Mayfield Park and Preserve often tops the lists of best parks in Austin with its picturesque gardens and exotic peacocks that roam freely. The gardens offer a beautiful setting for nature lovers to meander around small ponds and blooms, but the park also includes short hiking trails perfect for exploring with children.

Hiking at Mayfield Park & Preserve

Here, we’ve given you a step-by-step guide to the trail so you can take a nature walk through the woods with your kids and know what to expect.

To start your hike at Mayfield, find the picnic tables outside the main entrance to the gardens and head to the right — you will see the trail next to the Mayfield Park and Preserve welcome sign. You may see peahens and peacocks dusting themselves, as they often hang out here in the morning.

Next stop: the map. Mayfield Park is bound by the Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria to the west and the lake to the south, and the trails wind around in small loops, so you run a very small risk of getting lost.

Heading straight past the map is a shady area that slopes down to Lake Austin. Follow it to right and down the hill until you see the water. There are a few spots that are perfect for throwing rocks into the lake. You can follow this trail to the west where it will eventually loop back around to the Mayfield parking lot for a very short walk. But we think it’s best to turn around the same way you came after viewing the water and head back to that map for a further hike in the woods.

To the east of the map (if you head left instead of straight), the path winds through shady trees and patches of wildflowers before descending down a small set of stairs to the creek. Large rocks have been set into the creek bed for crossing.

On the other side of the creek, a short walk takes you to the base of a steep bank where you can climb up to the overhanging rocks, or “caves.” The climb is steep but there are stairs with a railing to assist you.

Next, to make your way to the peacocks and gardens, we personally like heading back towards the creek and taking a right at the marker for the Bell Trail. It leads you straight up the hill to the east gate of Mayfield gardens. You should be able to see the tower as you get close.

Notes before you go:

• Browse the map before you go if you want to get a lay of the land.
• Sometimes the Mayfield gardens are closed to the public for private events, but the trails are open every day no matter what is going on in the gardens.
• This hike is appropriate for small kids. However the trail is not stroller friendly. The trails are full of roots and large rocks, mud and stairs in some places.
• If you think your child will be eager to explore in the creek, you may wish to bring a towel to have in the car for the ride home.
• Take drinking water. Even when the weather is nice, the sun and heat can really creep up on you.
• Have fun!