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Hiking Long Canyon in Austin

Had a fun day hiking into Long Canyon here in Austin with my little brother and other hikers. This tract of land is maintained by the Austin Wildlife Conservation Division and home to the Golden Cheeked Warbler, the only bird native to this area. It is not normally open to the public except as part of guided hikes. Early settlers used the area for cattle and sheep farming. The trail started along the edge of an upscale neighborhood at the end of Standing Rock Road, with volunteers leading the hike explaining about some of the plants natural to the area. The hike follows a rocky path, and is described as moderate to rugged, although we had no problem traversing it. We crossed a creek and gradually went up in elevation till we saw an overlook of upscale houses in the distance. Frank Esparza, Mark Wilson, and Dianne (didn't get her last name) did a good job of explaining about the natural landscape along the way.

If you live in the Austin area or are just visiting and enjoy the outdoors, be sure check out other upcoming Austin area hikes led by volunteers for the Wildland Conservation Division and the local Austin Walking Meetup Group.