Welcome to the Austin Trails Challenge

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About the Austin Trails Challenge

It’s time to hit the trails again, and to challenge yourself to complete as many of Austin's selected trails as you can in a month! Experience a host of new trails for 2025, along with a new name, the Austin Trails Challenge.

Bring along your friends, family, and trail partners to earn a host of promoted trail rewards and to trigger donations to Hill Country Conservancy for trail completions! 

  • November 1 - Austin Trails Challenge Begins and the first scheduled group hike
  • November 15 - First Promoted Trail Reward pick up opportunity
  • November 30 - Last Day of the Austin Trails Challenge 
  • December 4 - WRAP PARTY! 5:30-7:30pm at REI, 9901 N. Capitol of Texas Hwy

The Challenge is open to walkers, hikers, runners, and people using mobility assistance devices. It’s only $25 to register, and sign-up is easy.

Participating is a Few Clicks Away!

1. Create an account with Terrain Scouts.

2. Register for the Austin Trails Challenge.

3. Link an Activity Tracking account to the challenge (don’t worry, there are several free tracking options! You’ll be able to create one if you don’t already have one). 

If you are using an Activity Tracking app on your phone, be sure it is downloaded and that you are logged on. Better yet, go test it out and make sure you know how to start, end, and save your activities! 

Participating is a Few Clicks Away!

Log in / Register

Engage With Your Trail Community

Scheduled Group Hikes!

You are invited to join Hill Country Conservancy, Faizal Malawi, and Innes Mitchell for weekly group hikes featuring many of the Austin Trails Challenge trails! No additional charge or registration is needed. Please just be on time. 

  • Saturday, November 1: Downtown Austin Mural and Sculpture Walk. Meeting at the Whole Earth Provisions mural, 1014 North Lamar Boulevard at 9:45am for 10am hike. Wear your favorite Dia de los Muertos hiking shirt!
  • Thursday, November 6: Violet Crown Trail: 360 Trailhead to 290 Trailhead out and back, 7:45am rendezvous for an 8am hike. Led by Carolyn Brennan with Hill Country Conservancy. 
  • Saturday, November 8: Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, 8:45am rendezvous for 9am hike. Reservations are required on weekends and can be made in advance here. 
  • Saturday, November 15: Zilker Park to 360 out and back, 10:45am, after the HCC Grand Opening ceremony for the Violet Crown Trail Mile Zero Trailhead.
  • Friday, November 21: Slaughter ↔ La Crosse out and back. 7:45am rendezvous for an 8am hike. Led by Ryan Valentine with Hill Country Conservancy. 
  • Saturday, November 22: Inks Lake State Park. 9:45am rendezvous for 10am hike.
  • Saturday, November 29: Buescher State Park: Winding Woodland, Barred Owl, and Roosevelt's Cutoff Loop

Join the Austin Trails Challenge Facebook group to connect with others, share pictures from the trail, talk about your trail experiences, and receive Challenge updates.

About Hill Country Conservancy

Hill Country Conservancy's vision is simple: Keep the Texas Hill Country here forever. Through land conservation, strategic partnerships, and community engagement, they work to protect the region’s clean water, native wildlife, and natural beauty so they can be enjoyed today and for generations to come. Click here to support Hill Country Conservancy’s vital conservation work.

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