Barton Creek - Upper North

Type: Trail	Rating: (3.62)
Difficulty: (2.89)	Solitude: (2.21)
Length: 6.70 Miles	Elevation Gain: 940 Feet
ADAAccessible: N/A	Interpretive Guide: No
Dogs Allowed: Yes	Bikes Allowed: Yes
Cost: Free	More Information: More Info
City: Austin	County: Travis

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Larger Map

The north side of upper Barton Creek is less crowded and provides an opportunity to visit Sculpture Falls. (Click on map for larger view) (Click on map for larger view)
Maptech® USGS Topographic Series™, ©Maptech®, Inc. 603-433-8500, www.maptech.com/topo Copyright 2000 Maptech, Inc.

Getting there: From south MoPac, take the Loop 360 exit and head west. Turn left at the light at the intersection of 360 and Scottish Woods Trail. The road on the other side of 360 from Scottish Woods Trail is called Westlake High? Drive down Scottish Woods Trail until you get to a 'T' section in the road. Park along the road on Scottish Woods Trail because the other roads in the are much narrower. The entrance to the Barton Creek Greenbelt is just to the right of the 'T' intersection of Scottish Woods Trail and Camp Craft Road.

Please be advised that this area is a residence with no marked parking. So please be on your best behavior here. Don't block the resident's driveways or mail boxes. If you're starting your hike early in the morning keep the noise down so as not to wake anyone. Be respectful of the folks who live here and get to the trail and back to your car quickly.

The Hike: The start of the hike, marked "Trailhead", is at the top of a hill over Barton Creek. The first quarter mile is a steep drop of about 250 feet to the creek bed. This section of the hike will make your legs burn when you have to walk up it after 6+ miles of hiking. Right before you get down to creek level there is a restroom located near the waypoint marked, "Fork". Here you'll also see a fork in the trail with some options to go further upstream, which we'll explore later.

Scottish Trail Falls

The first thing you'll encounter when getting to Barton Creek is a nice water fall with a picnic table perched on a large boulder, very close to the flowing water. This spot is marked with the waypoint "Falls". You'll see several falls along the trail, but this one is one of the nicer falls until you get to Sculpture Falls later on the trip.

The trail near the waypoint marked "Rock Falls" passes near a large rock face to the left of the trail. This rock is relatively weak and prone to breakup. Don't worry, rock slides are not going to happen. But what has happened is that a large number of boulders have broken off of the rock face and come to rest at the trail level. Some of the boulders are huge. Some other areas are made up of large quantities of smaller rocks piled up along the slope. None of these rock falls obscures the path of the trail.

"Slanted Falls" is a small waterfall that is angled about 45 degrees off of the flow of Barton Creek. Several other falls dot the area, too many to bother marking on the map.

Sculpture Falls

The highlight of the trip is Sculpture Falls, marked by a waypoint of the same name. This is probably the loudest water fall on the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The water has carved very interesting patterns in the rock as you may be able to see in the photo. Better yet, see for yourself. A deeper spot on the downstream side of the falls makes for a good swimming spot.

There are no springs readily apparent on this side of the creek, though when you get to the waypoint marked "Springs" you should be able to see the twin springs flowing from the rock on opposite bank.

Glade

One of the more pleasant sections of all of Barton Creek can be found around the waypoint marked "Glade". At this point a rocky streambed crosses the trail, but on either side of the creek the terrain is relatively flat and completely covered in trees. The trees make the area a little cooler and also help to filter out noise, adding to the tranquil setting.

The waypoint marked "Twin Falls" is the location in which the established trail crosses Barton Creek and continues on the other shore. Twin Falls is a very popular resting place and can get crowded, particularly when the weather is good. If you prefer more solitude we recommend Sculpture Falls or Scottish Trail falls further upstream.

The waypoint marked "Trail Access" is the official end of the supported trail. At this point the official trail heads up hill to the Cairnes access point. However, a well defined, but noticably smaller and less used trail continues downstream. Of course, we elected to take that route.

Greenery abounds

The trail here is more challenging than the supported trail. At one point, a rock fall completely covered the trail and partially obscured the trail continuation on the other side. Be careful crossing at the point marked "Rock Fall". Many of the rocks are loose.

