Dick Nichols District Park

I brought my granddaughter here a couple of times while I was visiting Austin and I can see why people love this place. Plenty of things for kids to do. The playground was good sized and well-​maintained. Not only do they have a pool here, but also a water feature near the playground. One day, when my daughter and her husband were also there, daddy took his daughter and my daughter and I took a brisk walk around the park. Fairly close to where my daughter lives, but definitely not walkable, but well worth the short drive.

Trails! Huge FREE pool! Tennis courts! Sand volleyball courts! Amazing shaded areas! SWINGS!
I love that I live so close to such a beautiful park! There area also worn pathways off of the actual walking trail, if you’re feeling brave!

I love this park, has tree shaded paved walking trails, with exercise stations along the way. This trail is about a mile long and took me about 15 minutes to walk around it. Plenty of rest stations, and waste baskets to dispose of trash and pet waste. Very well maintained. Click this link to view more photos

I like this park for walking. There is a nice clean concrete trail that runs all the way around the park. I can usually get a good few miles in by walking it three or four times. I usually go during the week in the middle of the day if I happen to be in the area (there are other parks closer to me). There is always parking available and water fountains and bathrooms. There are other facilities there I have seen such as a play ground, tennis courts, basketball courts and others but I have never used them or paid much attention to them.

Great spot! I’ve met several cool folks here while our son enjoyed the extensive playgrounds.

I love this little neighborhood park! The walking/​jogging trail is awesome. It’s paved so you’re actually able to push a stroller on the path! This park has tons of trees & shady areas. Also, there are lots of picnic tables. There is a baseball field, tennis court & basketball court. Pretty sweet! I do wish there was some shade over the playground, but I suppose that’s not as much of an issue during the cooler months. Hardly ever crowded!

Cute park, small, and not always packed. It’s close by my apt complex and I haven’t tried the pool yet… But I plan too.

Beautiful park to take your children in the spring fall and winter. The playground does not have any shade which makes for a very hot summer.

Nice park for the kids and volleyball court/​sand box :-). Love the trail that goes around the park through the woods. Wish there was a way out in the middle sometimes with the kids. Once you start there is only one way out and that is to keep going around the trail. Nice walk or run though.

I can only speak to the playground/​picnic area of the park as I have not tried the pool. My daughter loves the playground and all the walkways for riding her tricycle and chalk drawing. It also has a large covered picnic area available for rent through the city — I used it for my daughter’s 3^rd birthday party. The tables and benches are cement, which makes them a little tricky to cover if you want to be fancy. That area of the park also seems to act as a wind tunnel, so again, find a way to firmly secure all decorations. The little splashpad/​fountain is a big hit with the littles, so bring a towel and swimwear. All in all, a very family friendly, well maintained park that is a favorite with southies.

I love walking around the trail at this park (I’m not much of a runner). This is a great park for working out, playing basketball, bringing children, and just being one with nature.
I tend to go on Saturday or Sunday mornings and there is always plenty of parking.

Our family loves this park.
Playground — There are two swing sets, each with four swings, one of which is ADA compliant. The larger playground structure is also ADA accessible for part of it. My daughter, is 15 months old and she loves to walk along the bridge part. There are numerous slides and it is fairly easy to walk on the structure with her and then jump down at the different climbing access poitns to catch her at the bottom of a slide. The smaller playground structure also has many slides and a tunnel. There is also a little car that the kids can pretend to drive with two steering wheels and room for two passengers in the back. The playground floor is comprised of gravel (except the areas that are ADA with a smooth rubberized surface) and that is my only complaint as my daughter leaves the playground covered in a white dust from the gravel.
Water Splash Area — There is a seal that can shoot water at the push of a button, but I have never actually used this area.
Walking Trail — There is a concrete trail, approximately 5 feet wide, that circles the park. I’m not sure of the exact distance, but it takes about 15 minutes to make one loop. This trail is great for taking a walk with a stroller. Except for near the playground and softball field, trees are plentiful alongside the trail providing shade.

Love this park! cute playground, nice pool, good walking trail. There’s lots of shade trees, including on the walking trail so in the summer you won’t melt :) They also have this little seal at the playground that sprays water, cooling off all the little ones. I’m not ashamed to say I put my dog under it to cool him off. The pool is free for most of the summer but the first month or so they charge a dollar to get in. Not a big deal, but if you don’t carry lots of cash like me, make sure to bring some along. You don’t want to show up in your best floaties only to go back home

Volleyball courts:
Loving the volleyball this summer, I just cant get enough of it. Just got to remember to put the beer down every once in awhile and be sure to have some water.
Dick Nichols has some pretty good courts. The south serving side of each court has no barrier soooo long serves, spikes and aces sometimes go back in the brush (sticker city). One court has some what of a barrier on the north & east side of the court. The other has a down hill parking lot which means you go chasing the ball every once in awhile. The sand is pretty decent, the lights usually work and the net is solid. They are often vacant which is one of the biggest bonuses. If you are ready to get sandy this is your best bet. Beautiful sunsets too, have fun!

Had a lovely walk here today. Even with perfect weather and it being a Sunday, the park was not too overrun with people. The playscape area at the center looked fairly busy, but the walking trail which lines the perimeter of the park was nice and quiet. I love how shaded and tree-​enclosed the trail is; it makes for a really meditative walk, and it’s nice not having to see (or be seen by) any passing cars on Beckett. Each loop around is one mile, and there are little markers at each quarter mile, so you can track your progress pretty effectively.
A great little gem in my neighborhood, and I love that it helps me avoid paying for a gym membership.

Summer has begun here for the kiddo and me. Classes are over and the oppressive heat has begun. So, what better way to indulge than by going to the local neighborhood park.
The playscape is fairly large and great for the under 10 set, but the real draw right now is the dolphin water feature. What kid wouldn’t be in love with a dolphin fountain that spits out water onto a foam splash pad? You push a button and out comes ice cold water to run around and play in. After about five minutes the dolphin itself has been climbed on enough times where it is slippery enough to slide down. A child’s day isn’t complete until he had busted his lip trying to play king of the mountain on the head of a slick cement dolphin.
The only disadvantage to the play area is that there is no shade to protect the playscape. Wear sunscreen or be okay with getting burned. The pavilion is adjacent to it, so if you do get hot you have a respite.
The walking trails are well covered with trees and are great to walk dogs or jog. They are kept very clean and there is no overgrowth. The asphalt trail is not so good for skating on, sadly, and there are some parts where it is difficult to pull a wagon containing a forty pound preschooler. Overall it is a nice quiet stroll and not too busy.
Most of the time the early morning and evenings are when you get the nicest mix of people there. When the pool opens it’s gates for free, there will be a lot more people and you’ll have a hell of a time finding parking.

This park is just down the street from where I live; and, me and the pup hit the trails here at least once a week.
The park itself has tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a softball field, play ground with picnic tables grills and a restroom, and a swimming pool. I have not used any of the facilities but they look clean. I have only used the park for the parking lot. I park in the lot then cross the street for the hiking trails. The trail head across the street is visible from the parking lot. The trail is nicely groomed and wide with a pebble stone surface and several work out stations along the trail. The trail is mostly covered by trees so even in the heat of summer it is not too hot in the morning or evening.
The wildflowers are in bloom right now so check it out