In all the chaos of the pandemic, we neglected to notice that the Trail Foundation, Austin’s nonprofit stewards of the Hike-and-Bike Trail, reached a nice milestone — Brazos Bluff, one of the organization’s 15 trail improvement projects marking the 15th anniversary of its founding, celebrated its completion last month.

A rendering of the Brazos Bluff project — the real thing looks better, doesn’t it? Image: The Trail Foundation
The project creates a stopping point with seating and other landscaping features directly below the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at San Jacinto Center, where trail users can relax in the shade, eat lunch, and otherwise “recreate.”
But the upgraded Brazos Bluff site also serves a more practical purpose — this area reportedly experienced “significant erosion” to both the trail and bank of Lady Bird Lake whenever it rained, and the improvements by local landscape architecture firm Pharis Design are intended to mitigate the effects of stormwater flowing across the site “in an aesthetically pleasing and ecologically sensitive manner that prevents further erosion of the Trail and the lake edge,” per the Foundation.
As you can see from the photos of the site, especially the one above, this erosion control along the hillside behind the Four Seasons is accomplished with native plants including what’s described as a “rain garden” and other drainage infrastructure.
The parkland adjacent to the Four Seasons was steeply sloped, causing significant erosion of the Trail and the riparian edge when it rained. Designed by Pharis Design, this project addresses the stormwater that flows across this site in an aesthetically pleasing and ecologically sensitive manner that prevents further erosion of the Trail and the lake edge. It includes a deck along the Trail for users to gather or rest as well as protects the existing shade trees’ sensitive roots.
— The Trail Foundation, Brazos Bluff Opening Announcement
Here’s a 3D view of what the area previously looked like — you can see some obvious evidence of erosion if you look around:
Some handy signs from the Trail Foundation are currently advertising the spot to trail users, and as the new plantings start to fill in the garden spaces it’s going to be an increasingly nice place for a picnic — and though this plan dates back to long before the pandemic, it couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
For a very quick walkthrough of the site, check out this video below from the Trail Foundation — and we mean quick. It’s literally 3 seconds long. We’re not sure why:
Consider it a teaser for actually visiting the site yourself — for what it’s worth, when I took these pictures everyone on the trail was keeping their distance. If you feel like you haven’t gone outside in a million years, this might be a good place to start.
Latest Downtown Austin Condos For Sale
-
$650,000
48 East Avenue #1405
Austin, TX -
$524,000
360 Nueces Street #1208
Austin, TX -
$748,000
44 East Avenue W #2711
Austin, TX -
$1,395,000
200 Congress Avenue #37A
Austin, TX -
$1,375,000
301 West Avenue #1807
Austin, TX -
$1,945,000
1211 W River side Drive #3D
Austin, TX -
$235,000
1800 Lavaca Street #A-602
Austin, TX -
$675,000
360 Nueces #2708
Austin, TX -
$1,500,000
70 Rainey Street #1608
Austin, TX -
$1,060,503
603 Davis Street #1503
Austin, TX -
$2,150,000
44 East Avenue #4106
Austin, TX -
$800,000
555 E 5th Street #2809
Austin, TX -
$265,000
1212 Guadalupe Street #404
Austin, TX -
$1,475,000
210 Lavaca Street #2711
Austin, TX -
$625,000
603 Davis Street #714
Austin, TX
-
Lot Size61 sqft
Home Size706 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
Lot Size101 sqft
Home Size732 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
Lot Size44 sqft
Home Size707 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
Lot Size88 sqft
Home Size1,225 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths2 Baths
-
Lot Size192 sqft
Home Size1,262 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
Lot Size1.16 ac
Home Size1,419 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
Lot Size271 sqft
Home Size608 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
Lot Size88 sqft
Home Size732 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
Lot Size140 sqft
Home Size1,434 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,699 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,999 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
Lot Size144 sqft
Home Size1,358 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
Lot Size140 sqft
Home Size466 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
Lot Size109 sqft
Home Size1,423 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
Lot Size131 sqft
Home Size1,005 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
Leave a Reply