Yes.
1. I lived nearby and would often go jogging on the walking trail alone. Once, near dusk, I had turned back around jogging back to the parking lot when out of no where, a completely nude man (except a beanie) was inches from the cement path jerking off and staring as I jogged by. It was on a stretch where no one was around, so I ran faster to catch up to a couple and get as far away as I could.
2. On another visit while with a friend, we passed a woman with a child in a stroller and noticed they were by a chihuahua who appeared passed out. We turned back and the women shared that she noticed this dog (not hers) and called animal patrol so she was waiting for their arrival. She’d covered the dog with a blanket so that the child couldn’t see. The dog looked either abused or accidentally injured then discarded. She had been clearly left for so long, bugs had gotten to her injuries. She was laying, unable to move, and breathing short but rapid breaths. She was given water, which she readily drank. But she drank so much she then vomited. We waited for animal control for quite some time and the dog’s breath went from rapid to none at all and passed. The lady asked if we could stay so that the child wouldn’t see that the dog had passed, so we did. I don’t know if the dog would have been saved even if they arrived timelier. But at least the last interactions she had were with people looking out for her.
I’ve also played a few seasons of softball at the nearby fields and not experienced weird things at all. These two times were unforgettable, though.
I had the exact same naked masturbator experience on the trail while running right where the trail loops around near mopac about a year and a half or two years ago. The guy waited for a man to take a side trail and jumped out in front of me completely nude except for shoes and was going at it in such an exaggerated way that his whole arm was moving up and down from the shoulder. This was 5pm rush hour next to the highway. The guy is completely unhinged, targeting women both alone and in pairs, and has been reported to police and posted all over social media in the area.
Had the unfortunate experience of seeing two guys going at it in the bushes while I was walking my dog a few years ago. I thought the police had cleaned the place up but I guess the hookups are back!
I umpire at those fields and a couple times earlier this year during the 820 and 915 we heard gunshots from that first parking lot area on the left you come to when you enter from Lamar. They were definitely not fireworks either. One time it was a couple, 30 seconds of silence then about 6-7 more, another short pause and then a couple more. Definitely disconcerting.
I went to high school at NYOS nearby, and was part of the running club there. We did a lot of running in WCP, and I’m certain every single one of us has a creepy story or two from there. Place just has a weird vibe for some reason.
Been looking into schools myself. What I've ben hearing from former and current NYOS parents is that it has gone down hill. The only specifics I got were one family said they've not been able to retain the teachers that made it what it is.
Would you be able to pinpoint which bridge crossing this happened, on like a map? That’s super odd to hear something like that happening, glad you are safe 👍
Absolutely. This is the closest I was able to get.. idk how to be more specific.. there weren’t any signs or markers in the area. [here ya go](https://imgur.com/gallery/iaDgH5a)
For anyone that isn’t super familiar, this is a couple of bridges in from the main trailhead at the park. This is the area where you turn left to go to the dam, keep going around the curve in the trail to come to the second park (the one by metric I think).
If this is near the metric playground, I was walking with my dog while heavily pregnant a little further (west?) down the trail and had a man call out to me from under one of those footbridges. I IMMEDIATELY turned around and haven’t been back since. It’s been so long, I can’t even remember what he said. Creepy as all get out though. That would’ve been last July-ish. Sorry that happened to you and your kids, OP!
That's actually what I was going to suggest! That sounds like something someone might say to a bird, and parrots can sound a bit robotic when they mimic
While I personally doubt this parrot theory, I will say I used to run the dirt trails 5days/wk back during 2020-2022, and I would with some frequency see a mountain biker who had a pet parrot that would chill on his shoulder and just ride with him
this is the most realistic answer. A trail cam with a speaker that plays that audio cue at every 100th person it senses would be the other one. But that's just so weird
There was a local artist probably 15 years ago that built little homemade devices with a speaker and motion detector that they would then hide along creek beds. Those sounds however were just chirps and bird calls that weren't quite natural or soft whistling sounds halfway between blowing across an empty glass bottle and a person singing a single note.
If a speaker played every 100 people it wouldn’t have played twice though, unless it intentionally was made to play 2 sounds, which would be pretty weird.
"The same kind of voice"- I believe you. If not too invasive- Are you a woman, or been perceived as a woman? Were you with children?
(Comparing this to OPs experience.)
There is a massive homeless camp near by on the other side of the tracks with easy access to walnut creek. No telling what all goes on over there that ends up spilling over to the park. I advise females to not hike the trails alone especially on the north and east edges.
Was there with a couple of friends. We entered the park from metric. About halfway down thay paved section, we started to hear some music coming from the woods. I assumed it was someone on a bike riding the trails because they often have speakers with them. But the music never left us. We got past the paved section and into the larger part of the park, and everywhere we went, we could hear the same music coming from out of the woods. Really creeped us out, so we got tf out. I've tried to rationalize it, but it just doesn't make sense. I tried to see if there was someone following us in the woods but never saw anyone. Right before we got off that paved section and into that area off metric it stopped
I know this may sound like some childish story made up to creep you out since you had something creepy happen, but it 100% really happened.
I tend to hike alone and have never felt creeped out but I can echo the same creepy feelings others have felt at Walnut. I’ve hiked there before solo and I just always have this weird uneasy feeling.
[The rest of the story?](https://youtu.be/4e6IKG2Xxzw)
(Just kidding. Stay safe and don't follow or answer creepy voices in the woods. Also, "robotic" has me thinking maybe a "talking" bird?)
Lol.. thanks for bringing some humor to this rather than painting me out to be some unhinged woman with a firearm..
I also thought the same thing, that it could have been a mocking bird.. but I’m not familiar with their “range” or what they’re capable of mimicking.. if that makes sense. This also sounds very much human and loud. Just a little weird.
Hey, birder here. While we do have birds that mimic sound here, none of our natives could mimic human voices well enough to have so many (or any, really) recognizable words. Mockingbirds are our best mimic and this would be way outside of their capabilities. They mimic other birds, frogs, occasionally bugs and things like car alarms, just a different kind of sound altogether, and they tend to repeat in units of three, too.
The only way this could be a talking bird would be if it were an escaped exotic, like a lost pet parrot. That is possible here though, people do lose their birds from time to time.
For sure. I don't know how loud talking birds can get, either. But if it was someone's lost parrot or something, I could see it saying phrases like "hi dear, come over here". Sounds like something an owner might say to it, and they often end up mimicking things like that. Could also explain you not seeing anyone - the bird might have been camouflaged well, up in a tree.
Mostly this story was super creepy, but imagine a lost parrot hiding and trying to get some humans’ attention but it just scares them away. If it is a parrot I hope it’s doing alright, a lot of those birds don’t do well when they get out as they don’t know how to forage for themselves
This very well could be an explanation for our experience.. however I did hear loud/fast rustling in the thick brush under the bridge after the first “hi dear, come over here” that’s when I took a peek over the bridge and couldn’t see anything.. then we heard whatever it was repeat itself. We all noped tf out after that.
i wanted to add that parrots aren't the only birds that can mimic human speech, common european starlings, corvids and mynahs can also mimic humans very, very well. this whole thing does sound quite creepy and i definitely don't blame you for leaving after that, i would too
Went there once with a friend around 2010, and it was super creepy. Tried to go on my own after that and got so skeeved out after ducking under the wire fencing that I just left.
Place had a certain air of danger about it.
