Red Bud Dog Park

So much fun. I can imagine this place being even more gorgeous in spring and early summer, but for winter, this is great. Dogs were great, good areas for a swim. My doggy really enjoyed socializing with the other animals, which were friendly for the most part. It’s clean, a little small, but still gorgeous nonetheless.

This used to be a people park. A great little known place to bring a sixer, swing off the old rope swing, and cool off with a dip in Town Lake. Then a million yuppies moved here and turned it into a dog park. The water is so filthy with dog feces swimming is no longer allowed.
Don’t get me wrong, I have two dogs and I’m all for off-​leash places, but when a great spot for people and a dog or two turns into a peninsula of dog poop it kinda sucks.
The other downside is there’s VERY limited parking and the people that tend to go to this place are usually Tarrytown snobs and they’re very self-​entitled and have no qualms about stealing a spot from you even if you’ve been waiting.
This place was rad about 15 years ago, but then again so was just about everything. Just another example of how things can get ruined by «progress», but the people that are giving glowing reviews never actually got to enjoy the true splendor of Red Bud. Thanks California.

First off, we pulled up to see about 10 parking spots — all full. We ended up having to park over a mile up the road — not a huge deal for us, but my baby’s paws on the hot concrete, she was not having a good time.
As soon as we walked into the park, an awful smell hit us. It smelt like portal-​potty, sewer, dog poop and garbage. My dog needed a bath as soon as we got home, since she smelt like sewer water and was covered in a film of dirt and algae from the water.
And then to top it all off, the small yard where dogs are supposed to be able to run around leash-​free was covered in sharp burs which got stuck in the pads of my dog’s feet and also found their way into mine (which I’m still digging out of my feet).
This park should not be open to the public, or at least not advertised as a good place for dogs to swim and play. It was unsanitary. With all the beautiful and free parks in Austin, I certainly do not recommend this one to ANYONE or their fur babies. We will not be returning here.

there is NOWHERE to park this 9:30 Saturday morning. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, and should have expected this. but it’s utterly ridiculous to wait 20 – 30 minutes to park your car because there’s nowhere to park.
why is the parking lot so tiny? why are there so few watering holes like this for pups?
this is so frustrating. I don’t want my dog to miss out on play and swim time but I am not about to wait another fifteen minutes.

Fantastic off leash place to take your dog!!! The trail is located alongside Lady Bird lake near where the dam separates Lake Austin. Dogs (and their owners) have the ability to walk along paths probably a couple miles in total which have varying side spots where the dogs can jump in the water.
Dogs of all sizes are allowed. And obviously please don’t bring your puppy if he’s not keen on hanging with other dogs. The water is clean and not too deep for the pups to swim.
Parking can be crazy, especially on the weekend because they only have about 20 parking spots and when full it becomes a one in one out situation. A little stressful for sure when your dog is chomping at the bit to get outside and play.
Not enclosed, but still pretty safe for the puppies to run around freely and not be in danger.

What a fantastic dog park! Only gripe is the parking, I have never been able to go and wait less than 25 – 30 minutes in the line of cars. Super small lot, one in, one out basically. Once parked, you can either go left or right, both are great options since everything leads to the same place! A well manicured landscape surrounded by water on both sides, deep enough in that you don’t really have to worry about your dog running back into the parking lot, or worse… all the way into any traffic or sorts. Plenty of doggie bags and trash bins throughout.
Plenty of spots for your dog to jump in the water and play with some fellow dogs, dog owners are friendly as well, and easy going, all complimenting each others dog. Beautiful area for some picture taking, only issue is my dog needs a bath every time after visiting here, since he gets covered in mud afterwards from the water. I say thats a good sign, and he had a fun time!
One of the few places where I feel 100% safe letting my dog roam around in sight and out of sight for brief periods of time, I now make this my regular weekend warrior dog trip for the little man.

My pup, Brynlee, LOVES this park! We have been about 3 – 4 times now and she gets so excited!
There are several places to dip into the water, so it doesn’t get too crowded down at the point. This is also a great spot for kayaking and such.
I will say… we did have ONE encounter and it was on our first trip. A walked up and attacked brynlee on her face (cut under eye and punctured ear — both bleeding) the owner did NOT pull of his dog and proceeded to say «These things happen» and got testy with me. I was so shocked that I did not have a response, because it would not have been a good one!
Overall great place, but watch out for ignorant pet owners!

This is one of best dog parks I the world. Great circle route and I get to walk myself and the dog. If your dogs likes water there is plenty of lake front for them to jump in too.

We had a great time coming here and watching all the dogs play! There are benches at the back of the park too. I think this a is a great location for an off leash dog area. It’s fairly far away from the road so it seems a bit safer for dogs than other off leash parks.

First trip to this park for me and our 5 month old puppy. All the dogs were friendly as were the people.
There were a few people that did not seem to realize there was a line for parking, or just felt they were important enough to cut. Fortunately, none of them actually got a spot. We waited almost 20 minutes to get a spot at 1:45 on a Sunday. So yeah parking is an issue but the wait was well worth it.
The very first place on the right is a good place for beginner dogs as it is easier to walk in there.
I will go back for sure.

