McKinney Falls State Park on the southeast outskirts of Austin has a famous resident. Earlier this year, “Old Baldy,” a 103-foot-tall, 500-year-old bald cypress tree in the park joined the Famous Trees of Texas Registry (famoustreesoftexas.tamu.edu).
With smooth bark and a full canopy, Old Baldy hardly looks its age. Obviously, lightning and windstorms have helped shape the upper foliage. Born about the same time as King Henry VIII of Britain, Old Baldy is one of the oldest bald cypress trees on public property.
A member of the redwood family, bald cypress trees add a stately beauty to many Texas streams. A deciduous conifer (it loses its leaves and produces seed cones), the wood of the bald cypress is extremely hard and prized for construction. It’s not uncommon for one to live 600 years or more. Old Baldy is unique because of the history it has seen and its accessibility.
McKinney Falls State Park is about 15 minutes from Downtown Austin. The park offers a playground of outdoor activities. When the creek is running, the two waterfalls in the park fill some of the best swimming holes around Austin. The 6.5 miles of hike-and-bike trails pass historic sites and scenic overlooks. The hiking trails are easy and go to Old Baldy and an ancient rock shelter. Of course there is camping and fishing, but in the back of the park are some gnarly rock-climbing boulders.
1,140th in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in June 7 • 2013.
