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McKinney Falls State Park
Austin's natural oasis with historic falls, scenic trails, and year-round adventure.
4.6(5 reviews)
Business
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Austin's natural oasis with historic falls, scenic trails, and year-round adventure.
McKinney Falls State Park is a beautifully maintained urban oasis in Austin, Texas, offering year-round outdoor recreation and historic exploration. Visitors can hike trails like Homestead Loop and Onion Creek, swim at the picturesque Upper and Lower Falls, and see historic sites such as Thomas McKinney's limestone homestead and Old Baldy cypress tree. With picnic areas, camping facilities, and scenic rock formations, it's a perfect getaway for families, hikers, and nature enthusiasts seeking a peaceful escape within the city.
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Explore well-maintained trails like Homestead Loop and Onion Creek with scenic views and historic landmarks.
Swim and relax at the year-round Upper and Lower Falls along Onion Creek, featuring beautiful rock formations.
Stay overnight at spacious campsites with amenities, surrounded by trees and wildlife in a natural setting.
Enjoy designated picnic spots with clean facilities, perfect for family outings and group gatherings.
Discover ruins of Thomas McKinney's homestead, Old Rock House, and Smith Rock Shelter with educational insights.
Receive helpful guidance and information from friendly park staff for a safe and enjoyable visit.
Camped two nights here. Quite unbelievable that this park makes you wait in a car line to enter even if you already have a permit. I’ve camped at dozens of other Texas state parks and that was not the case. This inefficiency could easily be improved. Showers were fairly grody and “trails” didn’t feel like trails as they were all paved. Every day there were doofuses who didn’t have their dogs leashed and rangers didn’t care at all. On a positive note, the falls are beautiful, the campsites are spacious with plenty of trees, there was no burn ban, and wildlife can be spotted everywhere. Keep up the good work TPWD, but please improve on the inefficiencies.
I visited the park on Aug 23, 2025. It was one of the hot summer days in Austin, TX. The park has a lot to offer, the water and rock formations are beautiful, and I stayed there the longest. It is one of the most unique sites I have seen. People were swimming as well, and the area was very scenic. Entry costs $6, but it is free with a park pass. There are also trails to walk, but I could not do much because of the heat. I highly recommend visiting.
Urban oasis… My husband and I came here on February 1st, 2025. This was our first visit to a Texas state park. The park rangers are very polite and helpful. The park is beautifully maintained. We hiked at Lower Falls and Homestead Loop trail. Just down the boardwalk we saw the Bald Cypress (nicknamed Old Baldy) tree. As the Onion Creek flows year-round McKinney Falls (both upper and lower falls) have water during this season. To get to the homestead trail, we had to cross the creek at the lower falls. It was interesting to see ruins of the historic homestead of Thomas McKinney, with remnants of his limestone residence (Old Rock house) and old gristmill. The trail then led to Smith Rock Shelter, a naturally occurring limestone overhang. After exploring the trail, we had our lunch in the picnic area and headed over upper falls. We thoroughly enjoyed our day in this park.
Beautiful park. Hiked the Onion Creek trail and Picnic Trails. Very well maintained trails. Some signage is better than others but it is well marked compared to other parks I’ve visited. Wish I’d had more time here but loved what I did get to explore. Upper Falls didn’t have much “falls” to it but gorgeous nonetheless. Restrooms by playground area is clean and well kept.
We lucked out with light rain, which kept crowds away from the lower falls. To be in the middle of Austin, this park still allows you to separate and feels secluded. We loved that there were plenty of areas away from the trail to tuck away and enjoy the peace along the water. The rock shelves that were used as shelter for people of the past have been well preserved and were unique to this park. Park staff were friendly and attentive and the park facilities were well kept.
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