Neighborhood 48H guide
Lady Bird Lake & Barton Springs Road: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Barton Springs Pool, Umlauf and a kayak on the lake.
The south shore of Lady Bird Lake runs west along Barton Springs Road to Zilker Park and its spring-fed pool.
Photo gallery
Photo: Spawnzilla · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Rish0203 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
The lake trail at the door and Barton Springs a short ride away, with downtown across the bridge.
Who it's for: Outdoorsy travelers, families and swimmers.
Pros
- Lake and trail
- Near Zilker
- Skyline views
Cons
- Car or bike helpful
- Big convention hotel
- Festival traffic in fall
48H by the lake
Spring swim, sculpture, paddle.
08:00 – Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed pool; closed Thursday daytime for cleaning.
11:00 – UMLAUF Sculpture Garden
Sculpture under the trees; closed Mondays.
16:00 – Kayak Lady Bird Lake
Rent at Rowing Dock or Texas Rowing Center.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum
605 Azie Morton Rd
Charles Umlauf’s sculptures in a shady garden.
Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Barton Springs Pool
2201 William Barton Dr
A spring-fed pool in Zilker Park.
Photo: Spawnzilla · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →Outdoors
Rowing Dock
2418 Stratford Dr
Kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals on Lady Bird Lake.
Photo: Rish0203 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hyatt Regency Austin
208 Barton Springs Rd
Lakeside hotel on the south shore, by the Congress Avenue Bridge.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Lady Bird Lake & Barton Springs Road.
The City of Austin requires short-term rentals to hold an operating license. Look for it on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in Lady Bird Lake & Barton Springs Road on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Austin
- Downtown & Sixth Street — The Driskill, the Paramount and the Congress Avenue bats.
- Rainey Street — Bungalow bars, Banger’s beer garden and music at the Van Zandt.
- South Congress — The Continental Club, Jo’s Coffee and Allens Boots.
- East Austin — Franklin Barbecue, the Texas State Cemetery and East Sixth bars.
- UT & Capitol — Capitol tours, the Bullock Museum and the Blanton.
- The Domain & North Austin — Domain Northside and Austin FC at Q2 Stadium.
- Lake Travis & Lakeway — The Oasis at sunset and the Mount Bonnell view on the way.
- Fredericksburg (Hill Country stay) — Main Street, the Pacific War museum and Enchanted Rock.