McKinney Falls State Park
| Trail |
   (3.31)15
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| (1.82) |
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| 8.25 Miles |
N/A |
| N/A |
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| Yes |
Yes |
| $4.00
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More Info
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| Austin |
Travis |
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| Upper McKinney Falls |
Getting there: Head south on Hwy 183, past Hwy 290, the Colorado River and Hwy 71. After passing Hwy 71 Austin Bergstrom Airport should be on your left. Be on the lookout for McKinney Falls Parkway on the right. There is a brown state park sign that also marks the turn. McKinney Falls is about 3 miles from that turn on the right.
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| Upper Onion Creek provides interesting terrain |
The Hikes: McKinney Falls State Park is located on land previously owned by Thomas McKinney, who moved to the area in the early 1850's. McKinney was, among other things, a breeder of race horses. He also built one of the first flour mills in the area.
McKinney Falls provides fairly good variety in terms of hiking terrain. The Onion Creek hike is moderately long, but easy to tackle. The paved trail means that it can be enjoyed by wheelchair explorers. The upper Onion Creek hike is a fairly
easy path to follow, but is not paved and seemingly not supported by the park. Although part of that trail leaves the park boundaries it is well worn but not highly traveled.
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| The cool waters of Lower McKinney Falls |
The falls at McKinney Falls are among the most impressive that you'll see in the Austin area. Upper McKinney Falls is molded much like Sculpture Falls on Barton Creek, but on a larger scale. The water is cleaner than in years past, though the
water quality is questionable enough such that you might want to think twice about swimming in Onion Creek, which is a pity.
There is a $2.00 per person charge to visit the park. The folks who work there do a great job of keeping the facilities up and running, so be sure to stop at the front gate and pay your share.
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