Wild Basin Preserve
Wild Basin Preserve
4.5
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Home to two species of endangered birds, golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Bleh
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must Visit
    My partner and I did the guided hike on the second Saturday and I highly recommend! Our master naturalist guide John was knowledgeable, warm-hearted and funny. I wouldn’t have noticed half the things from the hike without his keen eye. It made the experience so much richer! Thank you Wild Basin for a great day appreciating nature.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written December 10, 2023
  • Marisvel P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great trails for family
    We took our daughter (4 y/o) on a hike for about 2 hrs and it was beautiful. Trails were easy to see, easy to walk on/up/down, and beautiful scenery. Very clean and you can tell the trails were well maintained. We cannot wait to go again.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written May 20, 2024
  • susan p
    Didcot, United Kingdom5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Walk to the Waterfall Wednesday
    We had a lovely walk to the waterfall and back. We went out with Skip one of the volunteers, and a small group of others who came along for the event. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the sanctuary, and the local wildlife and plants. I would highly recommend a visit and to take the free "walk to the waterfall Wednesday"
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 13, 2024
  • Esther R
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful and serene!
    The trail was really amazing! It was so beautiful and serene and the signage kept you clear on where you're going. Everything was so well kept and beautiful in the midst of all those beautiful trees and little creeks...definitely worth going back!
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written August 13, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles46 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
17
Average
5
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Njoytravl
Austin, TX401 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Nice trails, some shade, some not. Fairly easy, with some up/down hills but nothing too taxing. Evidently now you need to have reservations, and there is an entrance fee. We just pulled in on a recent Saturday afternoon, not realizing we needed reservations (been coming here for years, but did not know they started a reservation system). The attendant at the front told us we had to go online on our phone and make a reservation (even though she said there was no one currently there on the trails!!) and when we made the reservation online it charged us $5/adult plus a service fee. Be mindful that dogs are not allowed, nor bicycles. Very pretty, but somewhat limited for a serendipitous hike!
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susan p
Didcot, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Couples
We had a lovely walk to the waterfall and back. We went out with Skip one of the volunteers, and a small group of others who came along for the event. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the sanctuary, and the local wildlife and plants. I would highly recommend a visit and to take the free "walk to the waterfall Wednesday"
Written June 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KHolmes
Pflugerville, TX2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
What a gem! I took my boys out for a hike on Christmas Eve day. The staff and security where fantastic and friendly. Free during the week. We had reservations (weekends/holidays require reservations), but there were not very many people hiking that day. I was impressed that the trails were very well marked and maintained. I will be going back again very soon. Easy drive too!
Written December 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Audra K-M
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Family
We were looking for a new spot, coming from Temple area. Wild Basin did not disappoint. My kids ages 5-13 all likes it. It has varied grades with steps throughout. Very shady for most of it. It was raining for first five minutes, so the trail was slick. Waterfall wasn’t huge, but the sounds were beautiful. I would say it’s a difficult of 3 out 5. My 5yo had a hard time after awhile, so we carried him for the flatter parts. Overall, would recommend and would return If there weren’t so many others that we have yet to visit!!
Written May 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bleh
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
My partner and I did the guided hike on the second Saturday and I highly recommend! Our master naturalist guide John was knowledgeable, warm-hearted and funny. I wouldn’t have noticed half the things from the hike without his keen eye. It made the experience so much richer! Thank you Wild Basin for a great day appreciating nature.
Written December 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Esther R
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Friends
The trail was really amazing! It was so beautiful and serene and the signage kept you clear on where you're going. Everything was so well kept and beautiful in the midst of all those beautiful trees and little creeks...definitely worth going back!
Written August 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marisvel P
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
We took our daughter (4 y/o) on a hike for about 2 hrs and it was beautiful. Trails were easy to see, easy to walk on/up/down, and beautiful scenery. Very clean and you can tell the trails were well maintained. We cannot wait to go again.
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelly F
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
I took an Interpretive Hike with a guide (John) from the Center. It was great and very informative. It's a great place with different trails to choose from. Some, like the waterfall walk, are pretty steep and challenging. Well worth the time to be in a wonderful preserve.
Written February 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trevor W
Austin, Texas, United States1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
I read another review and it spoke of dogs on the trail. So, off I went for a hike with my dog this morning.

No go. There were plenty of signs announcing no dogs and no bikes.

That's perfectly cool. Just wish I hadn't been misinformed!
Written July 4, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rosemary W
Seattle, WA1,559 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2018 • Couples
The trails are clearly marked and well maintained. In some areas (especially approaching the waterfall) they can be quite rough and rocky, and there may be a lot of steps. In other areas the trails are easy, hard-packed dirt. There are a lot of short loop trails here, so you can choose how much you want to do.

The parking is limited here, which helps keep the place from being overly crowded. The presence of children and loud adults virtually guarantees you won't see any wildlife. Maybe coming much earlier in the morning would help.

Note that this is not a stroller-friendly area. We saw a family that had brought a double-wide stroller with them, and they ended up having to carry both the kids and the stroller. If your kids are too little to hike, you will need to carry them. Some of the rocky areas with steps are too much for toddlers.

The weather was great - low to mid 60s. There are plenty of shady areas along the trail. Bring water - even on a cool day, we drank all the water we brought.
Written January 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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WILD BASIN PRESERVE - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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