Best New Park / Nature Spot

McKinney Roughs Nature Park

Located out on Hwy. 71 about 15 miles east of the new airport, the LCRA-run McKinney Roughs offers another Central Texas ecosystem for your examination and recreational pleasure. The park staff is big on education, so don't be afraid to ask questions before you hit the well-marked trail system, which winds through gorgeous acres of rolling piney woods along the Wilbarger Bend of the Colorado River. What they're not big on, though, is dogs, as our four-legged friends are being permitted on a "trial basis" only, which means keep them on leashes and away from equestrians.

McKinney Roughs Nature Park
1884 Hwy. 71 W., Cedar Creek, 512/303-5073
www.lcra.org