Don’t forget to experience white-tailed deer watching at Emma Long Metropolitan Park and City Park Road when in Austin, Texas.
Not far west from the hustle and bustle in the heart of downtown Austin is one of Austin’s best-kept secrets for wholesome family fun: Emma Long Metropolitan Park and its white-tailed deer watching experience.
Where is Austin’s Emma Long Metropolitan Park located?
Emma Long Metropolitan Park is roughly 10 miles south of the 2222 and City Park Road intersection at 1706 City Park Road.
Wind your way through a series of bidirectional roads. Pass beautiful custom made homes with breathtaking views as well as gated communities. No sooner than half a mile onto City Park Road, it instantly transforms from city to scenic hill country twists and turns, finally opening to the serene Emma Long Metropolitan Park.
The park meets Lake Austin. On the north side of Lake Austin is the park, and on the south side of Lake Austin are beautiful waterfront homes.
History of Emma Long Metropolitan Park
This northwest Austin park, once named City Park, is named after Emma Long.
Emma was a long time supporter, the first woman to serve as Mayor Pro Term in Austin, and elected Austin City Council member. She was also quite the political figure in Austin, having a career spanning nearly two decades.
Emma adored all the natural features and scenic views of the park that would eventually bear her name. The 1,142-acre park and the surrounding area provide an ample supply of food and water access to the lakefront for healthy wildlife living.
White-tailed deer watching at Emma Long Metropolitan Park
In fact, Emma Long Metropolitan Park is home to a growing population of white-tailed deer, as is Austin, Texas in general.
Texas alone boasts a white-tailed deer population of nearly 6 million. The Texas Hill Country area, including Austin, has the highest deer density in the region. Llano county has the highest white-tailed population than any other county in Texas.
Locals West and Northwest of Emma Long Metropolitan Park often spot deer at dawn and dusk daily. Sometimes it’s eating or gracefully resting on a residential or commercial landscape. Other times it’s the unfortunate roadside remains of a hit deer.
Nevertheless, Emma Long Metropolitan Park offers quite the white-tailed deer sightings on a daily.
When is Emma Long Metropolitan Park open for deer watching?
Today, in general, Emma Long Metropolitan Park is open from 7 am to 10 pm year-round. Of course, the best time to watch for deer in the park is near dusk. It is possible to encounter deer in the park at dawn, but you’ll have to be an early riser to do so.
Parking isn’t free. So don’t forget to bring a credit/debit card. Expect to pay roughly $2-$3 per hour at an electronic pay station to park a vehicle. Seasonal passes are offered.
Other items to pay close attention to are the alerts pertaining to campsite reservations, hike/bike trails, picnic site rentals, and park entry passes. Don’t forget to check the park burning restriction status, if you plan on grilling or cooking.
Get more details about the park and office hours.
What activities does Emma Long Metropolitan Park offer besides watching deer?
Emma Long Metropolitan Park has man-made beaches along the shore, including buoyed swimming areas. Fishing areas also exist as do picnic tables and grills.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park is great for outdoor adventures and those that love aquatic activities, sand volleyball, camping, and simply being one with nature.
But the one thing that makes Emma Long Metropolitan Park truly special is white-tailed deer sightings.
My family and I arrived 40 minutes before sunset on a Saturday evening. As we traveled to the park on City Park Road, we spotted maybe 2-3 white-tailed does of no substantial size.
Nothing to write home about for sure. I was a bit underwhelmed at their sighting. But I wouldn’t be underwhelmed for long by the time we were ready to call it a day one hour later.
Enjoying the lakefront view while awaiting white-tail deer to appear
My wife and I anticipated the park to be without activity due to COVID. To our surprise, there were at least 15-20 groups of 5-10 people park occupying day and overnight camping areas.
A burn ban was in effect so no grilling was allowed as evidenced by all grills being covered in black plastic with restriction signs to accompany.
My family and I decided to park and experience the lake. We did this to pass time as we eagerly awaited the white-tailed deer to appear moments before the 5:38 sunset. We parked walking distance from one of the man made beach shores. It was flanked by a swimming area with docks on either side.
As we approached a table to sit at along the shore, a familiar lake water odor met our noses. Thank goodness it was breezy and airy though. Waves from jet skis and boats from 50-100 yards away crashed into the shore.
Our three kids, all under the age of eight, thought the world of Emma Long Metropolitan Park. They ran up and down the shore playing with one another. They would occasionally stop to collect lake shells along the way. A few ducks were discovered as were geese for the first time up close.
Late October to early November, specifically after the time change, has to be one of the best times to visit Emma Long Metropolitan Park.
In our case, the first cold snap had happened, so we didn’t have any pesky mosquitoes to account for. It was also not hot as the dickens either. Simply the perfect lakeside experience accompanied by the evening breeze.
Our white-tailed deer experience at Emma Long Metropolitan Park
It wasn’t long before the sun began to set. I wasn’t sure if we were in the right deer spotting location at Emma Long Metropolitan Park. In addition, I was growing more concerned about finding our way back to the city on barely lit winding roads with dusk fast approaching.
With not many more minutes of daylight remaining, my wife and I called for our kids to prepare to leave. I surveyed the horizon across the park’s open landscape as the kids chased one another and made their way over to us.
Low and behold, a grouping of white-tailed deer appeared out of nowhere near the park entrance. We expeditiously loaded up and made our way over near the deer, parking near the entrance.
I’m not quite certain from which direction this group of white-tailed deer arrived. They freely and comfortably grazed in the open field to the left when entering Emma Long Metropolitan Park. The same field is to then right when exiting the park.
There were 10-15 white-tailed deer in open field view. A few bucks and mostly does of good size. Many of the young frolicked in the open area, stopping to eat and observe the occasional vehicle exit or enter the park.
My family and I enjoyed panoramic deer watching from 40-50 yards away. We enjoyed our family time together as we snacked on picnic food brought along for the adventure.
Closing Thoughts
As with all things in life, the time came for our Austin deer sighting adventure to end. The white-tailed deer at Emma Long Metropolitan Park continued grazing likely well into dusk as we made our way back down City Park Road to head home.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park is one of the best places to spot white-tailed deer in Austin at dawn and dusk, especially dusk. Plan the perfect activity-filled weekday or weekend excursion out to visit Emma Long Metropolitan Park. Closeout the experience with a white-tailed deer sighting experience that’ll make you consider visiting daily.
And surprisingly, we did not encounter deer on our way back to our Northwest Austin home.
NOTE: Please remember not to feed deer or give the appearance of feeding deer. Austin prohibits the feeding of deer, having adopted a Deer Feeding Ordinance on February 23, 2009. The Austin Code Compliance Department actively enforces the ordinance. A violation is a Class-C Misdemeanor with a fine, not less than $75 or more than $125.
Hey there! I’m Alvin, and welcome to AustinDeer.com. Despite COVID, my wife, three kids, and I found a way to have a blast while staying safe. We turned social distancing into a fun family activity—deer watching in Austin, Texas! Join us as we explore different spots and enjoy the beauty of these amazing creatures. Get ready for our wild journey!