High up on a hill is the beautiful Red Bluff vista. Often called the Mount Bonnell of East Austin, Red Bluff has long been ignored and neglected by the city.

Well, now that’s changing. 

Together, a group of neighbors and environmental advocates have been working hard to clean up the site, begin building trails, and call attention to the land’s potential. They won a major victory earlier this month when the Austin Environmental Commission unanimously passed a resolution in support of turning the Red Bluff area into a nature preserve.

Throughout the campaign to turn Red Bluff into a nature preserve, activists and community members have stressed the need for better park access and equity throughout the entire city. The majority of Austin’s parkland is located in west Austin. The preservation of Red Bluff could be a step forward in bringing resources to the eastern part of the city as well.

City Council has since acted on the commission’s recommendation, also unanimously passing a resolution directing the city manager to move forward with the preservation of Red Bluff, as well as to identify funding options for improvements to La Loma Trail (which is in the same area as Red Bluff and is a popular path to school for many kids in East Austin).