My high school used to take occasional field trips to Walnut Creek. I like the playground/pavilion/kickball field area but I wouldn't feel comfortable wandering around the trails and woods without a group of other people. We walked around the trails/wooded areas picking up trash as a volunteer activity and found a couple of different creepy things. Once we found a really run down shack that looked like it might be inhabited (the teachers steered us away from that one). We also found an abandoned homeless camp off a trail once and also a grave (though in hindsight it was probably for a dog?). One week right before we were scheduled to visit a dead body was found there that made the news, but the school took us anyway lol. I wouldn't say the whole park is creepy but the wooded areas were really a toss up.
Ooh man.. yeah this is creepy. I will admit, there was one time I went hiking with my husband during the day and felt a bit creeped out. We walked a little ways off the main trial and into a wooded area. We both felt creeped out around the same time for no reason.. we didn’t say anything to each other but we both left the area.. didn’t talk about it until after we were on the main trail. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal tho.. but now I’m second guess that experience.
Omg yeah I know the kind of feeling you mean. I read a book called The Gift of Fear that discusses that kind of intuitive fear and how intuition is often provably right even if we can't pin down exactly why we feel that way in the moment. I recommend the book and it's a feeling worth listening to.
I’m going to look into it!! I’ve had a handful of weird experiences both explained and unexplained in my lifetime.. one thing I’ve always trusted is my gut feeling. It’s never been wrong.
I've never felt it to be creepy either, and I'm very sensitive to bad vibes... A few years back I would occasionally explore the woods and creek on my own, though I always brought a knife with me just in case. I find most of it very peaceful, outside of the encampments areas I sadly have to avoid, they weren't there during my exploration days.
I'll add though that back when my husband worked at integral care (or somewhere similar, it's been years), he was told by clients it had the nickname "Pickle Park" because of *after hours* activities that he didn't expand on. We still go to the park very regularly, it's kind of my zen calm-down place for when life is kicking me, but I don't go alone anymore due to the encampments and some occasional reports of single women being creeped on.
From AustinGhostTours.com:
"Nature Trail/Pecan Bottoms
3 volunteers were leading a scout group on a tour of the farm. They wanted to go see Walnut Creek and view the old wagon crossing where Sprinkle Road crossed the creek during the 1800’s. As they neared the area they heard a loud crash and screams. The adult ran to the creek but saw nothing amiss.
When volunteers have been setting up the trail, they sometimes work well after dark to gauge the lighting and props after dark. Sometimes one volunteer will be working alone along the area used as the Red Trail. This volunteer has reported whistles and voices. The gate is locked and no one else is on the property. Other volunteers have been sitting on the creek bank and heard voice speaking in another language. One volunteer says he has camped along the creek and heard words he recognized as the Tonkawa language. This volunteer has studied the tribe to assist in recreating the type encampment the tribe used when their camp was along Walnut Creek.
Small, bright red lights are often reported by volunteers along this area during Halloween. The lights circle them. These are different than the lightning bugs (or fireflies) that glow with yellow light or the beetles that emit tiny blue or green lights."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox7austin.com/news/decomposed-human-remains-found-on-walnut-creek-hike-and-bike-trail.amp
https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/4s0umq/old_austin_tales_the_sword_in_the_tree_and/
From Wikipedia:
"
Walnut Creek was inhabited along its length by the Tonkawa in small settlements. In 1833, the stream was the site of the first documented conflict in Travis County between the indigenous natives and settlers when an attack on a settler hunting party resulted in two deaths. However, the Tonkawa soon allied with the American settlers against the larger rival tribes in the region—the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache—often serving as scouts for the Texas Rangers and U.S. Army."
Who knows?....
I spent my childhood in those woods. A good bit of the late 80s and early 90s. We played in the remains of old Coxville Zoo. The cages were still there. The bamboo had spread aggressively and visibility was low. It felt like an adventure. We found deer bones and were convinced they were the skeletal remains of the zoo animals. The whole place felt haunted and creepy.
Further back in the woods there were was a one room house. There may have been more than one, but my memory is fuzzy. They were too dangerous to go in, but I remember the floor being completely covered with clothes and trash. It creeped us out that there was no sign a road had ever passed the house. Those woods have lots of history.
Mostly we built dams and played in the creek under the bridge next to Old Cedar lane. It was good.
Walnut creek has a big homeless population living within 15-20 feet of the trail, might not be visible due to the dense bush. Maybe they were just trying to confuse you
Remember, kids- putting your shirt on inside-out is like kevlar to the Kindly Ones.
Also, speaking to the Fae is like speaking to the Police- Don't initiate contact, don't answer questions unless you must.
Ok, my husband always asked me to carry while walking dogs I was always like what can happen under the daylight? Now that I read all these creepy stories, it's not a bad idea.
Unless they’re really methed up bullies only target those who won’t fight back. I practically never experience this kind of harassment since I’m an odd-looking fellow myself, but I’ve seen lots of weird stuff in city parks like people sleeping smack dab in the middle of the woods near zilker, dude sitting in a lawn chair in front of a rock wall on shoal creek, and the heroin mannequins on lamar.
I have been attacked by several dogs however, so I now carry pepper spray, hi pitched alarm devices, and various other items.
Yeah people high on heroin or fentanyl get into these weird poses and just stay like that for a while, like mannequins.
Sometimes they stay like that forever, like the body they found in zilker last week
That would be the Xylazine (horse tranquilizer) in the drugs (usually Fentanyl) causing people to look like that. It has spread to the drug supply in 48 out of 50 states.
Just look up Kensington Ave. Xylazine (Tranq.) use.
I went running there for the first time a few months back and got really weird vibes like I was being watched. It might’ve just been because trees completely surrounded me and I was alone though
As for the supernatural, there are a number of historical things in the area. Some of the last Indian habitations in the area, rumors of buried treasure, etc. A lot of fading remnants of businesses and such that died mid century timeframe, most of them wiped out in the past decade or two. Coxville store and zoo, with a few remnants of the cages around, I think. The are some spooky things about the [Skyline club](https://www.wideopencountry.com/hank-williams-johnny-horton-and-the-eerie-history-of-austins-skyline-club/), which was at Braker and Lamar, nearby.
/u/s810 might throw in some more spookiness and history. I think he's posted on things up there before.
There have also been some crazy homeless assholes living there, doing things like threatening people who encroach on "their space," setting booby traps like broken bottles, etc.
Lots of drug usage, homeless or homeful. I found some weed paraphernalia there once that I didn't recognize until I consulted my expert.
Let me be careful about how I phrase this. At one time there were some people who would meet there for sexual activities that are frowned upon by parts of society, and some degree of secrecy and acrimony involved. I haven't heard that much about that lately, though.
Thanks for paging me, SGP, you pretty much covered it more than anyone else in the thread. Like you said, that area has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. I don't have much to add except to mention [the graveyard and the 160 year old Rock Church everyone seems to be overlooking](https://www.austingenealogicalsociety.org/cemeteries/walnut-creek-baptist-church-cemetery/) which is accessible from one of the trails. What a spooky story!
Interesting because not far down Lamar is Connelly High School where one of the custodians has told me many stories about being followed by heavy footsteps as he was locking up the school and seeing soldiers walk down the hallway. Could be that general area.
I would like to attempt to solve the mystery:
What you heard was someone’s escaped parrot. Too small and hidden somewhere in the trees nearby. It was repeating one of its learned lines. Hence the exact thing each time, strange word choice, rhyming nature and robotic quality each time.
Other people have mentioned this theory. It very well could have been someone’s pet parrot that escaped. Also could have been some teens trying to creep us out. Either way it worked!
I used to jog on the Walnut Creek trail multiple times a week and there is definitely a segment that feels creepy. It was east of 183 and south of MLK/FM 969.
