About TTC

The Trail
Conservancy

The Trail Conservancy (TTC) is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to protecting, enhancing, and connecting the Ann and Roy Butler Trail at Lady Bird Lake for the benefit of all.

The Butler Trail was established in the 1970s and was operated and maintained by the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD). In 2003, a group of passionate Trail users formed the Town Lake Trail Foundation to enhance the Trail. Since then, TTC has invested over $25 million in various improvements, programs, and community engagement opportunities to the public asset.

In 2022, The Trail Conservancy signed a Park Operating and Maintenance Agreement with PARD granting primary stewardship of the 10-mile Trail and almost 300 acres of parkland that makes up the Town Lake Metropolitan Park to TTC.

Our Mission

To protect, enhance,
and connect.

Our mission is to protect, enhance, and connect the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake for the benefit of all.

Since our formation in 2003 as a 501(c)(3), we have fulfilled our mission while honoring the original vision of the Trail’s founders. Through careful improvements to the Trail’s infrastructure and environment, The Trail Conservancy continues the work of the Citizen’s Committee and ensures that the heart of Austin beats on.

In 2008, inspired by the renaming of the lake, we adopted the name The Trail Foundation, which would then become The Trail Conservancy.

Our Vision

Natural
Sanctuary

The Trail Conservancy exists to ensure the beloved Butler Trail remains a natural sanctuary in the heart of downtown Austin for many generations to come.

Hugging the shores of Lady Bird Lake, the Trail is a healing place where people reconnect with nature, meet new and old friends, or get a great workout. It’s where anyone can experience Austin’s diversity at every stage of life. The work of The Trail Conservancy allows all visitors to splash in the lake, push strollers along the Trail, spot herons, hear live music, grab a beer, or just be. TTC is committed to maintaining the Trail as the center of the city’s expanding network of connected urban paths. It will ultimately help extend it further eastward and westward along the lake.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Trail Conservancy’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and its resolve to achieve measurable progress in that area has been accelerated by the recent demands for racial justice. This statement communicates our perspective to staff, partners, and Trail users in a spirit of accountability and transparency. We acknowledge that we are in the early stages of our journey; we must be better and will do better.

Official Statement

Guiding Principles and Beliefs

Action and Transparency

At The Trail Conservancy, we believe free, equitable and inclusive access to the Trail is vital to the health and wellbeing of our community. Input from our Trail users, donors, volunteers, advocates, and team members is necessary for the Trail to be a welcoming space and to represent the communities we serve. We commit to the following principles and beliefs in our effort to protect, enhance and connect the Butler Trail for the benefit of all.

We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion at the center of our daily work and nurture a sense of ownership and belonging for the Trail.

We advance programs and services that create opportunities for all people to flourish and promote a deeper understanding of our differences.

We foster an experience where everyone feels they can bring their unique perspective – visible and invisible – to the Trail so that they can be their true selves.

We listen, remain curious, try new things, speak openly and act boldly.

We believe these ideals are best promoted by leadership of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities.

We have identified DEI goals and priorities and are committed to holding ourselves accountable to this work. Some of the action steps we’ve taken to hold ourselves accountable are:

Partnering with a DEI Consulting Firm, S.P.A.R.K.
Embedding DEI into our management and strategic plans, including bringing a DEI lens to community engagement and communications
Launching a DEI Board Committee to review DEI progress on a regular/quarterly basis
We’ll be sharing our short and long-term goals as the committee finalizes our dashboard and as our multi-year management plan is complete. If you’d like to get involved and/or have input for us, please let us know here.