Barton Creek Greenbelt

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The Greenbelt in April

The Barton Creek Greenbelt, located in Austin, Texas is managed by the City of Austin's Park and Recreation Department and is considered the seventh best hiking trail in Texas.1 The Greenbelt is a 7.25-mile (11.67 km) stretch of public land that begins at Zilker Park and stretches North to the Lost Creek Subdivision.2 The Barton Creek Greenbelt consists of three areas: the Lower Greenbelt, the Upper Greenbelt and the Barton Creek Wilderness Park and is characterized by large limestone cliffs, dense foliage, and shallow bodys of water.

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[edit] Climate

Located in Austin, Texas, the Barton Creek Greenbelt has a humid subtropical climate characterized by Hot summers and mild winters. The Greenbelt receives 30 to 35 inches (890 mm) of rain, with the majority of the precipitation coming in the spring, and secondary maximum in the fall.3 Small bodies of water can be found at all times of the year throughout the Greenbelt, however the creek bed that runs along the spine of the Greenbelt actively flows only 1 to 2 months out of the year depending on precipitation levels. Watershed from Barton Creek, a tributary that feeds the Colorado River in Central Texas, is responsible for the areas highly concentrated vegetation.

[edit] Sports and Recreation

With its diverse terrain, the Greenbelt is a popular location for adventure loving locals. The large limestone cliffs that line portions of the Greenbelt make for excellent rock climbing. Hikers and bikers can be found year round, although during the wet season mountain biking is more challenging as the biking trails crisscross the creek bed, making it difficult to cross when it is full. During years of heavy rain fall the water level of the creek rises high enough to allow swimming, cliff diving, kayaking, and tubing (recreation). During the annual "Tubin the Belt" parade hundreds of individuals tube the greenbelt on a Saturday in Spring.

[edit] References

  1. Parent, Laurence (2005). Hiking Texas, 2nd Edition(Hiking Guide Series). Falcon Guide Publishing. ISBN 1560443839. .
  2. Texas Parks and Wildlife. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (February 9th 2007). Retrieved on September 2007.
  3. Austin Climate Summary. National Weather Service (October 26, 2005). Retrieved on July 19th 2007.

[edit] External links