Urban Hike and Public Transit Field Trip

From the Young Sierrans –

Join the Young Sierrans on an urban hike right through Central Austin! Did you know that the Shoal Creek Trail runs through the heart of our city and is an excellent way to avoid traffic while adding some nature time to your day? We’re going to explore this great urban hike-and-bike trail by hiking south from the north terminus to downtown. Following the hike, we’ll walk a few blocks to end up at the SFC Farmer’s Market downtown. Grab some eats, explore the market, and then we’ll head back to our starting point by taking public transit. This is a great opportunity to learn how to explore the city without using your car!

This is a Young Sierran event organized for 20- and 30-somethings.  Many of the participants will fall within that age range, but all are welcome to join us. 

Let’s get an early start to try to avoid the worst of the heat. We’ll meet at the north trailhead at Seider Springs Park at 8am; behind the Randall’s on 35th, the north side of the Seton Shoal Creek Hospital parking lot (the pin on the map for this event is an accurate representation of the location).  Limited parking is available at the trailhead, and there is street parking in the area, but check signage to ensure you are not parked in a tow-away zone, we can’t be responsible for your vehicle. Step off is at 8:15 sharp, so give yourself plenty of time to park and be at the trailhead by 8am; we’ll have a quick sign-in and trail talk before hitting the trail at 8:15. From there, it’s about 3.25 miles along the trail to downtown; we’ll hike at a steady pace. Once we exit the trail, we’ll walk a few blocks to the downtown SFC Farmer’s Market. Plan to spend about an hour at the market, then we’ll walk a couple blocks to catch the MetroRapid, taking us back to 38th street where we started the morning.

Bring plenty of water, it’s Austin, it’s summer, it’s HOT. No less than 1 liter of water (2 water bottles) is acceptable, more is better. Wear sturdy hiking shoes. Bring cash for the bus and the farmer’s market (some vendors take plastic). The bus ride is $1.75 and is cash only. Alternatively, you can download the CapMetro app to your smartphone. Tickets can be purchased through the app, but only day passes, not individual ride tickets, so the cost will be $3.50.