A mile-long missing link in the Violet Crown Trail is now complete and open to the public. This new segment in Sunset Valley guides trailblazers from the end of Home Depot Boulevard, through a wooded area, under MoPac, and up to the Garza Ranch development close to the Arbor Trails Shopping Center.
With this new link in place, the 11-mile trail now runs unbroken from Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park to Slaughter Creek near MoPac. And by the end of 2024, another segment is planned to reach 1.7 miles farther from Slaughter Creek to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
"It reminds us of the peaceful reward we get from connecting to nature," Hill Country Conservancy CEO Kathy Miller said of the Violet Crown Trail. "Then you emerge and you realize, right in the middle of this thriving city, I have access to this incredible natural wonder."
Designing and building the trail segment cost $2.9 million. About 43% of that was covered by federal grants from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization; the rest was paid for by bonds Austin voters approved in 2012 and 2016. The Hill Country Conservancy will maintain the trail.
The Violet Crown Trail is a varied mix of paths. Some sections are rugged, rocky and wild. Others – like the new segment in Sunset Valley – are 10-foot wide, ADA accessible hike-and-bike trails with a crushed granite surface. In certain areas, the trail relies on public sidewalks, putting hikers alongside streams of noisy traffic.
The jigsaw puzzle of paths reflects the challenges of assembling a trail across different terrains and through multiple jurisdictions.
Looking to the future, the Hill Country Conservancy plans to extend the Violet Crown Trail another 17 miles south to the Onion Creek Management Unit in Hays County.
If that happens, the trail could connect with the proposed Emerald Crown Trail and continue to San Marcos, forming a regional trail more than 60 miles long. The Emerald Crown Trail Master Plan even imagines a connection to other trails continuing to San Antonio – creating a pedestrian link from the cool waters of Barton Springs Pool to the Alamo City.
To celebrate the new Violet Crown Trail segment, a grand opening is set for Saturday, July 29 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Home Depot Boulevard trailhead in Sunset Valley. The event will feature guided nature hikes, family bicycle rides and kids' activities. Austin's Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis and Sunset Valley Mayor Marc Bruner are expected to attend.
