Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week with a Walk for the Wild 5K Hike at Warbler Vista!

This year, the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands is participating in the Walk for the Wild 5K Challenge, hosted by the Public Lands Alliance. Teams from across the country are participating to help raise awareness for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The goal is to get people moving a distance of 5K in nature. Guided Hike participants will have the option to join #TeamBalcones if they choose to.

Our guided hiking tours on public trails are a great introduction to the trail system at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

These hiking tours move at a moderate place, with stops along the way to discuss the birds, plants, history, geology and habitats of the Refuge. We see many native plants and beautiful views along the way.

Who is this hike for?

If you are interested in learning about the beautiful Refuge right in Austin’s backyard, this guided tour is for you! Spend time with experts on the trail learning about this beautiful environment that is open for you to visit year-round!

What kind of hike will this be?

This is a 3.1 mile hike through a beautiful oak-juniper forest. On this hike, we will take a path that meanders up the steep new Quarry Canyon trail, then over to Vista Knoll and Cactus Rocks before descending on the Boulder trail.

We consider this a moderate difficulty hike due to the inclines, descents, and the occasionally rocky or slippery portions of the trail. We hike at a moderate pace, with about 8-9 pre-determined stops to share information about this wonderful place that so many plants and animals call home!

On this hike we will pause at moss-covered seeps that feed the Colorado River watershed, wander through the forested hillside, see huge limestone boulders and canyons, and have stops throughout to share information about unique Texas plants and animals that call the refuge home.

MEETING LOCATION: There are multiple trailheads at Warbler Vista. We will meet at the Quarry Canyon Trailhead. There is parking available at the trailhead.

RESTROOMS: There are restrooms at Warbler Vista at the Warbler Vista parking lot which is the next parking lot after the Quarry Canyon Trailhead.

EQUIPMENT:As always, wear appropriate shoes, bring plenty of water, bug spray, and sunscreen. Due to slippery rocks on the trail, hiking poles are also highly recommended.

GROUP SIZE:Registration is limited to 15 participants for this hike.

WEATHER ADVISORY & OTHER CANCELLATIONS:In the event that we need to cancel due to extreme weather or other unforeseen conditions you will be notified via email before 11:00 AM on the day of the hike.

PARTICIPANT CANCELLATIONS:Our hikes are popular and often have wait lists, if you need to cancel, we ask that you try to do so at least 48 hours in advance so that a wait-list participant is notified in adequate time to be able to join us on the trail! You can cancel in two ways:

• Log in to your profile on the Friends website and use the my event registration link to cancel your registration

• Send us an email at hikes@friendsofbalcones.org.  Looking forward to seeing you at the Refuge!