A Beautiful Day for the Austin Walk

Yesterday I took advantage of some free time in the afternoon to go for a quick stroll on the Austin Walk, a short, 0.5-mile path just off the parking lot of the Lareau swimming hole.
The swimming hole was busy on such a warm day, but the path was relatively quiet. It was much cooler under the trees and out of the sun.

The trees arched over my head in many places, and the wildflowers, ferns, and tall grass alongside the dirt path brushed my legs as I snapped some photos.

The dappled sunlight was calming and beautiful in contrast with the birches. I could faintly hear joyous shouts from the river, but the path seemed surprisingly secluded from the nearby road and swimming hole.

The path goes on for about 0.25 miles before circling around a small meadow. There, the river can be seen from the path, and there is a nice view in all directions.

I even found an oddly shaped tree!

Once around the meadow, I made my way back along the path to the parking lot. A sweet set of stone steps marks the end of the path.

By the time I was out in the sun again, I was certainly ready to jump in the river!