A Regional Vision
for the Heart of Texas
We still have an opportunity to conserve open space over the Edwards Aquifer and the life-sustaining waters that run through it. As one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S., those opportunities will become fewer and further between as development fills the open spaces between Austin and San Antonio. Establishing this green protected corridor will also allow for a trail network connecting people to nature, offering a vital community resource for community health, active transportation, outdoor recreation, flood protection, and economic development.
Thank you to our Sponsors
Great Springs Trails Plan
Click on image above to download the full Trails Plan pdf.
Great Springs Trails Plan
Thanks to the expert guidance of Alta Planning + Design, Great Springs Project is pleased to present the Great Springs Trails Plan for the proposed 100+ mile spring-to-spring network of trails from the Alamo to the Capitol. This plan is a living document that serves as a resource for the completion of the trail network by the Texas Bicentennial in 2036. Sections of the trail will likely be built in phases, with the order of phases depending on key factors such as funding, landowner negotiation, establishing right-of-way, permitting, design, and construction. This plan represents a major step forward on the path to implementation.
Narrated by Matthew McConaughey
Narrado por Manu Ginóbili
Guiding Principles for the Great Springs Trail
The Trail Network should be accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
The Trail Network should be economically viable.
The Trail Network should be equitable.
The Trail Network should be safe.
Navigating the Trail Network should be easy.
Trails should connect to places people want to go.
Trails should be built for longevity with a sustained commitment to maintenance.
The Trail Network should exhibit a high standard of design.
The Trail development process should demonstrate respect for landowners.
The Trail Network should help protect the springs while enhancing community livability.
Frequently Asked Questions
We still have an opportunity to conserve land over the Edwards Aquifer and the life-sustaining waters that run through it. As one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S., those opportunities will become fewer and further between as residential and commercial development fills the open spaces between Austin and San Antonio. Establishing this protected green corridor will also allow for a trail system connecting people to nature, offering a vital community resource for community health, active transportation, outdoor recreation, and economic development.
The trail will go from Austin to San Antonio, connecting to Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal Springs, and San Antonio Springs. In some places, the trail is already built, like sections of the Violet Crown Trail. In other places, trail alignments have been planned by local communities or have alignments that are still to be determined.
This depends on many factors, but the overall goal is to have the approximately 100-mile trail system built and contiguously connected by 2036, with sections of trail along the route being built in phases. The order of phases will depend on key factors such as funding, establishing right-of-way, permitting, design, and construction.
Any project of this magnitude requires many sources of investment. Similar long-distance regional trail systems in other parts of the country have had success in leveraging local, state, and federal funding with private investment. These types of projects also generate high annual economic returns on investment, creating continued value for local communities. A similar approach is envisioned for Great Springs Project.
A conservation easement is a written, legal agreement between a property owner and a “holder” of the conservation easement, under which a landowner voluntarily restricts certain uses of the property in order to protect its natural, productive, or cultural features. The holder of the conservation easement must be a governmental entity or a qualified conservation organization (land trust). The landowner conveys the easement to the holder similar to the conveyance of a deed, and the easement is recorded in land and title records at the county courthouse. The landowner retains legal title to the property and determines the types of land uses to continue, as well as those to restrict.
As part of the arrangement, the landowner grants the holder of the conservation easement the right to periodically assess the condition of the property to ensure that it is being maintained according to the terms of the legal agreement. A landowner who grants a conversation easement retains ownership of the land, while agreeing to abide by the terms of the conservation easement. Once in place, the conservation easement is legally binding on all future owners of the land.
A core value of Great Springs Project is respect for land and landowners. We encourage our partner communities along the corridor to engage with willing landowners who participate in this process on a voluntary basis. We do not endorse the use of eminent domain, except for rare cases in which it is preferred by the landowner. While GSP can facilitate connections between landowners and other stakeholders, we envision most actual land-related transactions to occur between landowners, land trusts, and local community trail operators and managers.
More specific landowner concerns for this type of project can include privacy, trespassing, protection of livestock, and liability. These are all valid concerns. In other similar trail projects, these concerns have been addressed through a combination of written agreements; an understanding of recreational use statutes that help protect landowners from liability; and most importantly through careful design of the trail, trail alignment, vegetative screening, buffers, and fencing. Participating landowners should drive these types of site-level trail alignment and design decisions.
In 2023, GSP is launching the next phase of implementation: direct door-to-door landowner engagement. With more than 95% of land in Texas privately owned, landowners play a vital role in the state’s conservation and connectivity future. GSP will initiate engaging discussions with key landowners in our region regarding the environmental, ecological, economic, and health benefits of our land conservation and connectivity mission. Guided by a core value of respect for private land and landowners as willing partners, we will provide information about the many ways landowners can benefit by partnering with Great Springs Project and how their concerns can be addressed to create a healthier, connected, and sustainable environment.
When available, we encourage you to participate in GSP public surveys, webinars, and events, and by helping us spread the word about these engagement opportunities via social media and word of mouth. There will also be opportunities in the coming months and years when voicing your support for the project with your elected officials will be welcomed and encouraged.
If you have other ideas about how you can help, or if you represent an organization, business, or landowner that is interested in becoming a project partner, please contact us at info@greatspringsproject.org
Several local community websites provide great information on the many places you can hike and bike today:
EN 
ES 