Photo by James Rambin
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.
Photo by James Rambin
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.”
Photo by James Rambin
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.
Photo by James Rambin
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.
Photo by James Rambin
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
-
$956,900
603 Davis Street #1603
Austin, TX -
$1,695,000
210 Lavaca Street #2311
Austin, TX -
$875,000
54 Rainey Street #1101
Austin, TX -
$849,500
360 Nueces Street #1905
Austin, TX -
$420,000
603 Davis Street #805
Austin, TX -
$638,000
222 West Avenue #2110
Austin, TX -
$3,980,000
555 E 5th Street #3022
Austin, TX -
$4,100,000
70 Rainey Street #3201
Austin, TX -
$1,295,000
200 Congress Avenue #21A
Austin, TX -
$3,295,000
200 Congress Avenue #41Q
Austin, TX -
$1,975,000
301 West Avenue #2106
Austin, TX -
$580,000
210 Lavaca Street #1909
Austin, TX -
$552,877
603 Davis Street #1108
Austin, TX -
$359,000
800 Brazos Street #1002
Austin, TX -
$599,000
501 West Avenue #1306
Austin, TX
-
$956,900Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,699 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$1,695,000Lot Size131 sqft
Home Size1,423 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$875,000Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,289 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$849,500Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,225 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$420,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size674 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$638,000Lot Size436 sqft
Home Size821 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$3,980,000Lot Size436 sqft
Home Size3,638 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$4,100,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,978 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$1,295,000Lot Size88 sqft
Home Size1,225 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths2 Baths
-
$3,295,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,234 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$1,975,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,490 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$580,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size641 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$552,877Lot SizeN/A
Home Size923 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$359,000Lot Size436 sqft
Home Size802 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$599,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size652 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
Leave a Reply