McKinney Falls State Park
McKinney Falls State Park, State park with waterfalls in Austin, US.
Description
This protected area sits in southeastern Austin, covering a forested landscape where Onion Creek flows over limestone ledges and forms two drops along its course. Trails wind through dense brush of juniper and oak, while the creek shifts from a narrow trickle to a broad flow depending on recent rains.
History
Thomas McKinney settled here in the 1850s and built mills powered by water and horses to grind grain for neighboring farms. Thousands of years earlier, Native communities used this area as a camp, and archaeological finds show they returned to this spot across many generations.
Culture
Residents often come here for cooling swims in natural pools below the lower waterfall, especially during hot summer weekends when they gather on flat rocks and wade into clear creek water. The ruins of a nineteenth-century homestead draw visitors who enjoy walking through shaded trails and imagining frontier life in what was once open prairie land.
Practical
Visitors reach both waterfalls by short footpaths from the parking lot, with flat sections near the entrance accessible for wheelchairs. Water flow varies widely by season, so a visit after recent rains shows the falls at full strength, while dry spells leave only thin streams.
Did you know?
A single juniper tree known locally as Old Baldy stands beside a trail and has lived for over five hundred years, making it the oldest of its kind in the entire county. Its twisted branches and wide trunk hold few leaves now, yet it has marked the landscape for centuries for all who pass through this valley.
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Pilot Knob
2.8 km
Smith Rock Shelter
420 m
Judge Sebron G. Sneed House
4.3 km
McKinney Homestead
1 km
Main Building
6.3 km
Lucian-Hamilton Field
6.3 km
Cathedral of Junk
6.4 km
Mabel Davis Municipal Pool
4.7 kmSt. Edward's University Main Building and Holy Cross Dormitory
6.3 kmSimms House
7 kmOnion Creek Lodge 220, AF & AM
4.9 kmWalter and Mae Simms House
7 kmMoore's Crossing Bridge
5.8 kmEmo's
6.6 kmUrban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
3.7 kmMary Moody Northern Theater
6.2 kmCome And Take It Live
6.7 kmEmo's (Riverside)
6.6 kmFine Arts Center
6.6 kmRiverside Golf Course
6.4 kmRoy Kizer Golf Course
1 kmGood Luck Statue
6.5 kmWork of art, sculpture
2.6 kmWork of art, sculpture
2.1 kmScenic viewpoint
3.3 kmWaterfall
862 mUpper McKinney Falls
549 mLower McKinney Falls
799 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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