You won't run into many people along this portion of the trail. Mostly you may see and hear hikers and bikers on the other side of Barton Creek as they travel along the South Upper Barton Creek trail. We turned around at the waypoint marked "Turn Around", though the trail continued onward and probably rejoins the established trail when it crosses Barton Creek at Gus Fruh Park.

The bluffs above Barton Creek are full of great trails. (Photo by Caledonia)	The power lines cross the creek about Sculpture Falls. (Photo by Caledonia)	The falls on Barton Creek, upper north. (Photo by swedegirl5)
Going down, it didn't look too difficult... (Photo by swedegirl5)	...going back up, however, was another matter all together! (Photo by swedegirl5)

Logs

Have you visited this location? What did you think of it? Submit your own log entry to let others know of your experiences and to keep track of your adventures.

No Crowds On a Cold Winter Weekday
User: swedegirl5 - 2/2/2010 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 3.40 Miles Duration: N/A

I can see why this is a popular hike, once you scramble down the hill the walk is picturesque and easy. If I had more time, I would have kept on walking. Since it has been raining in Austin, Barton Creek was running full and fast. For 45 minutes I had the walk to myself, and only saw two other couples the rest of the time. I'm glad I read this site before I headed back up to the top of the trail--it was more difficult than I expected! This walk will stay on my list of places to take people visiting Austin for the first time.

Very enjoyable and quiet
User: strontium87 - 12/12/2009 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 3.35 Miles Duration: 2 hours

The water was up and the falls looked great. That last climb up to the Scottish Woods entrance is pretty severe though.

User: marakristina - 6/2/2009 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A

nice hike
User: sandew - 4/26/2009 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 8.00 Miles Duration: 5 hours

The notes about lots of bikes weren't kidding. We went on a cloudy, humid Sunday morning and there were lots of bikers. Most were curtious, only saw a couple going really fast. What was interesting about the bikers, we pulled off the trail for 5 unicyclers! That was a sight. We took the trail from the "hill of life" which was difficult on the return of walking over 4 hours. We found the ther trailheads and parking areas off Mopac and 360, which we'll do next time to finish off the trail (the first 3 miles). This upper part is the last part of the trail, as we found a few of the mile markers. We found a lot of dry creekbed mostly this part of the trail (April 27,2009). So, if you want to get wet, do it soon after ending the "hill of life".

Good trails, but way too many people.
User: irwinr - 4/19/2009 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: 4 hours

We loved the trails, but there were a lot of people. Also, the guys on bikes really need to learn that they yield to pedestrians, not vice versa. There were tons of guys on bikes riding them way too fast on trails that are very narrow and windy, we were almost ran over several times.

Have to do this one again.
User: cadenaang - 3/27/2009 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Trail of Life
User: Melissa-Austin - 3/23/2009 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours

Wow, what a hike! The beginning of the hike was an amazing decline down to the creek. At the "T" we went to the right, which is the more rugged of the two sides. We walked along the beautiful creek & saw and heard many waterfalls. It was beautiful. We eventually crossed the creek and proceeded up river. It eventually became to inclined and was a bit too dangerous to continue, so we went back down stream where the hike was flatter. We ran into a few bikers and a couple people with dogs, but overall, there were not many people. It was also a Monday morning, so it's probably much busier on the weekend. Going back up the steep incline in the end was very tough after a long hike.

Might be better on a weekday
User: Riff Raff - 10/5/2008 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.30 Miles Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes

This is really a fantastic area. You hardly think about the fact that you're inside Austin until you get to the MoPac bridge. Barton Creek itself was bone dry for all points I saw South of Sculpture Falls. In fact I walked on the creek bed for about half a mile just for fun.

Only real negative is all the people - particularly the mountain bikers. Several of them seemed fairly intent on running me down rather than bothering to actually slow down. I also ran into no less than three separate people that were obviously lost and unprepared for the trail. One of them was well into dehydration already, and had to beg some extra water from me. All of them were shocked that I actually brought a trail map with me. I might like to try this again on a weekday, and see how much activity there is then.

User: mr0973 - 10/3/2008 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: 4 minutes

nice length but lots of bikes
User: Donell - 9/21/2008 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: N/A

I hiked this morning from the trail head back toward Zilker crossing under Mopac for a bit before turning around. The hike is easy, but I agree with former comments that the uphill at the end of your hike is what makes this a little more difficult. Otherwise I would have only given it a 1 or 2. Pleasant hike that you don't have to weave around to try to get some distance but there was a number of bikes and a pretty busy trail. I would say that we passed/were passed by at least 50 people on the trail for just shy of 2 hrs.

