Address: 4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723
Why Choose Mueller Lake Park for Your Family Photo Location?
This location is beautiful year round with lots of full size gorgeous trees and a large body of water that is home to a variety of wildlife. It’s somewhat central to Austin and very easy to access with different needs for kids and adults.
Accessibility and Comfort
There are plenty of sidewalks and easy access for wheelchairs at this location. The ground can be a bit soft so be aware if you’re wanting to wear heels, but otherwise . There is the occasional dog poop to watch out for, but if we’re being honest that is something we have to watch for everywhere. Otherwise it’s a 10 out of 10 star rating for accessibility and comfort in my opinion.
How to Avoid Crowds and Choose the Quietest Times for Your Session
Because of this park’s popularity the weekends can be a difficult time to have a photoshoot here. If it has to be on a weekend I suggest a sunrise session so there aren’t as many people to have to edit out of the background. If at all possible scheduling a weekday is ideal.
Best Times for Family Photos at This Location
As a photographer light is an important aspect to creating good images. The best lighting is always going to be sunrise or sunset for portraits. It’s soft and lower and generally more flattering. But light can look different depending on the time of the year due to the Earth’s axis. Not only does this change the way the light looks, but also the spectrum of light color shifts. During fall and winter months the light is a bit more golden. See some examples below of different seasons and times of day. Click each of them to see more portfolio images.
Is Mueller Lake Park a Pet Friendly Location?
Yes! Please bring your furry friends on a leash and don’t forget the doggie bags to pick up after them.
Bring food for birds and turtles
You can usually find lots of ducks, pigeons, and turtles at Mueller Lake Park and it’s always a crowd pleaser with kids to bring some food to feed them.
- What to feed pigeons: Defrosted corn and peas. Lentils, rice, barley, oats, unsalted unshelled peanuts, unsalted shelled sunflower seeds, unseasoned unpopped popcorn.
- What to feed turtles: Red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, whatever is in the spring mix, blanched carrots, turnip greens, dandelion greens, green beans, kale, spinach.
- What to feed ducks: corn, rolled oats, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, sliced grapes, small pieces of cooked rice, and small pieces of vegetables like zucchini and leafy greens
Parking at Mueller Lake Park
There are two areas for free parking at Mueller. One is the small parking lot across the street from the Thinkery (and right next to the playground) and the second area is along the side of Camacho street. Otherwise there are a ton of metered parking options on each side and an inexpensive parking garage as well. And if you snag a Sunday all parking that’s Austin related like the metered parking is free on Sunday’s!
