Our reader may be hiking along, and suddenly, the trail forks. You find yourself between the rolling, dry bed of Barton Creek and majestic limestone cliffs. A lush canopy of native flora provides a cool refuge from the hot Texas sun. You might be a bit lost (where’s that trail marker?) and it doesn’t get much better than this. The Violet Crown Trail – stretching 13 miles through South Austin – was finally completed last November when the Hill Country Conservancy opened up the Mile Zero Trailhead next to Barton Springs, much to the joy of those who love a jaunt in the woods.
