What we’re about
This walking group explores the dynamic past and present of Austin's built environment. Tracing the origins of Austin street names, walking streets in their entirety, and stubbornly circumventing limitations posed by half-baked pedestrian infrastructure plans of yore, these events are intended to be adventures but not guided tours. Librarians and blacksmiths, photographers and mechanics, sociologists and forensic accountants alike should feel welcome, provided we have at least two things in common: a deep curiosity about the city of Austin and two strong feet to carry us where curiosity leads.
This monthly group won’t be the fastest hiking group in the city, but we’ll cover long-ish distances, up to 7-10 miles in cooler months. I won’t assume everyone has a car (I don’t), and if you don't you should have the ability and patience to navigate Austin’s far-from-perfect patchwork of bikeshare, public transit, etc. if needed to get to and from the start and end points.
At the end of these walks we’ll find a place to rehydrate, get some food, and talk about it all.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Roy Guerrero Park and MontopolisMontopolis Arboretum Trailhead, Austin, TX
The site of a former dairy farm along the Colorado River had been coveted by advocates for both a minor league baseball team and a Major League Soccer team. But local activists fought to keep the park, which the city fixed up and named after East Side community leader and parks and rec hero Roy Guerrero a quarter century ago. Amongst Guerrero’s accomplishments, he helped integrate Austin Little League games in the 1940s.
The park and the Montopolis neighborhood to its east sometimes get a bad rap as lower income areas do. But aside from visible signs of new real estate investment, digging a bit below the surface reveals that highly engaged community stewards have made this place home all along.
Our 6.7 mile walk (official map here) traverses a triple-loop through the park and around Country Club Creek. On the way, we’ll pass through the not-so-secret Secret Beach. Then at the tail end of our journey, we’ll walk past some modest homes to reach Montopolis Drive- a mecca for a broad range of South American food (Paraguayan, Salvadoran, Mexican, Cuban). Montopolis was built for cars not for walkers, so we’ll keep to a very short stretch which includes both a Honduran food truck (lunch anyone?) and San Jose Cementerio, an historic cemetery kept up by the local community.
TRANSIT LOGISTICS:
- Official walk map
- We’ll meet at the parking lot by Field 4 at 30°14'40.0"N 97°42'02.4"W
