Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park

Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park is one of East Austin's best-kept outdoor secrets — a large, naturalistic park along the Colorado River that provides a genuinely wild outdoor experience within city limits. With a 4.6-star rating from over 1,400 reviews, it's well-regarded by the families and outdoor enthusiasts who use it regularly.

The park's riverfront setting is the main attraction: wooded paths through cottonwood and pecan woodland, rocky limestone river banks where kids can explore and fish, and a stretch of the Colorado River with good wildlife visibility. Great blue herons, turtles, and various shore birds are commonly spotted. For families with kids who love nature exploration — turning rocks, watching wildlife, finding interesting things on the riverbank — this park scratches that itch in a way that maintained playgrounds cannot.

The 18-hole disc golf course is a highlight for older kids and teens. Disc golf is free to play (you need your own discs), easy to learn, and provides 2-3 hours of outdoor activity with direction and purpose. It's one of the better free disc golf courses in the Austin park system.

Trails wind through the park with varying difficulty levels. The easiest trails near the river are accessible to families with young children; longer loops require more hiking ability. The park spans over 500 acres, making it large enough to feel genuinely remote despite being in the city.

Parking is available on Grove Blvd. The East Austin location makes it convenient for families in the Pleasant Valley, Parker Lane, and Southeast Austin areas.