Lockhart State Park offers alternative to treadmills

The first Friday of 2019 was the perfect day for a hike – sunny, with temperatures that approached 70 degrees – and Austinites Kyle Shirey and Kati Dutcher decided to make the most of it.
But it wasn’t the loop around Lady Bird Lake, nor was it the expansive Austin greenbelt they sought.
It was Lockhart State Park, a destination that sits more than 30 miles away from downtown Austin.
“We’re trying to get healthier,” Shirey said as he and his fiancée made their way down from the park’s highest point. “We just wanted to try something different.”
The couple’s discovery is one that park ranger Lauren Hartwick would like to see more people make. With 11 trails totaling 3 miles – some with notable elevation changes – that can all be hiked in 20 minutes or less, the park offers a viable alternative for those who like to take to the great outdoors to stretch their legs.

For more, read this week’s Post-Register.