Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park

Mary Moore Searight Park is heaven sent for those living in South Austin needing a break from the ever consuming I-35 expansion. Featuring tennis courts, a soccer field, and copies different trails to branch off of; this park/trail is one of our favorite in Austin. A very family friendly trail (bathrooms at the trailhead for little kids), it is important to get there at a good time as even with a spacious parking lot it can fill up fast. If you have a dog this is a great trail to go down as there are many other dogs out who all seemed friendly and well trained. Once you begin the trail you cross small streams and head further in to find an amazing and open wildflower field, although it seems that the wildflowers were cleared out unfortunately. There are workout stations lining the trail for those who like to get a good pump in while they traverse the many branching paths off the trail. While it was somewhat busy there is plenty of space for those who want a nice leisurely walk without much contact. We absolutely loved our time here and if it wasn’t for us living up north this would be our daily decompression spot!

I go for walks here at least once a week. There is the main trail that does a loop around the park, and which also contains little exercise bars along the way which is quite nice. They have both a soccer field as well as a baseball diamond with a tall fence. Also a great place to bring your pets. In addition to the main loop, there are also trails that are about 4 miles in length, so a great place for running as well. Some of the trails are along the water which can be really nice to look at. A great place to visit if you want to get some exercise and spend time in nature.

I’ve been looking for a park like this: uncrowded, close to water, trails that wind through the woods, perfect for sunset walks. A short 30 min drive from the city but worth it for the solitude and beauty.

Tons of trails, birds, interesting rocks, streams, cliffs, disc golf course, and open meadows perfect during bluebonnet season for pictures. The trails offer some limited exercise stations, but I’ve seen much better options at other parks. You almost can’t get lost, just pick a trail and you’ll eventually end up back at the parking lot. The full 18 hole disc golf course is fun and challenging, but is prone to muddiness when it’s been raining. If mosquitos love you as much as they live me, bring your bug spray. I always forget and always regret it.

Really under rated park in my opinion. There are really great trails interwoven between the creeks. There are grills and shaded recreation areas. There is even a disc golf course! Nice place to beat the crowds but still experience an Austin park. Might be a bit out of the way for most visitors.

Walked the trail to scout out for a bike ride. Was a bit muddy but had a nice creek and a creek crossing as well as a few drops to challenge me a bit. Will bring my bike next week if it ever stops raining and try it out. Numerous people walking dogs and a group using the group area cooking. Seems like a really nice place. Returned with my bike. Was a great first ride of the new year (2019). Found the trail to be very fun fast and challenging if you take some of the side trails through the woods. Lots of quick short climbs twist turns and an excellent view of the creek. Nice park with restrooms and large parking area. Lots of visitors so you feel your car is safe while you’re out riding as well. Nice place to break your bike in and get off the road I would recommend.

Lots of criss crossing trails especially if you travel equestrian loop. Bring your phone so you don't get lost if you aren't familiar this park. Water is visible but low right now but overall, a beautiful day out. And Bambi wished me well on my way out.

Awesome park with many miles of trails that connect to other parks close by

This is our go-to park, especially because my boyfriend and I play a lot of pickleball. The park has 2 tennis courts with 2 practice walls, and inside the tennis courts, there are lines for 3 pickleball courts in total. It can get busy, but not so much that you can't find a spot--it's all first-come, first-served with no reservations required. There's also a basketball court and, on the other side, a sand volleyball court. You'll often see people playing frisbee or flying drones here, which adds to the lively atmosphere. The park has pet-friendly walking and running trails, a small play area for kids, and a few picnic spots. Restrooms are available, and there's plenty of parking. It's always clean, and you'll see enough people around to feel safe even if you're visiting alone.