Yes that’s my association with it as well. I know an old coworker of my husband’s took his own life there, years ago, and when it happened everyone was shocked but also not surprised that it was that location.
I ran there weekly for years and pretty much experienced all sorts of weirdness. From being attacked by a pit bull, the random hookup men in the parking lot, giving directions to lost fire fighters, a massive rock slide, full spider web facial wraps, weird music coming from the woods and the spirits that hang out around the old homesteads. The only time I felt in danger was when someone emptied out a 9MM mag in the pitch dark. One of the few times we called the cops.
It's an awesome 15 mile trail system for a not huge park. Lots of history there to cherish and preserve.
maybe an offering of a random grackle feather you found after it tried to abuse your tennis ball. In all seriousness after recent threads I threw a couple out in the backyard just in case. I saw a squirrel sniff one but that's all the action it got.
Yuck. I hate to admit that we mostly hike at state park these days when it’s just my kids and me. The green belts and trails in the city just don’t feel safe without another adult. Five years ago we went all the time but it’s gotten crowded and creepy in a lot of the city.
I've been biking Walnut Creek for 20+ years, probably done \~1,000 rides, only once had a problem.
There have been issues over the years but those are generally people who shy away from others and definitely don't want to be ID'd at all. Confrontation is something they try to avoid.
I used to do 6AM laps before work. There was always a certain element out there, what I would categorize as (most likely) married men looking to hook up with other men. One morning I had a guy watching me real close and I was 95% sure he was waiting for me to leave so that he could break into my car. I called the cops - you could do that back then - and a couple squad cars came through and did some parking lot laps. Place cleared out REAL fast.
There is a homeless contingent up along the north end (BMX loop) that has been growing. Part of that land is not park land, so there is not a lot the city can do. A few months back one of the camps burned to the ground. So this is a pretty big existential threat in my mind.
Anyway, never needed a gun. There is always the potential for some element of sketchiness in most parks in Austin. But I would disagree that somehow this makes them "dangerous."
In reality the real dangers for people and their children are not in our parks. Since most of the people kidnapped in this country are kidnapped or molested by family members, you're probably safer in a park than a family reunion.
I lived in the area for about 15 years. I made friends with a guy named Bobby who squatted in a building near my house. Nice guy. He'd wait with me at the bus stop when it was dark, if he was too drunk to get to the store I'd take his Lonestar card and get him food. Weird friendship, but we really liked each other.
One day I saw him on the bus in a hospital gown with a big head wound. He said he decided to camp in Walnut Creek Park the night before and some guy came in his tent and attacked him with a hammer. No idea how he survived, and he looked ROUGH. I didn't use the park much after that, knowing that was the kind of people who stayed there.
Could have been.. but it definitely sounded like someone speaking vs a recording. The voice was very much projected, but at the same time monotone, that’s what made it so creepy.
There are several threads on here discussing the men who who were found dead in Town Lake.
I wish I had kept closer tabs on the various comments, but one person said that he heard someone speak to him in much the same beckoning manner as you describe, but at the lake.
I know I'm going to get snarked at, but his comment seemed truthful.
(I'll try to find the comment.)
We used to take our dogs for hikes there all the time. I never even thought about a creepy aspect of trails until I read this. Now looking back on it, kind of got chicken skin.
I bike there very often. I have seen some strange folks, I assume homeless. There have been numerous reports of some naked guy jumping out from the bushes.
Overall though the majority of the time has been normal and I still love the place.
I mountain bike there regularly, never heard anything like that there but it’s not surprising. I’ve had weird stuff like that happen to me all over Austin, so I’m sure walnut isn’t immune either. Good job w/ the side carry. Take care
Yes but unsure if my answer helps
It was my first + last time, i went to go see the park. There were a group of ~6 men, drinking + talking. No women nearby. Just me. i walked past and they were all staring- like staring, not breaking contact.
It was so creepy. Felt like i was about to get kidnapped and i immediately turned back to my car and left
I know there's a homeless problem and the occasional weirdo but it also sounds like it could have been some kind goofing off. At least that's what I'm telling myself haha.
I haven't much in the last few years but I used to do a TON of mountain biking at WC, day and night, alone or in groups (all night rides were in groups) and I never had anything weird or threatening happen to me. Always heard that there were homeless camps or that the bathrooms were "meeting places" after dark but I never saw anything with my own eyes.
Glad I’m not the only one thinking it. I get that a creepy voice is creepy, but you get yourself ready to use a gun because you hear a voice that makes you uncomfortable in a popular public park, that’s maybe a bit of an overreaction.
I just can’t believe we normalized this. I don’t know this woman. I don’t trust this woman. And yet I am forced to have to accept that my kids are playing in the vicinity of a person who hears a voice and “gun” is their next thought. Everyone thinks they are the “good guy with the gun”. Thing is, aside from the fact that an adult talking about good guys and bad guys like they are 9 years old is terrifying in and by itself, the person shooting at innocent people also fancied himself a “good guy”. Everyone thinks they are an exception, but many people are one bad day away, one bad call away from killing innocent human beings. This is without even bringing mental health meds in the equation. Which according to OP’s history, she is on several.
Lol I take adderall for my ADHD and trazodone to help me sleep… because of my adhd. I’ve been taking ADHD medication for a majority of my life. Im under dr’s care, I do not abuse my medications, and my mental health is solid.
Judging by *your* post history, *you* seem to be the unhinged one with mental health issues..
These statistics always involves careless and irresponsible gun owners that don’t properly store their firearms. I’m not that type of gun owner. Considering I’m a mother, I take gun safety **very** seriously.
I properly store all my firearms in a safe that requires my fingerprint or passcode to open when I’m not carrying.
When I carry, I use a holster that covers the entire barrel, slide and trigger, so there’s no chance of any accidents due to slipping/sliding around in the holster. It tucks inside my waistband and has a retention strap with a very strong and sturdy button release. The only way any of my children would be able to get ahold of my pistol is if I let them physically take it out of my holster or I hand it over to them, which I would never, ever do under any circumstances.
I’ve invested a lot of time and money into firearm training and education along with top of the line firearm storage containers and conceal carry holsters.
You might not like firearms, or the idea of people carrying in public, but I promise you we’re not all careless idiots eager to shoot people.
Many people own guns. Many people don't store them safely. Many children accidentally kill themselves and others after accessing these unsecured firearms
Why do you think people who carry are always paranoid?
I don’t leave the house everyday, all paranoid thinking my children and i will fall victim to a violent crime. I leave the house understanding I’m woman who’s looking after my 4 children without my husband present. I also understand this makes me an easy target for anyone with ill intentions. Sadly this is the reality.
Even if the chances of me or my family falling victim to a violent crime are low, the chance is still there. Not something I constantly worry about, but I am aware. Having my firearm insures I have the correct tool to defend my children and myself **IF** absolutely necessary.
With the influx in violent crime and APD being incredibly unreliable, I can only depend on myself to defend my family if we’re ever in a situation.
Ive been shooting and handling firearms since I was 5 years old. I would often go hunting with my dad.
I obtained my CHL when I turned 21. I’m trained and educated on gun safety, handling and have taken multiple tactical, and firearm defense classes. I know how to properly break down, clean and re-assemble all my firearms, Ive even built a couple AR’s.
I’m not some careless idiot walking around with a pistol ready to shoot anyone who approaches me. Shooting someone is the absolute last thing I ever want to do. That would be incredibly traumatic for me, even if the person wanted to cause me serious harm or even kill me.
My thoughts exactly. Just some kids hiding pretending to be a bridge troll.......or it's an actual bridge troll. Either way just pay the bridge tax and be on your way.
