The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a 12-mile wilderness corridor in the heart of Austin — a limestone canyon carved by Barton Creek as it descends from the Hill Country to Barton Springs Pool. The greenbelt has more than 800 acres of public land with hiking trails, rock climbing routes, swimming holes, and mountain bike paths, all within a few miles of downtown.
The swimming holes — pools of spring-fed water in the limestone creek bed — are the main draw in summer. Sculpture Falls, the Twin Falls, and Campbell's Hole are the most popular; each is reachable on foot from one of the several access points along the canyon rim. The rock climbing faces get serious use from Austin's climbing community. The greenbelt is free to access and extremely popular on summer weekends; early morning or weekday visits avoid the crowds. In dry years, some swimming holes may be shallow or absent.