A nice, clean neighborhood park. Took my dog out here for an adventure one day - he was looking for friends to play with but sadly there's no dog park. They have some basketball and tennis courts and if you go further down towards the back, you'll see some volleyball courts. There's also a pretty decent disc golf course out here

Mary Moore Searight Park is heaven sent for those living in South Austin needing a break from the ever consuming I-35 expansion. Featuring tennis courts, a soccer field, and copies different trails to branch off of; this park/trail is one of our favorite in Austin. A very family friendly trail (bathrooms at the trailhead for little kids), it is important to get there at a good time as even with a spacious parking lot it can fill up fast. If you have a dog this is a great trail to go down as there are many other dogs out who all seemed friendly and well trained. Once you begin the trail you cross small streams and head further in to find an amazing and open wildflower field, although it seems that the wildflowers were cleared out unfortunately. There are workout stations lining the trail for those who like to get a good pump in while they traverse the many branching paths off the trail. While it was somewhat busy there is plenty of space for those who want a nice leisurely walk without much contact. We absolutely loved our time here and if it wasn't for us living up north this would be our daily decompression spot!

The off leash dog park is excellent, worth a visit. No shade in the parking area so keep that in mind. The trails themselves are consistently shaded.

This is a really nice park system. Lots of areas for you to bring the family. However, I only have used the trails to ride my mountain bike. Weekdays it is awesome. On weekends, there are so many people walking their dogs off the leash it's hard to get up very much speed on your bike, stopping for dogs down the middle of the trail lol. That being said there's about a 3 mile semi paved loop for walking and then several side trails that go off into the woods for hiking or riding your bike. I find the trails challenging enough to get my heart rate up, but not so bad that you're having to stop and recover every 500 yards or so like some other trails. Overall very nice. I come here frequently and try to come on a weekday whenever possible but even on the weekends with all the dogs it's still fun.

This disc golf course was so pretty. The most beautiful park we've ever played at. It was a very technical course but absolutely stunning.

My daughter and I ventured here over the weekend to seek out a hiking trail I had read about. I actually was a bit disappointed and found it hard to find the trails due to the lack of trail markings/signage. I found the map by the playground but still found it difficult to follow. We ended up in the disc golf course. The playground here is decent. I liked that they had a smaller one for little kids and a bigger play set for the older ones. I noticed some nice size pavilions out here and could imagine people using the area for gatherings. If you are looking for a park in south Austin to explore this is definitely an option. I probably won't go out of my way to come back here as there are parks closer to my house that I prefer.

I love going here with my dog (off leash dog park area) but am putting this review to warn people of the barb wire that's popping up that my dog got stuck on. Looks like the city put it up which is really stupid at a dog park. It's right by the trail too. I reported it and hopefully it'll get taken down.

I know I keep saying "my favorite" to (almost) all the trails I've been to lately, but this one really tops the list. It's serene, well kept, a good mix of natural pathways and maintained access, close to the creek that actually has water, a diverse range of flora and fauna - we even saw deer. I would certainly recommend this to people who don't live in the neighborhood too. I'm guessing they are quite popular in non-pandemic times with a lot of picnic tables and benches along the trails, as well as basketball courts and baseball fields.

I am honestly surprised that I have not reviewed this park. I live really close by so it is convenient for me and nice scenery. If you are driving here, there is a decent amount of parking towards the back of the park. The trails are not labeled except recently someone spraypainted some arrows to keep you on the right path. On the paths, there are stations throughout with old-school gym equipment. There are signs that give information on what you can do at each station. Near the parking lot, there are restrooms, benches and picnic areas. Off to the left people will play disc golf. Also note it is very dog friendly and running friendly.

I feel like many Austinites undervalue this park. This park - IMO - is as good as some areas of the Greenbelt. Only way less crowded and the parking situation is better. I love this park! It's so easy to forgot you're right off Slaughter around a neighborhood. WHAT I LIKE: -Dog friendly -Flat areas to hike -Rocky areas to hike -Paved areas to hike -Trails along streams -Trails that 'go off the path' -Workout stations along the paved hiking areas -Narrow trails -Wide trails -Plenty of shade -Kid friendly -Park -Dirt bike trails (although - not sure if you should be dirt biking here) -Beautiful area -Free entry -Good parking WHAT I DONT LIKE: -Wish there were off leash friendly areas -There arent signs along the trail for where you're at -I wish there were areas to swim :) No big deal though There is a couple smaller areas to have a little gathering in the park. There is an open field to play sports. The parking is easy. I highly suggest you come here.