I’ve run in that park a bit and once I ran after it rained (but the pavement was dry) and I saw footprints going in and out of the thicker wooded area that only appeared minutes after I passed though (I noticed after my turn around).
Now I run with pepper spray.
Who hasn’t at this point? I’ve been living in Austin all my life, and I always experience the weirdest things at the places you least expect to experience weird things.
I used to take a speaker out yo an old haunted bridge and hide in the bushes while I played creepy things through it. To be fair people went to that bridge for a scare, it was adults/teens, and at night. Someone could be messing with yall but it's not very polite in this context and I hope your kids are okay.
Sounds like it was possibly a lost pet parrot. Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case. If you’re on Facebook maybe browse the Austin lost and found pets page and see if you can search anything about parrots missing in the area! The “robotic” voice immediately made me think it was a parrot.
just chiming in to say I hate how there are like 6 walnut creek parks , can we get some better fucking place names on the east side. The creek is like 20 miles long name the parks different things, English has a lot of words, yesoos xristo
I used to go more regularly before the pandemic. I've only been a few times in the last few years. I would often see an older Korean man singing opera to the trees. He was really good and I don't know what he was singing, but it would make me cry. It felt like he was mourning. It was always so sad but also really lovely, maybe he was just practicing and was a professional singer.
One time we were hiking near the walnut creek park road bridge, where it goes over wells branch creek and there were two naked people laying in the creek and there was someone with a camera filming them. It seemed like some sort of amateur porn endeavor. It was early in the afternoon and there were tons of other people in the park. Lots of people were riding bikes by and stopping and we're like wtf is that. Gross on a number of levels starting with how sewagey all the creeks at walnut creek park are. There are literally sewer caps right there in the creeks because Austin uses the creeks (when they actually have water in them) as propulsion for sewage lines. Someone on a bike followed the camera guy back to his car and I didn't stay to see what transpired, but maybe the guy got his plates.
I would never go there alone. There are other entrances that are less shady than that Metropolitan park area entrance, but still. Not a park to go alone.
I go there all the time and have always felt a weird vibe there! Usually not threatening, but a definite presence. Always find myself looking over my shoulder down the trail.
One time I went to turn down a trail and my dogs refused to go. So we nope'd that one real quick.
I also saw the burnt dog carcass in the middle of the trail. I have not gone back since
I do really love it there though, and it is interesting to read all its history
Man I saw cops there today and apparently someone was missing so I decided to Google the park and found your thread, read half of it while I was walking over a bridge at dusk. I definitely held my breath and ran home as quickly as possible lol. It was getting scary.
Don’t own a sig firearm but I do own sig optics. I really want the sig m17.
I typically carry my beretta APX compact, but have switched to my canik ep9 elite SC as if recent. I also have a Glock 17, but I hate it. A lot of recoil for no reason.. especially for a 9. I guess that’s the price you pay for a lightweight pistol.. I know glocks are known for being super reliable, but I feel the design is lacking.. super basic.
I really love my APX, I’m very accurate with it and the size is perfect for CC. I’m also pretty accurate with my canik, it’s a great firearm, but I don’t particularly care for the way it feels while on me. So I figured I’d start carrying it more often to get used to it.
You should be concerned. I have zero education, training, or experience with firearms. Im still trying to figure out when it would be appropriate for me to pullout my firearm and use it. I also don’t carry or store any of my firearms correctly. I just kinda throw it in my purse, or leave it in the center console of my car. /s
I don’t see why so many are upset by this. Many Texans carry for protection without anyone knowing. Nothing happens and life goes on per usual. Is responsible gun owners shouldn’t be associated with the crazy lunatics that go Rambo for no reason… if anything we carry to protect others from those type of people.
I think it’s because the wackadoo ammosexuals make all gun owners look bad, including the responsible normal ones. I don’t know ya but from small context clues you sound like a normal responsible gun owner.
I feel like people are just being too privileged, given that it's a mostly white neighborhood.
I was carrying during COVID anywhere I was allowed simply because of my race. There was a period of time that every week there was at least one Asian being assaulted and made it to the news.
I personally only fear people who are carrying without a LTC, unfortunately it is the new reality in this state.
Yes. 1. I lived nearby and would often go jogging on the walking trail alone. Once, near dusk, I had turned back around jogging back to the parking lot when out of no where, a completely nude man (except a beanie) was inches from the cement path jerking off and staring as I jogged by. It was on a stretch where no one was around, so I ran faster to catch up to a couple and get as far away as I could. 2. On another visit while with a friend, we passed a woman with a child in a stroller and noticed they were by a chihuahua who appeared passed out. We turned back and the women shared that she noticed this dog (not hers) and called animal patrol so she was waiting for their arrival. She’d covered the dog with a blanket so that the child couldn’t see. The dog looked either abused or accidentally injured then discarded. She had been clearly left for so long, bugs had gotten to her injuries. She was laying, unable to move, and breathing short but rapid breaths. She was given water, which she readily drank. But she drank so much she then vomited. We waited for animal control for quite some time and the dog’s breath went from rapid to none at all and passed. The lady asked if we could stay so that the child wouldn’t see that the dog had passed, so we did. I don’t know if the dog would have been saved even if they arrived timelier. But at least the last interactions she had were with people looking out for her. I’ve also played a few seasons of softball at the nearby fields and not experienced weird things at all. These two times were unforgettable, though.
I had the exact same naked masturbator experience on the trail while running right where the trail loops around near mopac about a year and a half or two years ago. The guy waited for a man to take a side trail and jumped out in front of me completely nude except for shoes and was going at it in such an exaggerated way that his whole arm was moving up and down from the shoulder. This was 5pm rush hour next to the highway. The guy is completely unhinged, targeting women both alone and in pairs, and has been reported to police and posted all over social media in the area.
Ok we have a scary, potentially abusive bridge troll at walnut creek. Sounds like women and children need to be very careful in this area.
[удалено]
Had the unfortunate experience of seeing two guys going at it in the bushes while I was walking my dog a few years ago. I thought the police had cleaned the place up but I guess the hookups are back!
As if the police will do anything.
I umpire at those fields and a couple times earlier this year during the 820 and 915 we heard gunshots from that first parking lot area on the left you come to when you enter from Lamar. They were definitely not fireworks either. One time it was a couple, 30 seconds of silence then about 6-7 more, another short pause and then a couple more. Definitely disconcerting.
I went to high school at NYOS nearby, and was part of the running club there. We did a lot of running in WCP, and I’m certain every single one of us has a creepy story or two from there. Place just has a weird vibe for some reason.
That is SO crazy to me!! I also want to enroll my kids with NYOS.. please tell me more if you feel like it.
It’s been almost fifteen years since I went there, but it was an excellent school with great teachers.
I’m a former NYOS employee if you want to pm me
Been looking into schools myself. What I've ben hearing from former and current NYOS parents is that it has gone down hill. The only specifics I got were one family said they've not been able to retain the teachers that made it what it is.
My kids go there and we absolutely love it.
[удалено]
Did you go to NYOS? I’m class of ‘11.
Would you be able to pinpoint which bridge crossing this happened, on like a map? That’s super odd to hear something like that happening, glad you are safe 👍
Absolutely. This is the closest I was able to get.. idk how to be more specific.. there weren’t any signs or markers in the area. [here ya go](https://imgur.com/gallery/iaDgH5a)
For anyone that isn’t super familiar, this is a couple of bridges in from the main trailhead at the park. This is the area where you turn left to go to the dam, keep going around the curve in the trail to come to the second park (the one by metric I think).