A great place to take your dogs to roam and relax near the water. It has multiple places to enter the water and sit by the water. Dogs walk/​run leash-​free so its important to make sure your dogs aren’t aggressive — it could ruin someone’s day, so be mindful. But it really is a nice spot to hang out on a nice day. Only bad things is parking is very limited.

Great park for all size dogs. Most dogs are off leash & I personally have never seen anyone NOT pick up after their dog. Seems like everyone who goes here wants to keep it clean. And by reading other reviews, you can tell parking is obviously a problem.
I only take my dogs during none busy hours so I don’t have to wait 30 minutes for a parking spot.

My dog absolutely loves it here! He was terrified of swimming until he saw some other dogs doing it and he quickly got over his fear and became a natural.
There’s a lot of room for your dog to run, plenty of swimming areas, benches, and even a little strip of woods lines the outside of the park.
I have a pit bull and everyone there is really friendly towards him, which is definitely something we look for in a dog park. We try to go at least once a week!

Samuel and I met up with my friends and their dog to get a little Thanksgiving morning stroll! The weather was beautiful and there wasn’t a lot of people there. I have been dying to get out here! We walked up the trail and Samuel had a field day smelling everything! We go the the end where there’s access to water. I was surprised but there were some dogs that just dove in. I guess the cold water didn’t phase them what so ever.
As we were walking the trail I noticed that there wasn’t poop visible anywhere. That’s great it means responsible owners and/​or good up keep. The area is just so beautiful, peaceful and people were friendly. Dogs were friendly too. Nothing to rowdy or crazy. I can’t wait to go back to Red Bud! I’m almost certain that Samuel really enjoyed himself also. He was totally passed out when he got to the car.

This dog park is a great alternative to the fenced in dog parks since Zilker is temporarily closed. My dog thoroughly enjoyed this park. It was also a good chance to work on her commands off leash without worrying about here running into traffic. There is a small parking lot at the entrance right off the road and we got the last spot so, I can see how parking would become a problem. Also, I wouldn’t recommend parking on the road outside the park since they have no parking and towing signs. They also have the poop bag boxes in the parking lot and at the entrance of the trail but, I didn’t see any beyond that so, make sure you grab bags if you need them on the way in.
There are tons of pretty vantage points to stop and take in the nature scenery. It is very humid and stuffy at this park so, I would recommend going early in the morning or later in the evening.
There were other dogs at the end of trail and they were all friendly as well as having friendly owners. There is ample places for your dog to get into the water if they like that sort of thing. There is some steps at the end where most of the dogs were hanging out and entering the water. The trail isn’t that long but, it was enough to entertain my dog! This is probably a really pretty place to go come fall when the leaves are changing.
The bugs started coming out so, I also recommend some bug spray. This is Luna and my new favorite place to get some running and playtime in.

Loved it. My dog was roaming around. We’re barely teaching him to behave, and he did great. Great scenery! Great trails. There is scarce parking but we’ll worth it and we didn’t take long to find one. I would totally recommend

Great off leash for swimming.
A bit of a wait for parking but usually no longer than 5min
Wear dog friendly clothes
So far so good with minimal to no aggressive dogs, let’s keep it that way

Looking for a day to enjoy the beautiful weather with your pooch? Come on dowwwwwn to Red Bud Isle! It’s a very social place if your dog loves to play with others or even if you’re looking to socialize your dog some more. Most people let their large dogs run off leash, swim in the water and be the adorable animals that they are!
As others have mentioned, parking can be a bit of a problem during the busier times. The parking lot is small, and you aren’t supposed to park outside of the entrance. The trail isn’t long, but nice to loop around a couple of times and enjoy the scenery. Afterwards, if you’re still looking to enjoy the outdoors, Mozarts coffee shop is nearby with a great view of the lake. Dog friendly on the outdoor patio!

My fave dog park in Austin. Large open spaces, water access, lots of trees/​shade and the park is always clean.
Parking is limited, so if you go on a weekend or holiday don’t be surprised if you can’t find a spot.

I love this little hidden gem — my favorite spot to take my pup and worth checking out at least once just for the scenery.
Pros:
–beautiful place, little peninsula with trees, nice 10 min walk that loops around
–set back from the street and once you get past the parking lot it’s very safe to let dogs run around, also don’t have to worry about keeping pups away from bicyclists or joggers like on town lake
–variety of terrain to explore (grassy area, dirt area, trees and shrubs, water) keeps it interesting for pups and humans alike
Cons:
–there is often not enough parking here, especially on the weekends. be prepared to park on Lake Austin blvd and walk over at peak times.
–pedestrian access on the bridge is sketchy. i walk 90% of the time that i visit but it’s always stressful, i’m sure more people would get there on foot if there were proper sidewalks.