Travis County is one step closer to launching a 10-year plan to expand its parks system.
County staff presented their final draft plan to expand, strengthen and increase access to county parks over the next decade at a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting March 10. The countywide effort comes after voters approved a $276.44 million parks bond proposition in 2023.
Current situation
The new county parks plan recommends nearly 19 short-term projects that would be completed within the next three years.
In Northwest Travis County, the county plans to construct a community group building along with other park improvements from the 2023 bond at Arkansas Bend Park in Lago Vista.
The county is aiming to acquire land to complete the Wilbarger Creek Greenway and Gilleland Creek Greenway in the northeastern area. The plan includes constructing trails and amenities along the Gilleland Creek Greenway from Northeast Metropolitan Park in Pflugerville to Ben E. Fischer Park in Manor, which would also receive upgrades.
Additionally, the county may develop a community group building and make improvements at East Metropolitan Park in Manor.
In Southwest region, the county is looking to acquire new land connecting Reimers Ranch Park in Dripping Springs to RGK Ranch Park—a new 1,506-acre park acquired by the county in 2024. The county has already begun developing vision plans for both parks, including camping sites and expanded trails at Reimers Ranch Park, said Kari Spiegelhalter, co-founder at Mend Collaborative, an urban planning and landscape architecture firm working on the county’s parks plan.
The plan details constructing synthetic sports fields, pavilions and walking trails at the Bee Creek Sports Complex in Spicewood.
The following short-term improvements are planned for Southeast Travis County:
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The big picture
Overall, the Travis County parks department has developed a list of 35 recommended projects. Some projects may be short-term, completed in three years or less; medium-term, completed in four to six years; or long-term, taking seven to 10 years.
Click here to view the full draft plan.
The background
Proposition B from 2023 included more than $200 million in bond funding for parkland acquisition along with funding for new trails and facility additions at the Gilleland Creek Greenway, Southeast Metropolitan Park, Onion Creek Greenway, Bee Creek Sports Complex and Arkansas Bend Park.
The county has been acquiring land along the Eastern Crescent for several bond cycles with the vision to create a 70-mile trail system that begins at Northeast Metropolitan Park in Pflugerville and winds all the way down to SH 45 near Manchaca, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The new 10-year parks plan was developed over the past year through receiving feedback from community members, a steering committee and the Commissioners Court, Spiegelhalter said.
Next steps
The final comprehensive parks plan is expected to go before the commissioners court for approval in two weeks, Travis County Parks representative Janet Coles said.
“I want to thank our Travis County parks staff,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Ann Howard said. “When our families get outside and we get to explore and learn something it’s sort of the best part.”