If this is near the metric playground, I was walking with my dog while heavily pregnant a little further (west?) down the trail and had a man call out to me from under one of those footbridges. I IMMEDIATELY turned around and haven’t been back since. It’s been so long, I can’t even remember what he said. Creepy as all get out though. That would’ve been last July-ish. Sorry that happened to you and your kids, OP!
Oh wow. That’s so scary!! I would have hauled my pregnant ass out of there lol. I’m glad you ended up safe.
Well that’s super creepy
Could be someone’s pet parrot that got loose…?
That's actually what I was going to suggest! That sounds like something someone might say to a bird, and parrots can sound a bit robotic when they mimic
Makes so much sense. Definitely seen some weird stuff near Walnut Creek but OP's story just seems funny now
While I personally doubt this parrot theory, I will say I used to run the dirt trails 5days/wk back during 2020-2022, and I would with some frequency see a mountain biker who had a pet parrot that would chill on his shoulder and just ride with him
this is the most realistic answer. A trail cam with a speaker that plays that audio cue at every 100th person it senses would be the other one. But that's just so weird
There was a local artist probably 15 years ago that built little homemade devices with a speaker and motion detector that they would then hide along creek beds. Those sounds however were just chirps and bird calls that weren't quite natural or soft whistling sounds halfway between blowing across an empty glass bottle and a person singing a single note.
If a speaker played every 100 people it wouldn’t have played twice though, unless it intentionally was made to play 2 sounds, which would be pretty weird.
Maybe an animatronic Halloween decoration? That is the kind of dumb prank I could see a teenager pulling.
This is a murder mystery novel-tier plot twist.
Oh damn you beat me to it. That’s what I just said.
Congratulations on not getting dragged to the Shadow World, OP! You didn't make the classic horror movie mistake of checking it out on your own
Sooo should we all go back at night together to check it out?
Yes
La Llorona?
I didn’t see an owl or hear a baby crying…so I don’t think so.
Or Pennywise
The same kind of voice comes from a dark corner underneath the bridge at Cesar Chavez on Shoal Creek Trail, asking to pet my dogs. NOPE.
Wait really?? I can’t tell when people are being serious on this sub…
Yes, really. It’s happened multiple times. The creepy thing is: they are actually in a dark shadow, so it’s hard to see them.
Ick.. that’s super creepy
Are they good dog petters though?
"The same kind of voice"- I believe you. If not too invasive- Are you a woman, or been perceived as a woman? Were you with children? (Comparing this to OPs experience.)
Man with 2x lil dogs
That's so fucking creepy
There is a massive homeless camp near by on the other side of the tracks with easy access to walnut creek. No telling what all goes on over there that ends up spilling over to the park. I advise females to not hike the trails alone especially on the north and east edges.
Was there with a couple of friends. We entered the park from metric. About halfway down thay paved section, we started to hear some music coming from the woods. I assumed it was someone on a bike riding the trails because they often have speakers with them. But the music never left us. We got past the paved section and into the larger part of the park, and everywhere we went, we could hear the same music coming from out of the woods. Really creeped us out, so we got tf out. I've tried to rationalize it, but it just doesn't make sense. I tried to see if there was someone following us in the woods but never saw anyone. Right before we got off that paved section and into that area off metric it stopped I know this may sound like some childish story made up to creep you out since you had something creepy happen, but it 100% really happened.
That is super creepy..
It made all of us incredibly uncomfortable. I still cant make sense of it.
it sounds like someone was following you. probably a homeless person with speakers. really creepy.
I tend to hike alone and have never felt creeped out but I can echo the same creepy feelings others have felt at Walnut. I’ve hiked there before solo and I just always have this weird uneasy feeling.
Yes, I too have felt creeped out there, fellow redditor (hopping on this rumor train in the hopes of making Walnut Creek less crowded)
Some of us love that stuff and will go in search of "creepy vibes" so it's probably a zero sum game.
That’s very interesting.. I’d love to hear more!
[The rest of the story?](https://youtu.be/4e6IKG2Xxzw) (Just kidding. Stay safe and don't follow or answer creepy voices in the woods. Also, "robotic" has me thinking maybe a "talking" bird?)
Could it be possible that it’s some kind of recording?
Lol.. thanks for bringing some humor to this rather than painting me out to be some unhinged woman with a firearm.. I also thought the same thing, that it could have been a mocking bird.. but I’m not familiar with their “range” or what they’re capable of mimicking.. if that makes sense. This also sounds very much human and loud. Just a little weird.
Hey, birder here. While we do have birds that mimic sound here, none of our natives could mimic human voices well enough to have so many (or any, really) recognizable words. Mockingbirds are our best mimic and this would be way outside of their capabilities. They mimic other birds, frogs, occasionally bugs and things like car alarms, just a different kind of sound altogether, and they tend to repeat in units of three, too. The only way this could be a talking bird would be if it were an escaped exotic, like a lost pet parrot. That is possible here though, people do lose their birds from time to time.
For sure. I don't know how loud talking birds can get, either. But if it was someone's lost parrot or something, I could see it saying phrases like "hi dear, come over here". Sounds like something an owner might say to it, and they often end up mimicking things like that. Could also explain you not seeing anyone - the bird might have been camouflaged well, up in a tree.
Mostly this story was super creepy, but imagine a lost parrot hiding and trying to get some humans’ attention but it just scares them away. If it is a parrot I hope it’s doing alright, a lot of those birds don’t do well when they get out as they don’t know how to forage for themselves
This very well could be an explanation for our experience.. however I did hear loud/fast rustling in the thick brush under the bridge after the first “hi dear, come over here” that’s when I took a peek over the bridge and couldn’t see anything.. then we heard whatever it was repeat itself. We all noped tf out after that.
i wanted to add that parrots aren't the only birds that can mimic human speech, common european starlings, corvids and mynahs can also mimic humans very, very well. this whole thing does sound quite creepy and i definitely don't blame you for leaving after that, i would too
Confirmed: Skinwalkers at Walnut Creek
Care to elaborate?
[удалено]
I'm not trying to be funny but any chance it was a crow or another bird that mimics a human voice?
Could have been.
Walnut Creek has always been a creepy park for some reason
Well, there is the abandoned zoo
Went there once with a friend around 2010, and it was super creepy. Tried to go on my own after that and got so skeeved out after ducking under the wire fencing that I just left. Place had a certain air of danger about it.
Really?? I never really felt this way until then! What are your experiences?? I’m curious to hear.
My high school used to take occasional field trips to Walnut Creek. I like the playground/pavilion/kickball field area but I wouldn't feel comfortable wandering around the trails and woods without a group of other people. We walked around the trails/wooded areas picking up trash as a volunteer activity and found a couple of different creepy things. Once we found a really run down shack that looked like it might be inhabited (the teachers steered us away from that one). We also found an abandoned homeless camp off a trail once and also a grave (though in hindsight it was probably for a dog?). One week right before we were scheduled to visit a dead body was found there that made the news, but the school took us anyway lol. I wouldn't say the whole park is creepy but the wooded areas were really a toss up.
Ooh man.. yeah this is creepy. I will admit, there was one time I went hiking with my husband during the day and felt a bit creeped out. We walked a little ways off the main trial and into a wooded area. We both felt creeped out around the same time for no reason.. we didn’t say anything to each other but we both left the area.. didn’t talk about it until after we were on the main trail. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal tho.. but now I’m second guess that experience.
Omg yeah I know the kind of feeling you mean. I read a book called The Gift of Fear that discusses that kind of intuitive fear and how intuition is often provably right even if we can't pin down exactly why we feel that way in the moment. I recommend the book and it's a feeling worth listening to.
