Austin’s Most Beloved Trail: How Lady Bird Johnson & Ann Butler’s Vision Became a City Landmark
Tracing the past, present, and everyday rhythms of the Ann and Roy Butler Trail
TRIBEZA contributor Kelly Krause is a daily visitor to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and shares her passion for this beloved Austin landmark, alongside others in the community. Discover the history of this downtown gem and how it has evolved from a popular pathway into a vibrant gathering place for a diverse mix of people.
A love letter to the trail
At the heart of Austin, where the city hums and the skyline shimmers, Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail winds like a beloved old song — steady, familiar, and endlessly inspiring. Every morning, as the sun spills golden light over the water of Lady Bird Lake, I find myself here with my feet hitting the dirt path, breath syncing with the rhythm of the trail, run crews zipping past me and a cold brew in my hand, a ritual as natural to me as the city itself.
The trail is where I meet friends for sunrise walks, take calls that turn into strolling meetings, exchange nods with familiar faces or lose myself in the rhythm of my steps. It’s where I’ve pushed myself past limits I once thought impossible and where I’ve untangled my thoughts mile by mile, turning worries into dust beneath my feet. The trail is my non-negotiable and the anchor to my day. I always feel a little off when I skip my morning ritual here, like I’ve left a piece of myself behind.
I’ve traced these miles so many times that they feel like my own, yet I often wonder about the footsteps and stories that came before me, who first carved this path along the water and how this trail grew into the lifeline of the city it is today.
History of the Trail
Curious about the trail’s origins, I recently learned that its roots trace back to a conversation in the early ‘70s in London, where Ann Butler and Lady Bird Johnson first dreamed of bringing a scenic lakeside path to Austin — a vision that would shape the soul of the city.
As Ann Butler herself once explained, “One evening, Lady Bird Johnson, who always stayed at the Savoy, invited me over for drinks in her suite. As we looked out at the Thames River, Lady Bird turned to me and said, ‘Do you think we could ever get our Town Lake to look like that?’, and I said “Certainly! We’ll get committees to help us.” Ann grabbed Roy Butler, who was mayor at the time, and he agreed.
Upon their return to Texas, Ann and Lady Bird wasted no time. They envisioned a beautiful, natural trail that would transform the city’s relationship with its waterfront. They began making calls to friends across Texas, rallying support and raising funds to clean up Town Lake. The movement officially kicked off at the Johnson Ranch, where an up-and-coming artist performed for the gathering, a young Willie Nelson.
Lady Bird Johnson’s dedication to preserving natural spaces wasn’t just about aesthetics as she believed that access to nature could transform communities and enrich lives. There’s something powerful about understanding the stories behind the spaces that shape our everyday lives, and I can’t help but smile knowing they united their community to bring this vision to life — a testament to the spirit of Austin, where coming together to create something meaningful feels like second nature.
Caring for the trail
The Trail Conservancy was established in 2003 as the Town Lake Trail Foundation to protect and enhance the trail. In 2022, The Trail Conservancy signed a Park Operating and Maintenance Agreement with the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, granting primary stewardship of the 10-mile trail and almost 300 acres of parkland.
“The Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail was created by the community, for the community — an effort led by visionaries like Lady Bird Johnson and Ann Butler, who championed the idea of a trail around then Town Lake. Today, that same community-driving spirit is essential to maintaining the trail’s beauty, accessibility and ecological health,” shares Mandi Thomas, Chief Marketing Officer of The Trail Conservancy.
A nonprofit organization, The Trail Conservancy, invites the community to join in their commitment to improving and operating the trail by becoming a member, volunteering or attending one of their annual fundraising events.
“Supporting TTC by becoming a member or supporting our work as a donor is an investment in a community-led legacy – ensuring the trail thrives for generations to come,” says Thomas.