Mount Bonnell

Type: Trail	Rating: (3.74)
Difficulty: (2.13)	Solitude: (1.43)
Length: 0.31 Mile	Elevation Gain: 190 Feet
ADAAccessible: N/A	Interpretive Guide: No
Dogs Allowed: Yes	Bikes Allowed: No
Cost: Free
City: Austin	County: Travis

Take Action

Larger Map

Take a short hike up to the best view in Austin. (Click on map for larger view)
Maptech® USGS Topographic Series™, ©Maptech®, Inc. 603-433-8500, www.maptech.com/topo Copyright 2000 Maptech, Inc.

Getting there: From MoPac Expressway in Central Austin, take the 35th Street exit and head west. Proceed past Camp Mabry on the right and veer left in the fork on the road onto Old Bull Creek Road. Turn right onto Mount Bonnell Road and lumber up the the hill and look for parking on the left when reaching the crest.

The Hike: Mount Bonnell is more of a tourist spot than a hiking destination. Nevertheless it does provide a short trail to go along with the spectacular views that draw so many people there. The trail begins at the stairs leading up to the summit of Mount Bonnell, marked by the waypoint "Trailhead" on the topo map.

Mount Bonnell is generally considered the highest point in Austin at 775 feet, a fact which may or may not be true in the future as Austin expands in all directions. The peak is named for George Bonnell, who served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the Texas Republic. He first moved to Austin in 1839.

From the main trailhead these stairs lead to the top of Mount Bonnell.

Known universally as Mount Bonnell, the peak actually resides in Covert Park, a name with which few Austinites would identify. The park is named in honor of the person who provided the land on which it sits, Frank M. Covert Sr. The park was transferred to the City of Austin in 1939, exactly 100 years after the arrival in Austin of the man who provides the name for the park's peak.

This pavilion marks the top of Mount Bonnell. it can often get crowded.

The hike is not particularly difficult - people of all athletic abilities "hike" it every day. But the initial stair climbing is a bit of a workout. This initial stretch of the trails accounts for most of the 190 feet of elevation gain encountered.

A pavilion sits at the top of the mountain offering sweeping views, particularly to the west into the Hillcountry. Downtown Austin can be seen to the southeast, but you may have to find an ideal spot in order to get a completely clear view. Mount Bonnell served as a popular picnic spot as far back as the 1850's.

From the southern side of Mount Bonnell, looking south down Lake Austin.

Most of the people who visit Mount Bonnell congregate here at the pavilion and along the natural rock steps to the south. The "steps" are large slabs of rock that slope downward. Some of the steps are somewhat significant and require a bit of care. A couple of different Lake Austin views are possible from this vantage point.

Although the trail at Mount Bonnell is short, there is quite a bit of stairs to climb, both natural and man-made.

Heading back up to the pavilion, the trail continues to the north. Like the south side, the trail here slopes downward, but the trail is composed of dirt and gravel and not the rough slabs of rock. There are somewhat fewer people here, but the views are every bit as exhilarating as those found south of the peak.

The northern trail strays a bit farther from the peak than the southern spur and then makes a sharp right turn and dumps out the hiker at the northern edge of the parking area. On busier days parking here may be easier the entrance at the waypoint "Alt-TH" can be used as a trailhead.

Although it's not as easy to do as it used be, one can still catch a glimpse of downtown Austin from the top. (Photo by Austin Explorer)	From the north side of Mount Bonnell, looking north along Lake Austin. Note the Turkey Buzzard flying over the middle of the lake. (Photo by Austin Explorer)	Several Turkey Buzzards soared around Mount Bonnell looking for thermal updrafts and their next meal. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
View of Lake Austin, looking southwest from Mt Bonnell. (Photo by omgjoz)

Logs

Have you visited this location? What did you think of it? Submit your own log entry to let others know of your experiences and to keep track of your adventures.

Great views
User: Daniel N - 1/16/2010 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Mount Bonnell is a must do in Austin. Make sure and take the tangent trails because there is some great exploring and even some solitude if you look a little.

Hot view...
User: Ollie - 6/12/2009 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: N/A

Don't hike in the middle of summer.

Austin must-do but nothing 'special'
User: strontium87 - 4/10/2009 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: N/A

So much trash around there; spent a lot of time cleaning up.

User: tyan - 7/19/2008 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.30 Mile Duration: 10 minutes

Rite of Passage
User: bspross - 6/22/2008 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.31 Mile Duration: 20 minutes

Mount Bonnell is a rite of passage for anyone that lives in Austin or has moved to Austin. I can't count the number of times I've been up there. There is one house that is now encroaching and that is sad, but the views are still remarkable.