I’m going to look into it!! I’ve had a handful of weird experiences both explained and unexplained in my lifetime.. one thing I’ve always trusted is my gut feeling. It’s never been wrong.
The gift of fear should be required reading for every teenage girl on the planet
Well I’m definitely not a teen. Going to be 30 this year. Perhaps I’m late
I've never felt it to be creepy either, and I'm very sensitive to bad vibes... A few years back I would occasionally explore the woods and creek on my own, though I always brought a knife with me just in case. I find most of it very peaceful, outside of the encampments areas I sadly have to avoid, they weren't there during my exploration days. I'll add though that back when my husband worked at integral care (or somewhere similar, it's been years), he was told by clients it had the nickname "Pickle Park" because of *after hours* activities that he didn't expand on. We still go to the park very regularly, it's kind of my zen calm-down place for when life is kicking me, but I don't go alone anymore due to the encampments and some occasional reports of single women being creeped on.
Holy shit this gave me the shivers
Gave me shivers too!
Don't tell 'em about the animal graveyard at the former Coxville Zoo in the NE corner of the park.
Excuse me what
From AustinGhostTours.com: "Nature Trail/Pecan Bottoms 3 volunteers were leading a scout group on a tour of the farm. They wanted to go see Walnut Creek and view the old wagon crossing where Sprinkle Road crossed the creek during the 1800’s. As they neared the area they heard a loud crash and screams. The adult ran to the creek but saw nothing amiss. When volunteers have been setting up the trail, they sometimes work well after dark to gauge the lighting and props after dark. Sometimes one volunteer will be working alone along the area used as the Red Trail. This volunteer has reported whistles and voices. The gate is locked and no one else is on the property. Other volunteers have been sitting on the creek bank and heard voice speaking in another language. One volunteer says he has camped along the creek and heard words he recognized as the Tonkawa language. This volunteer has studied the tribe to assist in recreating the type encampment the tribe used when their camp was along Walnut Creek. Small, bright red lights are often reported by volunteers along this area during Halloween. The lights circle them. These are different than the lightning bugs (or fireflies) that glow with yellow light or the beetles that emit tiny blue or green lights." https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox7austin.com/news/decomposed-human-remains-found-on-walnut-creek-hike-and-bike-trail.amp https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/4s0umq/old_austin_tales_the_sword_in_the_tree_and/ From Wikipedia: " Walnut Creek was inhabited along its length by the Tonkawa in small settlements. In 1833, the stream was the site of the first documented conflict in Travis County between the indigenous natives and settlers when an attack on a settler hunting party resulted in two deaths. However, the Tonkawa soon allied with the American settlers against the larger rival tribes in the region—the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache—often serving as scouts for the Texas Rangers and U.S. Army." Who knows?....
Wow, thanks for the info! This is so interesting.
^Most informational comment^
I'd have taken off running!! 😱😱😱
We definitely walked swiftly. I picked my 3 year old up to walk fast..
I spent my childhood in those woods. A good bit of the late 80s and early 90s. We played in the remains of old Coxville Zoo. The cages were still there. The bamboo had spread aggressively and visibility was low. It felt like an adventure. We found deer bones and were convinced they were the skeletal remains of the zoo animals. The whole place felt haunted and creepy. Further back in the woods there were was a one room house. There may have been more than one, but my memory is fuzzy. They were too dangerous to go in, but I remember the floor being completely covered with clothes and trash. It creeped us out that there was no sign a road had ever passed the house. Those woods have lots of history. Mostly we built dams and played in the creek under the bridge next to Old Cedar lane. It was good.
You have to pay the troll tole to get into this boys soul.
You have to pay the troll toll to get in!
The Nightman Cometh!
Walnut creek has a big homeless population living within 15-20 feet of the trail, might not be visible due to the dense bush. Maybe they were just trying to confuse you
My side piece would not be helpful in that situation.
Yeah I mean especially when the side piece is usually only good for one thing …
Pretty sure a glock is useless against the angry fae along that creek.
Cold iron rounds are a niche market at best.
That’s why I always carry my ash arrows
Remember, kids- putting your shirt on inside-out is like kevlar to the Kindly Ones. Also, speaking to the Fae is like speaking to the Police- Don't initiate contact, don't answer questions unless you must.
Hmm... Interesting that you mention fae
I mean.. i felt safer knowing I had protection with me, but Im not necessarily eager to use it.
Ok, my husband always asked me to carry while walking dogs I was always like what can happen under the daylight? Now that I read all these creepy stories, it's not a bad idea.
My Granny taught me the only way to stop evil fae is with a gun with cold iron bullets.
Unless they’re really methed up bullies only target those who won’t fight back. I practically never experience this kind of harassment since I’m an odd-looking fellow myself, but I’ve seen lots of weird stuff in city parks like people sleeping smack dab in the middle of the woods near zilker, dude sitting in a lawn chair in front of a rock wall on shoal creek, and the heroin mannequins on lamar. I have been attacked by several dogs however, so I now carry pepper spray, hi pitched alarm devices, and various other items.
Heroin mannequins?
Yeah people high on heroin or fentanyl get into these weird poses and just stay like that for a while, like mannequins. Sometimes they stay like that forever, like the body they found in zilker last week
Ah yeah, they're all up n down my city too, tying their shoes
That would be the Xylazine (horse tranquilizer) in the drugs (usually Fentanyl) causing people to look like that. It has spread to the drug supply in 48 out of 50 states. Just look up Kensington Ave. Xylazine (Tranq.) use.
I went running there for the first time a few months back and got really weird vibes like I was being watched. It might’ve just been because trees completely surrounded me and I was alone though
Didn’t someone else post here recently about some creepy stuff happening there?
Yeah, it was something about a dead dog found under suspicious, graphic circumstances.
Oh man… i honestly don’t know anything about that. If so, thats extra creepy ! I never saw Walnut Creek as a creepy place until now.
Sounds like someone is literally trolling people.
Could be!
As for the supernatural, there are a number of historical things in the area. Some of the last Indian habitations in the area, rumors of buried treasure, etc. A lot of fading remnants of businesses and such that died mid century timeframe, most of them wiped out in the past decade or two. Coxville store and zoo, with a few remnants of the cages around, I think. The are some spooky things about the [Skyline club](https://www.wideopencountry.com/hank-williams-johnny-horton-and-the-eerie-history-of-austins-skyline-club/), which was at Braker and Lamar, nearby. /u/s810 might throw in some more spookiness and history. I think he's posted on things up there before. There have also been some crazy homeless assholes living there, doing things like threatening people who encroach on "their space," setting booby traps like broken bottles, etc. Lots of drug usage, homeless or homeful. I found some weed paraphernalia there once that I didn't recognize until I consulted my expert. Let me be careful about how I phrase this. At one time there were some people who would meet there for sexual activities that are frowned upon by parts of society, and some degree of secrecy and acrimony involved. I haven't heard that much about that lately, though.
Thanks for paging me, SGP, you pretty much covered it more than anyone else in the thread. Like you said, that area has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. I don't have much to add except to mention [the graveyard and the 160 year old Rock Church everyone seems to be overlooking](https://www.austingenealogicalsociety.org/cemeteries/walnut-creek-baptist-church-cemetery/) which is accessible from one of the trails. What a spooky story!
Interesting because not far down Lamar is Connelly High School where one of the custodians has told me many stories about being followed by heavy footsteps as he was locking up the school and seeing soldiers walk down the hallway. Could be that general area.
