I only walked the portion of the trail that is near the pool and park. I enjoyed hearing the stream running along the trail at that section but wished there was shade!

Wonderful trail. Please keep in mind this is a shared trail. Pedestrians and cyclists use this and many seem to not notice the other.

Pedestrians walking in groups don't tend to hear a biker announcing. Bikers aren't always loud when announcing because they're out of breath. Wind blowing in your ears and the glare of the sun in your face don't help. The trail is also narrow and can wind, which restricts your viewpoint.

Always look behind you when walking! Stay on the right. If you have to stop of take a call get off of the pathway. It's the courteous thing to do. Most pedestrians are aware, but newcomers are not. Cyclists need to also not take this ride seriously and be mindful that you may need to come to a dead stop when you least expect it. I have been that guy. Still worth the ride but practice safety and courtesy.

Weekends and afternoons can be busy. I suggest going during the week within normal business/school hours for the best experience.

Trails are in great condition. Families though have to compete with bikers. I am a cross country biker and I was appalled by the general biking etiquette and the adrenaline rush nature and just run you off the road attitude of the on the sidewalk and off road bikers. They are dangerous and encourage that the trail needs some type of restrictions and policing. There are too many walkers and children for them to act this way at a very nice public park.

Trails are in great condition. Families though have to compete with bikers. I am a cross country biker and I was appalled by the general biking etiquette and the adrenaline rush nature and just run you off the road attitude of the on the sidewalk and off road bikers. They are dangerous and encourage that the trail needs some type of restrictions and policing. There are too many walkers and children for them to act this way at a very nice public park.

Beautiful trail. Can't wait for more segments to get built. Some people in these reviews have complained of entitled riders, but my experience has been exactly the opposite. Entitled pedestrians very frequently walk side by side covering most of the path and sometimes the entire path, and this doesn't just annoy cyclists such as me but joggers as well. Treat the trails as shared use, walk only on the right side, keep your children and dogs with you at your side (not 50 feet in front of you, swerving left and right in the middle of the trail), and there will be very few problems.

This path is a great way to safely do 7 miles, either on its own or tacked on to the beautiful Brushy Creek Trail. This 183A path is in excellent shape, with a very wide concrete surface. It does require crossing the very busy Whitestone Boulevard in Cedar Park, as well as a few other less busy roads, all of which have crosswalks with signals. The majority of the time, you're paralleling the noisy turnpike, but it's far enough removed at most points that I can tune out the traffic. The path is nicely landscaped, but overall isn't very scenic -- it's still just a big sidewalk going along between the turnpike and business or residential areas, with very few adjacent trees. There are a couple nice long wood bridges that improve the vibe.

I like taking a detour from the path in Cedar Park just after crossing Whitestone, to enjoy a winding path around a couple of nice urban lakes, leading to the fun Cedar Park Sculpture Garden. Then I cut up Discovery Boulevard and go behind the HEB Center -- this route is much quieter and allows me to bypass the front of the big "Parke" shopping center along 183A, with its many busy entrances that seem a bit unsafe for a cyclist zipping by on the sidewalk.

I'll usually start towards the East end of the Brushy Creek trail (sometimes starting in Bridgewater Park), and enjoy that wonderfully scenic trail up to the turnpike, then hop on the 183A path for 7 more miles. (Or vice versa, depending on the wind direction.) Overall, I really like the 183A path and recommend it for a nice, safe ride of 7 miles or so.

More for experienced mountain bike riders. Although some areas are paved , there are extremely steep areas which most will have to walk and areas of narrow dirt trail with steep drop offs. This is not a trail for a family ride. There many blind curves as well, putting hikers at risk when a mountain bike comes flying down the trail. I rate this a 3 at best.

I took my grandchildren to ride bicycles on the Cotton Belt Trail. It’s great! No streets to cross. Easy parking. We parked in the middle so we could go either way. Very family friendly.