The areas around South Congress are known for their beauty and natural history. Little Stacy Park is a prime example, with soaring mature trees providing an abundance of shade, a beautiful wading pool, gorgeous wooded areas, a creek, and a natural hike and bike trail.
More than just a quaint neighborhood green space, Little Stacy is an ideal getaway destination for a relaxing day of barbecuing, picnicking, fishing or just splashing around in the wading pool. A wonderful meeting place for families, artists, and musicians, the park reflects the unique vibe of South Austin.
General Stacy’s Legacy to South Austin
Situated at a horseshoe bend in Blunn Creek, Little Stacy Park is a pristine, heavily wooded recreational area. The land for the park, as well as nearby Big Stacy Park, was donated to the city in the 1920s by its namesake, General William Harwood Stacy, who envisioned a pleasant recreation area for the surrounding South Austin neighborhoods. The Little Stacy Park wading pool and shelter and a two-room stucco structure (traditionally used as a games room) were both built during the Great Depression and are still popular with locals today.
The Best Free Wading Pool in Austin
Little Stacy Park is jam-packed with amenities for kids and grownups alike, with everything you need for a wonderful day outdoors. The free wading pool, winner of the Austin Chronicle’s ‘Best Place to Dip Your Feet In’ award, has sparkling blue water and a massive oak tree near its edge providing deep shade on hot summer days. With a safety fence and on-duty lifeguard, the pool is perfect for toddlers and small children just learning to swim. After a refreshing dip, little ones have plenty to keep them entertained at the shaded playground, which has four playscapes of varying complexity for children of different ages, a children’s playhouse, a giant turtle to climb on, and an adorable bouncy frog.
Towering oaks which provide shade from the hot summer sun, plus ample parking, clean restrooms, picnic tables with grills, and a multi-purpose picnic shelter make this an ideal location for get-togethers and birthday parties. The park has well-maintained basketball, volleyball and tennis courts for playing a friendly game with friends, as well as a picturesque creek perfect for a relaxing day of fishing. (Make sure you have your permit!).
A Fun-Filled Day Planting Trees in the Sun
Little Stacy Park is home to a variety of volunteer and sporting events throughout the year. Each year during the annual It’s My Park Day, the neighborhood gets together for a fun-filled day of socializing and beautifying the park. And on Clean Sweep Day, volunteers clean up the park and enjoy planting trees and flowers. Organized activities such as volleyball and monthly Spiderman kickball games make Little Stacy Park a great place for families to have fun while staying active.