Highest point in Austin
User: reynoldser - 6/10/2008 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: N/A

Nive view.

Great quick view
User: omgjoz - 5/24/2008 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: 1 hour

I climb this hill every time I go to Austin, usually before I adventure into the city. It has some great views! I suggest taking the senic route (Scenic Rd) which goes along the hills/shore of the lake.

User: lancescape - 1/4/2007 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.50 Mile Duration: N/A

Beautiful lookout area -view of the city
User: christiniprosperity - 10/15/2006 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: 1 minute

You have to go! Gorgeous views of downtown Austin and Townlake.

Less of a view
User: Austin Explorer - 8/26/2006 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.33 Mile Duration: N/A
Came to find a cache in the park. Surprised to find a new house just south of the peak that blocks part of the view from the lower parts of the peak. Never heard a word that this eyesore was going up and wonder why the new fenced off property includes part of the railings that used to keep the public from venturing to the cliff's edge. Was that not on public property?

Views of the Rich
User: Riff Raff - 6/4/2006 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.30 Mile Duration: N/A
Been a long time since I'd been here. They seem to have put up a fence finally, to cut off access to the trails just under the bluff where kids typically go to take drugs and have sex. Not that I ever did of course...:-) Lots of people around, and the famous hundred steps going straight up at the beginning. Take a right from the summit to wander down along the bluff for some better views of rich people's homes and such.

Just a great view
User: big tex - 5/30/2006 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: N/A Solitude: N/A
Distance: 0.30 Mile Duration: N/A
You saw it on Real World-Austin so go see the view.

Good Views, No Privacy
User: rnlott - 3/14/2006 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.31 Mile Duration: N/A
Nice views of Austin, Texas. No solitude. Smell of beer. City needs to clean trash.

User: dwood128 - 1/28/2006 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: N/A Solitude: N/A
Distance: 0.31 Mile Duration: N/A

breath taking views
User: zhean- - 8/11/2005 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A
me and my husband visited mt. bonnel after i arrived from philippines. it has a very nice view of the lake/river(dunno) and u can see the downtown austin... we took pictures too.. but it is kinda scary coz of the stiff cliff and the only boundery from the small walk trail and the cliff is just a iron chain, and i even saw one girl studying and sittin on the edge of the rock beyond the chain.. i felt chill for her... but in all it's a very romantic place, good for couples.

Sunset and a Proposal
User: Mercurial Dragonfly - 2/27/2005 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty: N/A Solitude: N/A
Distance: 0.25 Mile Duration: N/A
Second visit to watch the sunset. Very crowded. Met a couple and their photographer re-enacting their proposal. Too bad there's a building going up that spoils the view of downtown Austin.

Popular on Valentine's Day!
User: Mercurial Dragonfly - 2/14/2005 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty: N/A Solitude: N/A
Distance: 0.25 Mile Duration: N/A
First visit for both me and my date. We were there about 11 a.m., and it was already crowded.

User: brian724 - 1/22/2005 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.31 Mile Duration: N/A

Often crowded, but always fun
User: Austin Explorer - 1/31/2004 [View Log Page]
Rating:

Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.60 Mile Duration: N/A
As usual, there was a crowd at the top, so don't expect any solitude here. The farther from the lookout pavilion you go, the more the crowd thins out. The trail here is short, but can be very steep in places. Watch your step!

Great sunsets
User: maxrebo - 11/19/2003 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: N/A
Can be crowded, yet still fun

Nice view
User: jetzm - 8/10/2003 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.50 Mile Duration: N/A
Easy hike, quite crowded, but nice view.

Great Views and Some Rocky Walking
User: woodrg0 - 7/15/2003 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.50 Mile Duration: N/A
Take the steps to the top of the mountain and then start exploring. There are a few well-worn trails, which are all very short, but offer different views of downtown and Lake Austin.

Lots of steps to the top, with a great view
User: figment - 5/14/2003 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.20 Mile Duration: N/A
Mount Bonnell is a small park on top of one of the tallest hills in Austin. There are about a 100 steps to get up to the top, or head to the right from the parking area to find a less steep trail. From the top, you can see Lake Austin, the Loop 360 Bridge, and downtown Austin, along with lots of expensive houses.

More trails than you'd think.
User: Centex Trekker - 3/13/2003 [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty:

Solitude:

Distance: 0.60 Mile Duration: N/A
I was here with my daughter and niece.