There is a lot to do at this park, but we mainly just take our pup to get some exercise. One great thing, it's not very crowded....so that's a plus. The trails are separated from the playground/recreational play area so that's nice. There's several different trails and you can go pretty far back and may get a little turned around, but it's beautiful. Make sure to look up when going between trees.... spiders (my worst nightmare nbd), almost had a stroke one day but it's fine haha. Overall a great park, and if you take your pup please take baggies! There are trash bins located all along the trails, so don't be trashy! There is also and exercise route if you wanna do some things, they have stations to stop at between jogs! Overall good park!

I love taking my dog here for a quick morning walk. He loves it and he makes many new friends each time we visit. TIP: mark your car location. The trails are not long or very confusing, but I have heard of some people getting a little lost for a minute. Again it's not hard to find your way back to the main entrance or bathrooms. Pros: 1. Clean trails 2. Ample trash cans and dog waste bags along the trail. 3. Bathrooms are clean enough for public bathrooms. I wouldn't expect much for any public restroom. 4. The trails are long enough to really get my dogs worn out. 5. Beautiful scenery 6. Safe area and surrounding neighborhoods. 7. Plenty of parking. 8. Free. 9. Plenty of benches and rest areas along the trails.

Amazing park! Great location as well. We got our pictures done here! There was amazing scenery, didn't notice any trash or unwelcoming items. Things to do/explore for everyone! Human moms, dog moms you name it!

When I was boarding my horse in Buda we used to bring the horses here once or twice a month for a change of scenery. Now I bring my Pup here for a hike a couple of times a month for a change from Bull Creek. The Pup does not like it much since she has to be on a leash and she does not get to run free and play with other dogs like she does at Bull Creek. But, since I am the one paying for gas and it is much closer we go here more often than she likes. The 1 mile paved loop gets crowded with joggers and strollers if you prefer solitude I highly recommend you explore the dirt equestrian trails, I actually have never seen any horses here except when I was on the back of one. The more interesting trails are in the SW corner of the park with the best spots along Slaughter Creek at the far S end. The trails are only about 6 miles but it is easy to get lost for 4 hours if you do not pay attention or have a compass. Be sure and bring a camera - the Spanish Moss draping the Oak and Juniper Trees is a rare sight here in central Texas and so beautiful and creepy at the same time. You won't see the Moss near the paved trail, it is down by the creek where it can live off the humidity.

Surprised to find a decent Disc Golf Course here!! The park is a little secluded off of Slaughter Lane...and definitely off the beaten path. But its well kept, and has a lot to offer! Towards the rear of the park, it's Leash-free for dogs and cats! And I'm not talking like a small area either, more like acres of leash-free run & play area! There's a very large creek in the back, rocky terrain, miles of paved/unpaved trails and pathways, and a great disc golf course, oh yeah there is also a playground too! P.S. Yes, they also have public restrooms and water fountains.

Since I live so close I was excited to hear about a park I could walk my dog in!! This whole part of the park was "off the leash" and it was safe and beautiful! My dog had a blast! I will be going back very soon and often!!

The park is a beautiful place to take the kids to play on the playground, hike, have a picnic, run or play frisbee golf. I love it. Today we hung out in one of the large pavilions beside the creek and had a picnic. It was so relaxing to hear the birds chirping and watch the beautiful assortment of dragonflies zooming by. We also saw a tiny snake in the creek and a skink. They just got two new playscapes and new swings. My daughter loves it here. The hiking trail has benches along it in case you need a rest and there is so much wildlife to see. It is an excellent place for a birthday party! Take your family and check it out!

It's free. It's relatively clean. It appeared that the kids that were there were basically trying to find a place to smoke... and they need to work on their 'sneakiness' skills. Dog friendly. Volleyball court, basketball court, field, grills... all in all a decent park.

My favorite park in Austin. Sorry zilker. Great walking trails, sports courts, playground and even horse friendly. My kiddos ask to come here almost every day. Good shade trees. Just make sure to bring bug spray since there's a creek that runs through it. I've never tried it, but I've seen people fishing in the creek. The entrance can be hard to find if you don't already know where it is. Look for signs for Padres Middle School. If you're going to explore the walking trails bring GPS or read a map ahead of time. There are short trails and long trails and not always well marked which is which, but that just adds to the adventure!

THIS TRAIL IS NOT OFF-LEASH as many of you are saying. There are plenty of signs which I have attached in the photos and their have been dog attacks here in the past several weeks. Please be courteous and put your dog on a leash.

