McKinney Falls State Park is Austin’s park, and the recent rains have turned Onion Creek into a scenic waterway.
Only 10 miles from the state Capitol, McKinney Falls has nearly everything you would want for a getaway in nature close to home.
Of course, in the summer heat the main attractions are the two waterfalls in the park. A 15-to-20-foot drop, the creek cascades over limestone ledges into large pools surrounded by sandy beaches. It has been since 2021 that the waterfalls have been more than a trickle. The Upper Falls is easier to get to, but the Lower Falls, below the confluence of Onion Creek and Williamson Creek, has more water.
The park ranger at the visitor center recommended waiting a few days after a significant rain event before getting into the water. Debris washed into the creek can create hazards. Indeed, a pile of trash had accumulated below the Upper Falls after a weekend of heavy rain.
There are two large campgrounds in the park shaded by a thick stand of trees. Six air-conditioned cabins offer a respite from the heat.
A nearly 3-mile-long hike-and-bike trail circles most of the park. Add to that another 8 miles of smaller trails winding through the woods.
For history buffs, traces of El Camino Real de los Tejas runs through the park on its 2,500-mile journey from colonial Mexico City to Natchitoches, La. In the early 1850s, Thomas McKinney, one of Stephen F. Austin’s original colonists, established a ranch on the banks of Onion Creek.
Visitors can see the remaining stone walls of McKinney’s homestead along the Homestead Trail. Not far away are the remnants of his gristmill, one of the first flour mills in the Austin area.
McKinney Falls State Park has a lot to offer for a night or the day in the cool waters.
1,813th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/day-trips.
This article appears in July 3 • 2026.
