4 Best Sights in Greater Austin, Austin

This 744-acre state park is 13 miles southeast of downtown Austin. Per the name, the park has two waterfalls (visitors should exercise extreme caution near the water, as people have drowned here). You can hike or bike nearly 9 miles of trails, including the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail (2.8 miles), with its paved, hard surface that's good for strollers and road bikes. The Rock Shelter Trail (only for hikers) leads to where early visitors camped. Other popular activities in the park are fishing, picnicking, camping, and wildlife-viewing (including bird-watching and sightings of white-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, and armadillos).

Most of Austin moves at a relaxed pace, but here, just a few miles outside the city limits, things speed up considerably. Circuit of The Americas was primarily built for Formula One Grand Prix racing—currently the only such facility in the United States—and when the F1 Grand Prix stops in the Lone Star State as part of a 19-country worldwide tour, 500 million pairs of eyes are on Austin. A wide range of other motor-racing events also take place here, and the grounds have hosted ESPN’s X-Games. The on-site 14,000-capacity amphitheater is a venue for countless big-name music acts, from Taylor Swift to the Rolling Stones.

This 43-acre complex, founded in 1982 by Lady Bird Johnson and actress Helen Hayes, has extensive plantings of native Texas wildflowers that bloom year-round (although spring is an especially attractive time). The grounds include a visitor's center, nature trails, an observation tower, elaborate stone terraces, and flower-filled meadows. Seasonal calendars include various family-friendly and educational events that are free and open to the public. 

This paved asphalt loop winds for a little more than 3 miles through Slaughter Creek Metropolitan Park and is reserved exclusively for bicyclists and rollerbladers. Riders always travel in a one-way clockwise direction. It's a bit off-the-beaten path, but not far from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. There are no facilities other than a water fountain that sometimes doesn't work. The loop track is open every day, from dawn to dusk. No dogs are allowed.