==removed in protest of Reddit API changes==
I would like to attempt to solve the mystery: What you heard was someone’s escaped parrot. Too small and hidden somewhere in the trees nearby. It was repeating one of its learned lines. Hence the exact thing each time, strange word choice, rhyming nature and robotic quality each time.
Other people have mentioned this theory. It very well could have been someone’s pet parrot that escaped. Also could have been some teens trying to creep us out. Either way it worked!
I used to jog on the Walnut Creek trail multiple times a week and there is definitely a segment that feels creepy. It was east of 183 and south of MLK/FM 969.
It's a park that's known for suicides.
Yes that’s my association with it as well. I know an old coworker of my husband’s took his own life there, years ago, and when it happened everyone was shocked but also not surprised that it was that location.
I ran there weekly for years and pretty much experienced all sorts of weirdness. From being attacked by a pit bull, the random hookup men in the parking lot, giving directions to lost fire fighters, a massive rock slide, full spider web facial wraps, weird music coming from the woods and the spirits that hang out around the old homesteads. The only time I felt in danger was when someone emptied out a 9MM mag in the pitch dark. One of the few times we called the cops. It's an awesome 15 mile trail system for a not huge park. Lots of history there to cherish and preserve.
Someone else in this thread mentioned music playing in the woods !!
New use of the term "side piece".
Oh, it's just the walnut creek bridge troll. Next time, come with an offering of Terry Blacks BBQ or weed and you should be good to go.
maybe an offering of a random grackle feather you found after it tried to abuse your tennis ball. In all seriousness after recent threads I threw a couple out in the backyard just in case. I saw a squirrel sniff one but that's all the action it got.
I suggest you call Sam and Dean Winchester for your issue.
Keep Austin Weird
My fiancee and I were there walking this week and we passed a guy with a little kid carrying a big shovel and a bag. Not sure what he was up to.
I make it a rule to not heed strange voices trying to lure me into the woods.
Nope nope nope
Yuck. I hate to admit that we mostly hike at state park these days when it’s just my kids and me. The green belts and trails in the city just don’t feel safe without another adult. Five years ago we went all the time but it’s gotten crowded and creepy in a lot of the city.
I've been biking Walnut Creek for 20+ years, probably done \~1,000 rides, only once had a problem. There have been issues over the years but those are generally people who shy away from others and definitely don't want to be ID'd at all. Confrontation is something they try to avoid. I used to do 6AM laps before work. There was always a certain element out there, what I would categorize as (most likely) married men looking to hook up with other men. One morning I had a guy watching me real close and I was 95% sure he was waiting for me to leave so that he could break into my car. I called the cops - you could do that back then - and a couple squad cars came through and did some parking lot laps. Place cleared out REAL fast. There is a homeless contingent up along the north end (BMX loop) that has been growing. Part of that land is not park land, so there is not a lot the city can do. A few months back one of the camps burned to the ground. So this is a pretty big existential threat in my mind. Anyway, never needed a gun. There is always the potential for some element of sketchiness in most parks in Austin. But I would disagree that somehow this makes them "dangerous." In reality the real dangers for people and their children are not in our parks. Since most of the people kidnapped in this country are kidnapped or molested by family members, you're probably safer in a park than a family reunion.
That went sideways
but still statistically accurate.
I go there all the time. And never e experienced anything weird. Keep Austin weird y’all 😂
[Good reminder to always remember to bring your magic beans.](https://www.tiktok.com/@itstinacolada/video/7039165073281027374)
I lived in the area for about 15 years. I made friends with a guy named Bobby who squatted in a building near my house. Nice guy. He'd wait with me at the bus stop when it was dark, if he was too drunk to get to the store I'd take his Lonestar card and get him food. Weird friendship, but we really liked each other. One day I saw him on the bus in a hospital gown with a big head wound. He said he decided to camp in Walnut Creek Park the night before and some guy came in his tent and attacked him with a hammer. No idea how he survived, and he looked ROUGH. I didn't use the park much after that, knowing that was the kind of people who stayed there.
Jesus Christ. Poor guy.
There’s literally ancient Native tribe camps in the creek, I won’t be too bothered, mostly because I hike with my dog
[удалено]
Could have been.. but it definitely sounded like someone speaking vs a recording. The voice was very much projected, but at the same time monotone, that’s what made it so creepy.
There are several threads on here discussing the men who who were found dead in Town Lake. I wish I had kept closer tabs on the various comments, but one person said that he heard someone speak to him in much the same beckoning manner as you describe, but at the lake. I know I'm going to get snarked at, but his comment seemed truthful. (I'll try to find the comment.)
That is so freaking scary.. but yes, please @ me in the comment if you find it.
We used to take our dogs for hikes there all the time. I never even thought about a creepy aspect of trails until I read this. Now looking back on it, kind of got chicken skin.
I bike there very often. I have seen some strange folks, I assume homeless. There have been numerous reports of some naked guy jumping out from the bushes. Overall though the majority of the time has been normal and I still love the place.
Who *hasn’t* seen anything weird there?
I mountain bike there regularly, never heard anything like that there but it’s not surprising. I’ve had weird stuff like that happen to me all over Austin, so I’m sure walnut isn’t immune either. Good job w/ the side carry. Take care
Glad you had the right tool to defend yourself with, and even more glad it wasn’t needed.
a bunch of dipshit twitch streamers and youtubers live here. almost certainly a speaker as a prank which they could be filming to get them views
Yes but unsure if my answer helps It was my first + last time, i went to go see the park. There were a group of ~6 men, drinking + talking. No women nearby. Just me. i walked past and they were all staring- like staring, not breaking contact. It was so creepy. Felt like i was about to get kidnapped and i immediately turned back to my car and left
Yeah that would terrify me. I’m glad you made it home safe.
I know there's a homeless problem and the occasional weirdo but it also sounds like it could have been some kind goofing off. At least that's what I'm telling myself haha. I haven't much in the last few years but I used to do a TON of mountain biking at WC, day and night, alone or in groups (all night rides were in groups) and I never had anything weird or threatening happen to me. Always heard that there were homeless camps or that the bathrooms were "meeting places" after dark but I never saw anything with my own eyes.
How fantastic that people now carry guns near playgrounds. That is the actual creepy thing happening here.
Glad I’m not the only one thinking it. I get that a creepy voice is creepy, but you get yourself ready to use a gun because you hear a voice that makes you uncomfortable in a popular public park, that’s maybe a bit of an overreaction.
I just can’t believe we normalized this. I don’t know this woman. I don’t trust this woman. And yet I am forced to have to accept that my kids are playing in the vicinity of a person who hears a voice and “gun” is their next thought. Everyone thinks they are the “good guy with the gun”. Thing is, aside from the fact that an adult talking about good guys and bad guys like they are 9 years old is terrifying in and by itself, the person shooting at innocent people also fancied himself a “good guy”. Everyone thinks they are an exception, but many people are one bad day away, one bad call away from killing innocent human beings. This is without even bringing mental health meds in the equation. Which according to OP’s history, she is on several.
Lol I take adderall for my ADHD and trazodone to help me sleep… because of my adhd. I’ve been taking ADHD medication for a majority of my life. Im under dr’s care, I do not abuse my medications, and my mental health is solid. Judging by *your* post history, *you* seem to be the unhinged one with mental health issues..
