Municipalities Discuss Linking Recreational Trails

Hays County, Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, the San Marcos Greenbelt and Austin Officials are teaming up.

City officials of Austin, Buda, Kyle and San Marcos are joining with Hays County officials and the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance (SMGA) on a proposed 30-mile hiking trail.

The path would link the southern part of the Violet Crown trail in Austin to Purgatory Creek in San Marcos using trails in Buda and Kyle. 

Current plans call for a wide, two-way traffic trail to walk or bike the entire route using a paved or natural trail to promote recreation in parks and natural areas, said Mark Taylor, president of the SMGA. Other organizations promoting the proposed trail are the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust, the Meadows Center, the Hill Country Conservancy, Take-a-Hike San Marcos and the Geography Department of Texas State University. 

Funding for the proposed trail has not been identified but city staff members in Buda are planning to urge city council members to include the regional trail to be included in the city’s Capital Improvement Project list.

Trail supporters also are planning to work with landowners and developers to acquire right-of-way for the trail rather than using imminent domain. The next steps are to schedule public workshops in affected communities, develop a master plan and locate possible funding sources.

This article was originally published by Strategic Partnerships.