User: tyan - 6/7/2008 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: 3 minutes

Enjoy in spring!
User: Caledonia - 5/25/2008 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours

Cross the creek to the south side and explore miles of bike trails. The horse flies will take the fun out of it soon.

Great Hike!!
User: ANDYROOSKY - 11/4/2007 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

This is a great hike...there is so much you can do. Go for the distance and hit Zilker and back or go to nice relaxing views of waterfalls and a quick dip. You can go up the river and see a lot more....or explore a little and get off the main trails....There was more bikers but they were nice and tried to let you know that they were coming so I could get out of the way.....Next time I'll try a longer hike earlier in the morning....

Free and decent length
User: caspalding66 - 6/7/2007 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.70 Miles Duration: 3 minutes
Good decent hike, average length and trees, too many people

The best hike yet!
User: christiniprosperity - 4/8/2007 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: 1 minute
This hike, although it starts "all downhill", just kept getting better and better. The three small but beautiful water falls were amazing to see. The sound of the rushing water kept beckoning me on further and further. Very cool and almost hypnotic. I actually loved the ending where I had to climb and climb back up the "trail of life" as its called to get back to my car. Worth it. Next time I'll bring my water bottle. Great workout!!!

Hard at first
User: aggiehiker - 1/15/2007 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Wow, that first quarter mile is a killer, especially if you turn around and have to finish up with that hill again. It was fun, but a lot of inconsiderate bikers (my gf got hit by one of them).

Best when there has been rain
User: reynoldser - 7/12/2006 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Great places to stop and take a dip when there has been rain.

Great Solitude
User: big tex - 5/30/2006 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I really enjoyed this hike because it seems everyone goes to the part of the trail by Zilker and ignores this section. I love that you can hike on side of the creek down the the other side back. There are also some nice little springs coming out of the cliffs on the side of the creek. Great swimming too. The hill going into and out of the valley is an intense thing if you are tired so save your energy for the hike out.

Great Outing
User: Rajun Cajun - 4/2/2006 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 12.00 Miles Duration: N/A
This was my first long trail in Austin. It was so nice to be in town and enjoy so mych wilderness. Hiked from the neighborhood entrance to Zilker and back. What was so great is that you could hike to Zilker on one side and hike back on the other.

Watch out for bikes and nosey dogs
User: Soonhorn - 12/17/2005 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: N/A
There are far better places to hike around this town. The people are friendly but the number of bikers(going way too fast) and the wandering dogs...just not our thing. Pretty trail but we have much more to offer around Austin. It would help if the water was running, but then we would have even more bikes and dogs. The trail is such that you usually dont have long views in front or behind you...it makes you pretty nervouse when a bike comes up on you, on a 10 inch wide trail, traveling as fast as the guy can go...Cudos to thier skill and courteousness. Unless you live a mile away, find a better hike or get a dog and a bike.

User: brian724 - 6/11/2004 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.70 Miles Duration: N/A

User: Shylock and Fiona - 5/9/2004 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 6.70 Miles Duration: N/A

One of the best in Austin
User: figment - 12/7/2003 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
This hike down the Hill of Life to Barton Creek and down to Twin Falls is one of the best in Austin. Share the trail with bikers and dog-walkers, but dogs should be kept on leash here. Go swimming in Twin Falls, Sculpture Falls, or any inviting looking swimming hole. Watch out for underage kids who haul down cases of cheap beer to drink at the falls, they can get obnoxious. This is best a few days after rain, or in spring or fall, when water is running in the creek all the way to Twin Falls. Sometimes, the water will disappear beneath the surface between Scultpure and Twin Falls, when can be somewhat disconcerting.

Nice scenery.
User: Centex Trekker - 10/22/2003 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 7.00 Miles Duration: N/A
The creek was bone dry.