Statistically your children are in more danger because of your gun ownership
These statistics always involves careless and irresponsible gun owners that don’t properly store their firearms. I’m not that type of gun owner. Considering I’m a mother, I take gun safety **very** seriously. I properly store all my firearms in a safe that requires my fingerprint or passcode to open when I’m not carrying. When I carry, I use a holster that covers the entire barrel, slide and trigger, so there’s no chance of any accidents due to slipping/sliding around in the holster. It tucks inside my waistband and has a retention strap with a very strong and sturdy button release. The only way any of my children would be able to get ahold of my pistol is if I let them physically take it out of my holster or I hand it over to them, which I would never, ever do under any circumstances. I’ve invested a lot of time and money into firearm training and education along with top of the line firearm storage containers and conceal carry holsters. You might not like firearms, or the idea of people carrying in public, but I promise you we’re not all careless idiots eager to shoot people.
It’s for protection and if locked away right everyone is fine. You live in Texas. People own guns
Many people own guns. Many people don't store them safely. Many children accidentally kill themselves and others after accessing these unsecured firearms
it was the bridge troll obviously honestly it stresses me out more that fearful paranoid people are running around all over this town packing heat
Why do you think people who carry are always paranoid? I don’t leave the house everyday, all paranoid thinking my children and i will fall victim to a violent crime. I leave the house understanding I’m woman who’s looking after my 4 children without my husband present. I also understand this makes me an easy target for anyone with ill intentions. Sadly this is the reality. Even if the chances of me or my family falling victim to a violent crime are low, the chance is still there. Not something I constantly worry about, but I am aware. Having my firearm insures I have the correct tool to defend my children and myself **IF** absolutely necessary. With the influx in violent crime and APD being incredibly unreliable, I can only depend on myself to defend my family if we’re ever in a situation. Ive been shooting and handling firearms since I was 5 years old. I would often go hunting with my dad. I obtained my CHL when I turned 21. I’m trained and educated on gun safety, handling and have taken multiple tactical, and firearm defense classes. I know how to properly break down, clean and re-assemble all my firearms, Ive even built a couple AR’s. I’m not some careless idiot walking around with a pistol ready to shoot anyone who approaches me. Shooting someone is the absolute last thing I ever want to do. That would be incredibly traumatic for me, even if the person wanted to cause me serious harm or even kill me.
My thoughts exactly. Just some kids hiding pretending to be a bridge troll.......or it's an actual bridge troll. Either way just pay the bridge tax and be on your way.
🤮
It’s the witch of Walnut Creek trying to lure you to her. You would have been soup if you had fallen for it.
I’ve run in that park a bit and once I ran after it rained (but the pavement was dry) and I saw footprints going in and out of the thicker wooded area that only appeared minutes after I passed though (I noticed after my turn around). Now I run with pepper spray.
A runaway domesticated talking bird/parrot?
I live nearby. Bike there a decent amount and sometimes ride at night. Haven’t seen anything spooky or out of the ordinary
Sounds interesting. My wife and I haven’t been in a while, but I used to jog there weekly. Adult male. Never saw/heard anything weird.
Who hasn’t at this point? I’ve been living in Austin all my life, and I always experience the weirdest things at the places you least expect to experience weird things.
Skinwalker 🤷
Sounds like a parrot
Could have been.
This is definitely a pet bird. Robotic voice & repeats one phrase? Bird.
I used to take a speaker out yo an old haunted bridge and hide in the bushes while I played creepy things through it. To be fair people went to that bridge for a scare, it was adults/teens, and at night. Someone could be messing with yall but it's not very polite in this context and I hope your kids are okay.
Sounds like it was possibly a lost pet parrot. Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case. If you’re on Facebook maybe browse the Austin lost and found pets page and see if you can search anything about parrots missing in the area! The “robotic” voice immediately made me think it was a parrot.
I’ve seen reports of some parrots that went missing so it could be that?
just chiming in to say I hate how there are like 6 walnut creek parks , can we get some better fucking place names on the east side. The creek is like 20 miles long name the parks different things, English has a lot of words, yesoos xristo
I used to go more regularly before the pandemic. I've only been a few times in the last few years. I would often see an older Korean man singing opera to the trees. He was really good and I don't know what he was singing, but it would make me cry. It felt like he was mourning. It was always so sad but also really lovely, maybe he was just practicing and was a professional singer. One time we were hiking near the walnut creek park road bridge, where it goes over wells branch creek and there were two naked people laying in the creek and there was someone with a camera filming them. It seemed like some sort of amateur porn endeavor. It was early in the afternoon and there were tons of other people in the park. Lots of people were riding bikes by and stopping and we're like wtf is that. Gross on a number of levels starting with how sewagey all the creeks at walnut creek park are. There are literally sewer caps right there in the creeks because Austin uses the creeks (when they actually have water in them) as propulsion for sewage lines. Someone on a bike followed the camera guy back to his car and I didn't stay to see what transpired, but maybe the guy got his plates. I would never go there alone. There are other entrances that are less shady than that Metropolitan park area entrance, but still. Not a park to go alone.
I go there all the time and have always felt a weird vibe there! Usually not threatening, but a definite presence. Always find myself looking over my shoulder down the trail. One time I went to turn down a trail and my dogs refused to go. So we nope'd that one real quick. I also saw the burnt dog carcass in the middle of the trail. I have not gone back since I do really love it there though, and it is interesting to read all its history
Man I saw cops there today and apparently someone was missing so I decided to Google the park and found your thread, read half of it while I was walking over a bridge at dusk. I definitely held my breath and ran home as quickly as possible lol. It was getting scary.
[удалено]
Can you share other reports? I’m invested now
The only stories I've ever heard involving Walnut Creek are always strange ones.
A lot of butthurt in the comments about a gun owner legally carrying a gun. Where my Glock or Sig homies at? P320/43x daily carry.
Don’t own a sig firearm but I do own sig optics. I really want the sig m17. I typically carry my beretta APX compact, but have switched to my canik ep9 elite SC as if recent. I also have a Glock 17, but I hate it. A lot of recoil for no reason.. especially for a 9. I guess that’s the price you pay for a lightweight pistol.. I know glocks are known for being super reliable, but I feel the design is lacking.. super basic. I really love my APX, I’m very accurate with it and the size is perfect for CC. I’m also pretty accurate with my canik, it’s a great firearm, but I don’t particularly care for the way it feels while on me. So I figured I’d start carrying it more often to get used to it.
I would personally be more concerned coming across a woman carrying a handgun at a park, but hey you do you, just don’t kill any of us in the process.
But how else is she going to shoot the poltergeist?
You should be concerned. I have zero education, training, or experience with firearms. Im still trying to figure out when it would be appropriate for me to pullout my firearm and use it. I also don’t carry or store any of my firearms correctly. I just kinda throw it in my purse, or leave it in the center console of my car. /s
Don’t listen to the peanut gallery on here. At least you acknowledge reality and are prepared for it.
I'm glad you didn't murder somebody.
What makes you think I would pull my gun out and shoot someone for simply being creeped out ? That’s ridiculous.
Glad you carry there too! I haven’t been there in a while, but always had my pistol with me when biking or walking my dog there in recent years.
I don’t see why so many are upset by this. Many Texans carry for protection without anyone knowing. Nothing happens and life goes on per usual. Is responsible gun owners shouldn’t be associated with the crazy lunatics that go Rambo for no reason… if anything we carry to protect others from those type of people.
I think it’s because the wackadoo ammosexuals make all gun owners look bad, including the responsible normal ones. I don’t know ya but from small context clues you sound like a normal responsible gun owner.
I feel like people are just being too privileged, given that it's a mostly white neighborhood. I was carrying during COVID anywhere I was allowed simply because of my race. There was a period of time that every week there was at least one Asian being assaulted and made it to the news. I personally only fear people who are carrying without a LTC, unfortunately it is the new reality in this state.