2]

The city’s Our Parks, Our Future (2019) long-range plan guides acquisitions, reinvestments, and programming through 2028+, emphasizing:

• acquiring parkland in high-need and growth areas;
• completing and connecting greenbelts and urban trails;
• reinvesting in aging parks and aquatic facilities; and
• improving equitable access, ecological resilience, and shade.^[10]

Examples of major metropolitan assets with ongoing or planned work include Emma Long Metropolitan Park, Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park, the Southern Walnut Creek Trail corridor, and waterfront parks around Town/Lady Bird Lake, guided by council-approved planning and capital programs.^[11][12]

The following table lists a selection of notable Austin parks across metropolitan, district, neighborhood parks, and greenbelts. Acreage and locations follow PARD’s official Park Directory. Where establishment dates are not published by the city, entries are left blank or use commonly cited dates (with sources). This list is not exhaustive; see the Park Directory for the full inventory.^[13]

• Zilker Park
• Barton Springs Pool
• Pease Park
• Parks in Austin, Texas
• Trails in Austin, Texas