Turkey Creek Trail, Emma Long Metropolitan Park

The Turkey Creek Trail, located northwest of the city, is a favorite spot for dogs to run free. This 2.5-mile trail in Emma Long Metropolitan Park, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Austin, allows pets to run free. The trail starts at the end of City Park Road and swings around in a lollipop shape.

This 4.5-kilometer out-and-back trail takes an average of 1 hour and 6 minutes to complete this fairly difficult route. Because this is a popular hiking and trail-running destination, you'll almost certainly run across other people while exploring. As it follows the banks of Turkey Creek, the trail crosses it several times. These crossings are usually simple to manage, however, they might be difficult if the water level is high. Hikers can use mile markers along the path to stay on track.