Wooded areas around Austin (Round Rock, McKinney: appointed, to live, budget)

[telperionflower]

To anyone familiar with the Austin area:

Are there any wooded, rural areas around Austin to live? What would be the closest (how long would it take to get to downtown Austin)?

Basically, I'm just wondering if it's possible to live somewhere secluded in the woods, and still be able to go into Austin for an evening, or for work.

Thank you!

[centralaustinite]

Yes, but what we call woods -- live oaks, mesquite, cedar -- might not be what you call woods! Where are you coming from? Central Texas contains several distinct ecosystems, blackland prairie, edwards plateau, etc and none are known for dense forests. We have NOTHING like the woods of the northeast, midwest or pacific northwest. So if any of those are your reference points, you will be disappointed.

What is your budget and how far are you willing to drive? If you are 40 miles outside of Austin to the east and along a riverbank, you might find something to suit.

[ImOnFiya]

Two areas within Austin city limits are:

-West Austin: rough, mesquite-like trees in the hills
-Southeast Austin: off William Cannon Dr. by McKinney Falls State Park.

[love roses]

Bastrop, Georgetown, Taylor, Thrall all have a bit of that. East Texas though, is where you'd find true wooded areas.

[Austin97]

what is your budget?

[Tdog79]

Originally Posted by love roses

Bastrop, Georgetown, Taylor, Thrall all have a bit of that. East Texas though, is where you'd find true wooded areas.

Also Round Rock has some wooden areas. I live near one by my house.

[Tdog79]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Yes, but what we call woods -- live oaks, mesquite, cedar -- might not be what you call woods! Where are you coming from? Central Texas contains several distinct ecosystems, blackland prairie, edwards plateau, etc and none are known for dense forests. We have NOTHING like the woods of the northeast, midwest or pacific northwest. So if any of those are your reference points, you will be disappointed.

What is your budget and how far are you willing to drive? If you are 40 miles outside of Austin to the east and along a riverbank, you might find something to suit.

Some of the woods are pretty dense. The areas by Bull Creek, Barton Springs, Lake Austin, and Wild Basin can be pretty dense.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Tdog79

Some of the woods are pretty dense. The areas by Bull Creek, Barton Springs, Lake Austin, and Wild Basin can be pretty dense.

Sure but Wild Basin is a preserve and Bull Creek and Barton Springs are greenbelts, you can't live in any of them. And they are pretty dense woods to us but I just got back from the northwest -- they have dense forests! Totally different type of environment and ecosystem.

We are much more wooded than what people typically think of when they think Texas, and the city has a nice urban canopy but it all depends on the frame of reference.

[vlan1]

Originally Posted by love roses

Bastrop, Georgetown, Taylor, Thrall all have a bit of that. East Texas though, is where you'd find true wooded areas.

Remember Bastrop burned pretty badly a few years back so there are not nearly as many trees as there were.

[telperionflower]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Where are you coming from?

What is your budget and how far are you willing to drive? If you are 40 miles outside...

Pennsylvania. The name itself means Penn's Woods. Hah. My budget is an electrician's pay, and I'm not really interested in driving that far. Thank you for your honest reply.