Although labeled as separate trail called "Austin to Manor" here, most local cyclists start at Govalle park in Austin and consider this the northern end of the Southern Walnut Creek trail. This section is not as pretty as the sections closer into to town but it is commonly used by long distance cyclists who start in Austin and ride out to Elgin and Coupland. There are a couple of special concerns on this section. First, as ride along Daffan ln, note that you will cross the driveways of a couple of residential communities. Residents tend to be aware that the bike path crosses the entrance of the community but be cautious of cars that may be coming in or out of these driveways as you ride past. Second, use extreme caution when crossing Decker lane (FM 3177). This is a highly traveled road with many heavy trucks driving at high speed. There is a light and a crosswalk so just use the crosswalk button. Third, this path uses concrete "plates" with expansion joints rather than continuous asphalt. Many of the plates have become misaligned vertically between Decker and Lindell so be careful that you don't hit one of these when you are not paying attention or you may loose control or even get a pinch flat if you hit one hard enough.
* 2024 Update. There is now a new 3 mile extension of this trail. When you reach the end of the path at Lindell ln, you will see a new path that continues east. This path will take you about 3 miles into a small non descript park in the city of Manor called "Ben Fisher" park. The new extension follows the rail road tracks, is very nice (5 stars) well marked. The pavement is generally smoother than Southern Walnut Creek. There are a few sections where you have to cross major streets but they are much easier to cross than Decker lane. The path goes underneath SH 130 so crossing the tollway is not a problem. Please note at the time of this update, the new path doesn't yet appear on Google maps. On Ride with GPS, it's labeled as "Austin to Manor Trail". Once you reach the park in Manor, there is a convenience store a short distance away (.5 miles) but you'll need to take a few neighborhood streets to get there.