Great park! There is a nice children's play area. There are options of biking, running, walking or hiking also the people there are very neighborly

Only thing missing. Signposts. I always need my phone or GPS to find my way. I do feel the presence of the spirit of dear mrs. M Moore there.

I LOVE this park. The only reason for the four instead of five stars is because of the road to get to the park. It's full of randomly placed speed bumps and awful potholes. That being said this tucked away park is awesome. I take my dog here to run/walk with me. I never have him on a leash which has helped me train him alot. I do keep his leash with me in case some one has a conniption fit about it. I hardly see any anyone's dogs on leashes either. The standard paved loop is about 1 mile and there Are many other cool trails to go explore. There is a disc golf course and lots of other stuff to do as well,

Great location for a walk or jog. There's also a basketball court. I appreciate the scenery.

This park is beautiful. Hiking, play scape for children and disc golf available here.

Nice park on the outskirts of Austin. There were several folks with their dogs and some people like us just walking around on the trails watching wildlife. They do have a Frisbee golf course that goes through the park. You do have to be aware of the Frisbees flying around if you are in that area. Lots of shade and some small areas of water. Wouldn't call them streams because they are pretty small. Most you can walk across on rocks

Regardless if you go to run, walk, bring the kids, or feel like flying an R/C airplane- This place has a bit for everyone. It's ALOT quieter than Zilker or the more urban rec areas. Today when I went it was just me and my son for a while and then another couple and their children showed up after a while. I found a ton of deer tracks while exploring a few of the trails that surround the play area, and i'd assume that this would be an excellent place to animal watch during the right seasons. My only warning is to bring something that repels wasps as there are a ton of them here!

First of all, I'd like to apologize to all the disc golfers whose games I stumbled through in search of a hike. Secondly, I'm making a mental note that if I ever want to play disc golf, this seems like this would be the place. And finally, next time I want a quiet hike, up hill and down dale, without someone yelling "Fore!", without the risk of decapitation by neon discs, and without getting stuck in the undergrowth trying to find a shortcut that peters out, I'll go to Gus Fruh instead. And thanks to the golfers who pointed me in the direction of the parking lot!

I have to add that their disc golf course is a more challenging one in town. Just when you think you are getting it down, they change hole 1 to hole 18 and move the baskets. Aye. You dirty scoundrels. This park is my backyard, and I don't spend enough time here. Is does get crowded with golfers and runners, but you can search for - and find - some serenity when you need it. There are some great views of Slaughter Creek, too.

I just got back from hiking the main loop at Mary Moore with my 4 year old daughter. The hike is really easy, the only challenging part is the start where you go up a slight hill. If you're a real "hiker" this is not the trail for you to explore. But, for walking with my daughter it was perfect. It's a good distance on the loop, and most of it is paved. The paving is old, broken up, and intermixes with rock/gravel as a trail. This sort of makes it feel a little less manufactured which I like. It was 96° on the hike, and thankfully we brought lots of water. There are spits and spurts of shade, but most of it is fairly exposed to the sun so you will get very warm. My daughter and I stopped at a few of the benches for her to drink water and rest before carrying on. At the big open field we saw three deer, this made my daughters' day. We also saw a road runner, and then down in the creek at the entrance my daughter pulled out her magnifying glass and we spotted LOTS of baby frogs and tadpoles. This was a great way to rest, keep her engaged, and let our dog cool off in the water. The only negative was a few people had their dogs off leash but the moment they saw us they leashed them up immediately. I would do the hike again as there are lots and lots of little mini trails that weave around the main trail, I think those would be really fun. Negatives were that I saw a lot of beer bottles thrown about, and quite a bit of trash, despite the fact there are more garbage cans on the trail than I've seen at any park in Austin. There is also lots of dog feces which shows some of the pet owners aren't really caring about the quality of the grounds.

