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Zilker Park & Barton Springs

A slow Jan 1: a cold spring-fed plunge, gardens, a creek trail and pancakes. Below: 1 sight, 4 outdoor spots and 1 place to eat, plus how Zilker Park & Barton Springs fits into a longer trip.

Plan Zilker Park & Barton Springs with friendsBrowse 6 places
Zilker Park & Barton Springs, Texas, United States
Places
6

1 See · 4 Outdoors · 1 Eat

Curated routes
1

Austin New Year's Eve

Best season
Dec 30 – Jan 1

from our route notes

Warmest month
August

37°C / 98°F avg high

Coolest month
January

16°C / 60°F avg high

Wettest month
May

about 111 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for Austin, the nearest city we track.

Things to do in Zilker Park & Barton Springs

6 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

The landmarks we would not skip in Zilker Park & Barton Springs in Zilker.

  • See

    Umlauf Sculpture Garden

    Bronze and stone sculptures by Charles Umlauf set among ponds and trees across the road from Zilker Park.

    Tip Check holiday hours; it is small enough to see in under an hour.

    • Zilker
    • $
    • 45 min
    • Afternoon

Outdoors

Trails, views and open space in and around Zilker Park & Barton Springs. 3 of them are free.

  • Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park & Barton SpringsPhoto: Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Outdoors

    Barton Springs Pool

    A three-acre pool fed by springs at about 68 F all year; on Jan 1 it hosts the Polar Bear Splash, a free group jump.

    Tip The 2026 group jump was at 9:30 am; come early, as the lot fills and the line at the gate grows.

    • Zilker
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
    • Jan 1, 9:30 am
  • Zilker Park in Zilker Park & Barton SpringsPhoto: Matthew Rutledge · CC BY 2.0
    Outdoors

    Zilker Park

    Austin's 350-acre central park on the lake, with a great lawn, skyline views, a miniature train and the springs at its edge.

    Tip Walk the lawn to the hilltop near the parking loop for a skyline view.

    • Zilker
    • Free
    • 60 min
    • Morning
  • Zilker Botanical Garden in Zilker Park & Barton SpringsPhoto: Daderot · CC0
    Outdoors

    Zilker Botanical Garden

    Themed gardens on a hillside above Barton Creek, including a Japanese garden with koi ponds and a rose garden.

    Tip Check holiday hours before going on Jan 1.

    • Zilker
    • $
    • 75 min
    • Late morning
  • Outdoors

    Barton Creek Greenbelt

    A 7-mile limestone canyon trail along Barton Creek running west from Zilker Park, with swimming holes after rain.

    Tip Start from the Zilker end near the pool for an easy out-and-back.

    • Barton Hills
    • Free
    • 2 hr
    • Afternoon

Eat

1 place to eat in Bryker Woods, picked for groups who care about the food.

  • Kerbey Lane Cafe in Zilker Park & Barton SpringsPhoto: Slamforeman · CC BY 4.0
    Eat

    Kerbey Lane Cafe

    Austin's local pancake and queso diner since 1980; the original location in a house on Kerbey Lane opens daily at 7 am.

    Tip The South Lamar location is closer to Zilker if the original has a wait.

    • Bryker Woods
    • $
    • 60 min
    • Morning

How to fit Zilker Park & Barton Springs into a trip

Zilker Park & Barton Springs is stop 2 of 2 on our Austin New Year's Eve route. Follow it as-is or lift Zilker Park & Barton Springs into your own plan.

Weather by month, based on Austin

Our climate figures for Zilker Park & Barton Springs come from Austin, about 3 km (2 mi) away. Average daily highs run from 16°C / 60°F in January to 37°C / 98°F in August. May is the wettest month, with about 111 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for Austin. Austin weather (covers Zilker Park & Barton Springs) →

Near Zilker Park & Barton Springs

8 other destinations from our guides within about 250 km (155 mi), measured in a straight line.

Zilker Park & Barton Springs questions, answered

How many days do you need in Zilker Park & Barton Springs?

On our Austin New Year's Eve route it is stop 2 of 2 in a 3-day trip. Split evenly, that is about 2 days here, an estimate rather than a rule. The listed visit times for our 6 places add up to roughly 8 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Zilker Park & Barton Springs best known for?

A slow Jan 1: a cold spring-fed plunge, gardens, a creek trail and pancakes. Standouts on our list: Umlauf Sculpture Garden (Bronze and stone sculptures by Charles Umlauf set among ponds and trees across the road from Zilker Park); Barton Springs Pool (A three-acre pool fed by springs at about 68 F all year; on Jan 1 it hosts the Polar Bear Splash, a free group jump); Zilker Park (Austin's 350-acre central park on the lake, with a great lawn, skyline views, a miniature train and the springs at its edge).

When is the best time to visit Zilker Park & Barton Springs?

Our Austin New Year's Eve route is best Dec 30 – Jan 1. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for nearby Austin put the warmest highs in August (37°C / 98°F), the coolest in January (16°C / 60°F) and the most rain in May (about 111 mm).

What are the best things to do in Zilker Park & Barton Springs?

Start with Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, Zilker Botanical Garden, Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Barton Creek Greenbelt. Our guide lists 6 places in all, from 1 sight, 4 outdoor spots and 1 place to eat.

What is near Zilker Park & Barton Springs?

The closest destinations in our guides are Downtown Austin & Lady Bird Lake (about 2 km / 1 mi), Austin (about 3 km / 2 mi) and Texas Hill Country (about 85 km / 53 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Zilker Park & Barton Springs with your crew

Open the Austin New Year's Eve route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 6 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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