Northwest Balcones Park review

With this never ending heat, the kids and I have been having cabin fever of late as it seems that we hide out and do crafts -a LOT of crafts- after 12 pm because there is just no way to escape the blazing sun other than a pool. Taking two children with different agendas by myself everyday gets to be trying so we have started visiting parks again at 8 am and leaving before the sun scorches us to Texas toast. We decided to randomly pick a park from the City of Austin’s directory so Northwest Balcones Park it was.

For a directionally challenged person such as myself, I was rather glad that I had looked at a map before heading out to this park. It is literally buried within the gorgeous neighborhoods near Spicewood Springs by the Bull Creek Greenbelt. The roads were curvy and slightly hilly. I found myself admiring the neighborhoods as we were looking for the park and passed so many other small parks before finding Northwest Balcones Park.

There is a small 14 car parking lot on the northwest side of the park. I decided to stroll the toddler, and not seeing any signs to indicate where the handicap access ramps were, I maneuvered the stroller down big steps to get from the parking lot to the playscapes. (We later found that the handicap access connects from the sidewalk that runs along Talleyran Dr.)  Park hours are 5 am – 10 pm, and this is a pet-on-leashes only type of park.

Northwest Balcones Park is not very large at all (just 6 acres) with two playgrounds, basketball court, and a pavilion that can be reserved through the city, but it was beautifully landscaped and maintained. Either this park was recently renovated with new playground equipment, or the city takes extraordinary care of this place. The playscapes looked new. Unlike so many other parks that have succumbed to the drought and heat of late, this one had great big shade trees and a gorgeous pink crepe myrtle. With the covered patio tables, I was surprised at how picturesque this little park was.

The park is divided almost into four tiers. The upper most is the parking lot. The larger playscape is located on the second tier. The smaller playscape with the covered pavilion and restrooms are below that. The basketball court is on the lowest tier.

The toddler gestured that he wanted to play so off we went to the smaller of the two playscapes. He had no interest in climbing up the structure. He found rocks and was preoccupied with that. I checked out the playscape and give this one two thumbs up for toddler safety. He heard the squeals coming from the bigger playscape and abandoned the rocks for some social time. 

We headed up to the larger playscape, and this one is well-enclosed at the top though with enough openings that I was nervous even being up there with my monkey boy. We found this springy device to stand and bounce, and that was loads of fun for both of us. There are “speakers” that kids can talk to each other from different points of the playscape. I believe that the smaller playscape had these “speakers” as well. This playscape reminded me of the one at the Brushy Creek Lake Park, though this one has a “rock climbing” wall and the other does not. We found the swings closer to the courts, along the street.

Though we could sneak peeks at some of the houses immediately adjacent to the park and definitely across the street, this is one of those parks that I would put on a list of potential places to host my kids’ birthday parties. It is just small enough that I would be able to keep an eye on my kids but picturesque enough for good birthday party pictures.

Here’s a panoramic view of the park in video format.  (Let us know what you think of the video feature.  If you like it, we’ll try to make the video better quality next time.)

Northwest Balcones Park
10201 Talleyran Dr.
Austin, TX 78757

Additional photos:

 

Related posts:

1. Tanglewood Park (northwest Austin)
2. Mountain View Park in Spicewood Springs (northwest Austin)
3. Springwoods Park (northwest Austin)
4. Robinson Playground Park (northwest Austin)
5. Schroeter Park (northwest Austin)