As a Disc Golfer this park will provide you the opportunity for many Aces and the ability to work on your technical Disc Golf game. *Disclaimer* I play Disc Golf and am a member of a few Disc Golf Organizations and Groups that help promote the sport locally, statewide, nationally, and worldwide... just wanted to get that out of the way so you would know my point of view Mary Moore Searight Park has been a great long work in progress for the park, the amenities, disc golf, and all other activities that get to take place out there. It is often that I see family and many diverse groups using the pavilion area for parties, cookouts, or a get together. It is often that I see the trails being used by avid walkers, runners, cross-fit types, and all those in between. The facilities for restroom and water are nice as well for such a very busy park. The Parks Department does it's best to keep up with the frequent use of the park, and they try to empty the trash as much as they can. As to the other commented items, like the road? Yes, there needs to be improvement on this and I am not sure if the parks department has been allocated the proper funds to maintain it. I can personally say, since I work with them on projects, they truly do their best to work with what they get from the COA Council agreements. As to the Disc Golf Course: The course is a great course to test the average player to the experienced players. There are many chances for Risk & Reward shots or Risk & "what the heck was I trying to do...that went so bad" shots (lol). There have been MANY volunteers that have helped develop and maintain this course. They have helped build, mold, shape, control erosion, plant trees, remove non-native plants, increase safety for everyone there; all of this has been in conjunction with the city.. but the C.O.A. could not have done it alone. The City simply does not have the money or man power. So I send a shout out of respect to sponsors/friends/volunteers associated with: South Austin Disc Golf Association (SADA), Waterloo Disc Golf Club, PARD (Parks And Rec Dept.), and so many others. If you play here often you know that you will see ALL ages and types of players. There are weekly leagues and events that if you pay in, you can get a pay out. It is almost a weekly event that the Aces get hit and someone gets rich. Not bad for throwing a plastic disc in some metal chains. If you are a beginner who may have the challenge to throw 165ft+ straight, with respect, you may want to challenge your skills at Zilker Park first and get them developed. Everyone is welcome to play here of course, but I would feel bad if a beginning Disc Golfer got very discouraged on this course and resulted in them giving up on such a GREAT SPORT. It is brutal if you throw every 100+ft or so and end up in the trees or brush. It zaps your game rhythm, energy, and increases frustration; hence why I suggest the 165ft+ range so you know you can throw down some of the fairways and technical shots around the corners, etc. Example: When you learn that you are only on Hole #3, you keep landing in the trees and there are 15 more holes left to play that are seemingly much more challenging; you may lose your motivation. As a disc golfer I would NOT want you to do that. After all.. we all started somewhere! With the previous information noted, and that you may be beginning and want the challenge (that's a good thing) please do come out here and challenge yourself, but you may want to try during a weekday when the crowds are smaller and you wont feel "rushed." Additionally, I can tell you that some of the local Pro's play during the week and with you there.. FREE instructions and information help EVERYONE (myself included). Overall, MMS Park is a great destination for activity fun and meeting new friends. Come out, bring some water and a smile.. then enjoy your favorite activity here.. if you don't have one I am sure that you can get that here as well!

Living block away from one of the neighborhood entrances to this awesome park is a thing I am kicking myself for not hitting up earlier. Now that I have my pug friend Dexter, we like to go somewhere on my days off. Well I decided that this place would be a prime idea to do our chillin at. Boy was I right! First time we went we stuck to the paved path that goes through a big chunk of the park. I wish I would have looked before hand how long it was because the little guy struggled. Today though I made sure to prepare. We decided today to check the trails out and what an awesome way to spend a Saturday. We even found a really cool creek that my pup got to check out. The whole park was pretty clean and had plenty of doggie poo stations to keep your shoes clean. If your looking for some 1on1 time with your pup and need to get away from the usual dog park crowds, check this place out.

If you (or your dogs) don't like a trail crowded with people, bikes, and unleashed dogs, then this park is right for you. The downsides are that the scenery isn't as nice. Instead of Town Lake, you sometimes get the back sides of Slaughter Lane houses, and unless there's been a lot of rain, the creek beds are all dry. But there are still plenty of trees, native vegetation, and a couple of wide open grass fields. It's a great place to take your unable-to-get-along with-other-dogs dogs. During a 30-minute walk, we only saw three other dogs, and they were all leashed. (Our were leashed.) It's also a great place for a peaceful walk without having to step aside for speeding cyclists or triple-baby-strollers. There's a paved 1-mile loop, but if you take some off the smaller trails, you can do up to a 6-mile loop. Our catahoulas approved highly.