Very nice hike
User: HikerGirl - 7/6/2003 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A
The walk down was a good warm up (was wondering if it was ever going to end!) and then I started hearing the people swimming, so I knew I was close. Saw the Scottish Falls (wish I brought my camera w/ the zoom lens...would have been a great picture) which were really pretty. Found the next falls and sat under a tree on a rock right by the water and watched the fish swim by as I just relaxed on this beatiful day looking around at the cliffs & trees. After the little rest, I headed on down the trail. Met up with several bikers which were all very courteous & friendly as they whizzed by. Passed some hikers, too, that were too busy walking to say hi when I passed by...oh well. Went all the way to Sculpture Falls and wished I had taken my swimsuit because the water looked so refreshing & everyone in it looked like they were having fun! I turned around at this point to head back because I just planned on seeing what the trail was like to see if I needed to bring my camera next time (which I most definitely will). As I was half way back (but not yet to the hill climb) it started to drizzle which was just wonderful seeing as how I was hot and upset because I didn't take a swimsuit! Walked all the way up to the top in the heavy drizzle realizing what a great day & hike this was.

* IMPORTANT - READ THIS IF YOU DON'T READ THE OTHER PART: As I got to the gate I noticed a girl holding two dogs and a highly upset feline in the front lawn of one of the houses directly in front of the gate. I helped the girl hold the dogs and found out that one of their other dogs had just attacked the cat...which explained all the hair in the front yard of the house. Through a chain of events, we found out that the cat belonged to the next door neighbor who came over to retrieve the cat after I helped him inspect it for injuries (there were none except for some bald spots). Well, needless to say he gave the girls a tongue lashing about letting their dogs run off their leashes in a area specifically marked for leashes and the girls repeatedly apologized to no avail. But he should have also remembered that cats do not have Free Reign Zone. Anyway, the point of this is to remind other hikers who have dogs to leash your dogs before you exit the park so an incident like this doesn't happen again. Put yourself in the other pet owners shoes and think how you would feel if your animal was attacked by a free roaming dog in a clearly marked area where leashes are required. When I was leaving, he was threatening Small Claims Court or something like that. So mind your pooches or better yet, make them mind you! Other than that...it was a great day!

great in-town hike
User: Laurie Najjar - 6/29/2003 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 7.50 Miles Duration: N/A
My husband and I tackled the entire length of the trail, which took about 3 hours. Be sure to stop at the Sculpture Falls for a cool dip in the creek. Another nice feature: nearly the entire trail is shaded. A challenging climb up through rocky terrain at the end gives you your money's worth! We found the trail very busy on the Sunday morning that we went. Not many hikers, but tons of bikers. They weren't rude, but because the trail is narrow, hikers were forced to stop and wait by the side of the trail for the bikers each time they passed. Also, lots of dogs (not a problem) and lots of dog poop (a problem). All in all, an interesting, fairly challenging hike -- and a great find so close-in to town.

I Can't Believe It's So Close To The Mall!
User: AustinHiker - 4/21/2003 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 2.40 Miles Duration: N/A
This was a great hike that until Saturday seemed too close to home, and too close to a major mall and highways, that I almost crossed it off the list. But my 4.5-year-old son and I had only 2 hours to go for a hike before lunch, so I decided to give it a shot and lowered my expectations accordingly, expecting to not quite get away from the neighborhoods and malls that surround it. The first 6/10 mile is not terribly steep, but steep enough that I had to hold my son's hand. FYI, once you get to the bottom of the hill the signs direct you to the left (south) but if you turn right instead onto a smaller footpath and follow Barton Creek, you will eventually come to another waterfall that is large and loud, and so far as I know, is unnamed. (We didn't go there on this particular hike, but go there fairly often from my back yard in the Lost Creek neighborhood). There were quite a few people on bikes and walking dogs but it was surprisingly quiet and uncongested for being in the middle of an urban area. I forgot that the highway was so close by and really could not hear it at all at creek level. Also, once past the first 6/10 mile, we could no longer see houses or other evidence of development (aside of course from the bathrooms and signs along the broad, well-worn trail). So you won't really forget where you are, but it is a surprisingly quiet and lush setting for its location. There are many little side trails carved out that will be fun to explore once some other time. My son really enjoyed the map we downloaded from this site. I put it in a sandwich bag and he "navigated" us to Slanted Falls, by which time we had to turn around to make it home for lunch. But he's clearly disappointed that we weren't able to see Sculpture Falls after Dad hyped it up so much, so we're definitely out to hit this trail again soon.

The Downhill walk was almost freefall
User: adonaione - 12/30/2002 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: N/A
Excellent scenery with the one fall I saw. Met Moms with backpack babies going down the first slope. Loved the stretch.