Swimming and cliff jumping near Austin.
I’ve been to McKinney Falls every year for many years running. Located within the famed Austin city limits, it makes the perfect “holy crackers these kids need to leave the house” destination for anyone living in the area.
The primary draw for us are the falls. Onion creek cascades over two limestone ledges forming two large pools, referred to as the Upper and Lower falls. As temperatures rise in the summer, parks with swimming are key to enjoying life outside. This is particularly true in climates approximating Dante’s 6th circle of Hell.
Just remember the sunscreen and life jackets!
Until your kids are ready for swim team, and have logged a lot of hours in open water with currents, life jackets prevent parental panic attacks and actual child death. Also, they provide a handy bum-crack cover if you’re down a swimsuit and your kid’s water-logged shorts have dropped below the equator.
We have enjoyed swimming at both the Upper and Lower falls area. Upper falls has reliable cliff jumping. Lower falls is a bit more shallow. Both have lots of nooks and crannies to swim around and explore. Both have wee fish that will nibble at your toes.
If you’re looking for swimming and climbing, go to the Upper falls area. This is a great place for natural-born climbers. There is even a hidey hole you can climb through on the cliff face to get from the pool back to the top. Half pints will need a bit of a boost. If you have not spawned natural climbers, they can run around the long route.
The Lower falls area is a great choice for a morning hike and afternoon swim. The Homestead trail is accessed from the Lower falls. After leaving the limestone creek bed, the trail sports a lot of shade as it meanders around a wooded area. The name comes from the McKinney Homestead, built in the mid 1800s; the trail passes by ruins of the house and mill.
The Homestead trail isn't the most exciting trail, but it is good for hikers-in-training. The trail is about 3 flat miles in total. There are some bonus short cuts you can take if you run out of the will to cattle prod. Side note...hikers-in-training not illustrated here...these are full-fledged, "yeah, sure I'll hike this, when do I get to swim?" hikers.
The park has a fairly full events calendar, probably because it is close to a sizable population center. Over the years, I’ve seen these events span topics from how to camp, and how to throw an atlatl, to art in the park, and mindfulness walks. One time we stumbled upon a really great herpetology class at the amphitheater. The guy teaching the class had a few "tame" snakes that were his, but mostly he’d gone out earlier in the day and snagged a few for show and tell. The kids got to hold one of them, an earth snake. The snake was pretty chill for finding itself in a habitat with too many hands and not enough worms.
Get out and see the local fauna.
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