I've gone back several times now and discovered the park is basically a huge loop with a bunch of trails running off of it in every which way. There are also sports fields along the loop for soccer and baseball. I should add that the loop is paved and excellent for biking. There are some potholes so watch out, but its mostly good!

We love the off leash dog trail, itgets pretty muddy after rainy days (like shoes getting stuck in the mud bad) but otherwise a very easy and fun trail for me and the pups!

I love that I have this park less than 5 minutes from my apartment. Nice grass area for my dog to roam around and beautiful trail to enjoy the weather and view.

There is an off leash dog park with an entrance off of First Street that is Mary Moore that we enjoy going to. I like it because I can get my exercise along with my dog but she can run off leash by me. There is some water in the park which my dog enjoys going in, but it may not be quite so enjoyable if it has recently rained because the park has a tendency to get muddy.

I go here to walk my dog a lot and it has everything I need to do that. Like, it has... the ground. So that's really helpful. Seriously though, I really like the variety of little trails and the fact that there's a stream sometimes if it ever rains. My dog Yoshi appreciates the number of things to smell. There are just so many things to smell. And lots of deer to get really angry at for no reason! So that's cool. The people who use this park are within the normal range. The dogs that bring their people are all pretty nice, too. There are a couple of good fields to let your dog off leash, but I can't do that because my dog is nuts.

First things first. I am not a disc golfer, nor am I a golfer of any kind. Ok, now that's out of the way. We played on the playground, climbed trees, hiked, and watched the little tiny airplanes fly around. A good time was had by all. I like the fact that this park is out of the way and never crowded. We'll be back.

This park is hidden away, I never knew it was here. It large park with lots of trails, a great disk golf course, and nice playground. My only concern is with the large bee population around the picnic and playground area. We came here on a recent field trip. The bees were so bad they swarmed the children and they had to eat lunch on the bus. Thankfully nobody was stung. I nice older gentleman who walks his dog frequently at the park told me this is always a problem. If you have your kids out there watch out for the bees.

This is the park I visit the most since it is the closest to my house. My husband and I like to take our dog for a walk on the trail here when he needs a change of pace from walking in the neighborhood or wants a bit of a longer walk during the weekday. It's generally quiet and doesn't have half as much traffic as Town Lake does, which is nice when you want a peaceful stroll. If you come at a quiet time of day, you might even run across some of the local wildlife. Once on a morning walk during the summer, I spotted a deer in the bushes, a snake in the middle of the trail, and a coyote on the path. I know, I wouldn't have believed it either, but it was pretty amazing. There are other trails in the park, but I haven't gone down them for fear of getting lost due to my terrible sense of direction. The park does also have a nice disc golf course, clean picnic areas, and some new-looking playscapes for the kids. This park has a bit of everything for everyone.

Awesome disc course! Ctp throwing at the practice basket. Walking trail here is paved and grassy but clear. Well kept park. Come on a Tuesday or Friday or any day that ends in y. Very enjoyable if not condensed park.

Love this park! There main area is NOT off leash but they do have a separate entrance for an off leash area. Very pretty walks and Creek. I just wish swimming was allowed. I let my dog swim but on the hot summer days I want to join.

I used to hike, jog, and bike this trail a lot when I lived in South Austin. It's main benefit is that it's just not used that much, except by disc golfers and on big holidays. Most times there's nobody on the unpaved trails, and just a handful on the paved sections. I've seen plenty of deer and one coyote (who ran right by me and my husky years ago) plus several roadrunners. A great little park with a fun but not particularly challenging bike and running trail.

This is a nice pretty park with a great disc golf course. I just wish they had a fenced in dog park! There were 3 other people with their dogs looking for the same thing! Other than that this would be a good place to have a picnic, hang out with friends, walk around, at.

Awesome walking trail, most of it is shaded. There's a small stream that's noce to sit by. It wasnt very crowded so that was nice too.

This is a great park, lots of free field space to play, whatever! Definitely a great place to chill with the fam

Fantastic park filled with trails. Can walk around for hours. Amazing spot to go with your doggie. Mine walked around off leash the majority of the time and we had a wonderful easy hiking experience. Make sure to drop a pin at your car though - if you take enough twists and turns you can get a lil lost. But there is a creek and major trail that runs around it. Will def be back!