Blunn Creek Nature Preserve is a unique piece of the old Hill Country, smack in the middle of modern-day Austin. Its 40 acres of streamside habitat, hackberry-elm woods, old persimmon trees, and mature oaks are good birdwatching habitat for wintering songbirds, on soils overlaying a 70-million-year-old Cretaceous coral reef and ancient volcanic ash deposits. A loop trail provides excellent scenic overviews of the neighboring terrain, including the magnificent St. Edward's University under which lies the cone of a Cretaceous volcano.

• Hike to the scenic overlook of the Preserve's unique volcanic and coral reef geology, and an overview of the magnificent St. Edward's University.
• Bring binoculars in the wintertime and watch for the dozens of species of migratory songbirds that winter in the old oaks, persimmons, hackberry-elm woods, and streamside habitats of the Preserve.
• Include the Blunn Creek hike-and-bike trail loop in your running or bicycling explorations of Austin.