Cool Parks in Austin

There is no shortage of beautiful scenery and greenbelts in the Austin area, where there seems to be a walking trail around every corner, and a park around every bend. One of the more unusual of these is Champion Park in Round Rock. It has a little of everything, from a kid-approved playground to a scenic trail by the creek. It’s a great place to spend a Saturday or a weekday afternoon. Just make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen, snacks and drinks because you’ll want to stay all day. Of course, a few extras like towels, sand shovels and buckets will come in handy, too.

The park is an immense 33 acres. With plenty of open space, it’s the perfect place to play a game of catch or tag, and then, if the weather is hot enough, to meander over to the play area where sprinklers shaped like whales spout cool water into the sky. When you cool down enough, you can head over to the rock climbing area for an invigorating romp on specially designed boulders, or the sandpit where concrete casts of massive dinosaur bones lay waiting for discovery. You can dig, build and bury in this huge covered sandpit for hours and never get enough. There’s plenty of shade, and don’t forget the nearby sprinklers, so a summer day will never get too hot.

The Brushy Creek Regional Trail passes right by the park, and the creek itself is only a few feet away, bringing with it a glimpse of nature right up close, and making this area both relaxing and scenic. A bridge across Brushy Creek connects to a fishing area for those who want to try their hand at catching lunch. For everyone else, there are many great places to have picnics and the park sports two pavilions with grills that can be rented separately or together.

After a nature hike down the beautiful Brushy Creek Trail, a hard day of digging and excavating in the sand, and hours of refreshing fun in the sprinklers, what more could you want? Restroom facilities—a very important factor when considering an outdoor outing—and free, available parking. With these final elements, the park is complete and a perfect place for your family to spend the day. Champion Park is located at 3900 Brushy Creek Road in Round Rock and is open from 7:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Admission is free, so come early and stay long.

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