The best part about Texas is that it has it all! Texas has the beaches, the mountains, the desert, the swamps, the plains, and the forests. In my opinion it is probably one of the most diverse states in America. There is literally something here for everyone, surprisingly enough even the waterfall chasers!
I LOVE waterfalls, so when we moved to Texas after living in Colorado I was pretty bummed thinking I would never see waterfalls down here, but I was so wrong. Okay, so they are not as grand as Colorado waterfalls, but hey they still count. Recently we had the opportunity to camp at one of Texas’s most popular waterfalls, McKinney Falls State Park! Now let me tell you why you should camp at McKinney Falls State Park!
Why Should I Camp At McKinney Falls State Park?
1. It is so beautiful! You are camping in the midst of gorgeous trees and it doesn’t even feel like you are in one of the bigger cities of Texas!
2. If you camp at McKinney Falls State Park you have access to the falls before and after everyone else! Because you are camping on the property, you don’t have to make a time reservation to visit the falls, and you don’t have to wait in line to even get in the park cause you are already in it!
3. There is not just one waterfall at McKinney Falls State Park, no sir-e! There are in fact 2 waterfalls at this state park! There is an upper and a lower falls.
4. This state park offers an assortment of activities. You can hike on the many trails this park offers, you can swim, you can camp, there is a bit of history for you to discover, wildlife to view, fishing, and even some short cliff jumping!
5. This state park is right at the south side of Austin and super close to the city! You have the experience of being in nature, but you drive about 5 minutes and you are in city. Great place to stay if you are planning on exploring Austin, Texas.
What You Should Know Before You Book:
– The number one thing you should know about visiting McKinney Falls is that it is almost always busy. It is rare that this campground is not booked up, it is rare if there isn’t a line to get in, and it is rare not to have a ton of people at the falls. Just know there will always be people here.
-During the busiest times of year you do have to have either a campsite reservation or a timed reservation to get into the park. MAKE SURE YOU BOOK IN ADVANCE! By advance I mean at least 3 weeks to a month in advance. During the summer it may be even 2 months.
–Austin is a very humid part of Texas. Just know that if you are camping in a tent in summer, you will be camping in very humid heat, so in other words prepare to sweat all night long. If you are camping in the summer time I recommend either RV camping or rent one of the cabins.
Booking A Reservation:
To reserve a time slot to enter the park or to camp be sure to visit tpwd.texas.gov. This is the Texas State Park website and will give you all the information about the park that you need. If you click on the blue campsites word under the stay overnight section, if will take you to the reservation page. If you are arriving later than 4:30pm be sure you call to let them know so they can have your reservation information saved and give you the code to get into the gate after hours.
Why You Need A Texas State Park Pass?
This is our first year owning a Texas State Park Pass and by golly you can bet it won’t be our last. It is a $70 pass and is good for an entire year! Here is why we LOVE our pass and why you definitely will want to get yourself one!
Unlike other states Texas requires that when you enter a state park you have to pay a daily use fee per person. Most other states just charge a vehicle fee, but not Texas. So when you enter McKinney Falls State Park you will need to pay $6 per adult (children 12 years and under are FREE).
Now if you are camping you will also have to pay for the campsite, which is between $20-$24 a night. Here is the kicker, not only do you have to pay your camp fee per day you also have to pay your daily fee for each day you are there. So a couple camping in a tent is spending $32 for one night and if they wanted to stay for 2 that’s $64. That adds up pretty quick!
So with the Texas State Park Pass you don’t ever have to pay a day use fee. So automatically that is $12 saved for the 2 adults in one day and $24 for 2 days! Plus if you camp for more than 1 day you get 50% off your 2nd day camping! So instead of spending $64 for 2 nights camping at McKinney Falls you are spending $30 to camp for 2 nights with 2 adults!
For $70 you and your family can get into all of the Texas State Parks for FREE and get an even cheaper camping experience, need I say more!
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Where is it?
What Is It Like Camping At McKinney Falls State Park?
I am not gonna lie I both loved and hated our time at McKinney Falls State Park.
Reasons I loved it:
1. We saw lots of deer! I don’t think we ever drove by the turn to Upper Falls without seeing at least 3 deer! It was cool to see the wildlife. We also saw lots of snails, which is gross and cool at the same time.
2. We camped in the Big Cedar area and we had just the coolest campsite! There were low tree branches for my kids to climb, and it was such a big spot that with plenty of room. The areas are so covered in trees too that we couldn’t even see our neighbors.
3. Because we were already at the state park, we had early and late access to the falls! We got to the Upper Falls early and there were only a few people there so we didn’t have to fight for a parking spot. Also we went to Lower Falls around 7:30pm and for a time had the whole waterfall to ourselves! It was so nice to not have to fight crowds!
4. They had plenty of amenities! Each campsite had a fire ring and grill, a picnic table, tent pad, water hookup, electricity hookup, and lantern post. The restrooms weren’t super clean (but I mean it is a campground so that’s to be expected), but they did have showers and outlets in them!
Reasons We Were A Little Miserable:
1. There is a quiet time, but it was not enforced when we were there. Our neighbors blared their 80s music until midnight our second night there. I was a little peeved, but at least they had good taste in music!
2. It is SO humid! We camped around the second weekend of June and we were soaked in sweat. The temperature was in the 80s at night and the humidity was in the 75-80% range. It was miserably hot! Of course we were in a tent so we didn’t have much relief from the heat. We regretted forgetting a tent fan to at least cool the sweat on us so we weren’t burning up! I suggest sleeping in the cabins or RV if you come during the summer months.
3. It is very loud at night. I actually loved this, but I know not everyone loves a loud campground. By loud I mean the crickets, frogs, cicadas, and whatever else was out there was having a contest to see who could be the loudest! It was so loud! So if you love the sounds of nature (like me), then you will love McKinney Falls State Park, cause those sounds are in full force.
4. Skunks! Yep, our first night here we had a black and white striped friend roaming around so it smelled pretty horrid for a while. Watch out for the skunks when walking to the bathrooms in the middle of the night.
Be Sure To Pack These Items When Visiting McKinney Falls State Park:
- Instant Tent– I freakin LOVE this tent! I am a mom of 4 kids so setting up camp has to be as quick of a chore as possible so I can keep an eye on my toddlers! We can set up this tent in 2 minutes, and have everything in it and staked down within 10 minutes. It is a huge timesaver. Also it is huge! It sleeps 11 in total so yeah it is big, but what’s wrong with having some space! I love that when I change I can stand up and not try to change sitting down. I love that I have somewhere to put our bags and still have room to walk around. It is so nice. Ours has held up great in high mountain winds and survived a monsoon type rainstorm with barely a drop in. I can not recommend this tent enough!
- Tent Fan– Okay, everyone knows Texas is hot, but this part of Texas has a little more than just heat, it has intense humidity! Just sitting will cause you to sweat buckets so sleeping in a tent outdoors in this park, you will be soaked! Having a fan though will not necessarily give you A/C, but it will keep you dry from the sweat or at the very least cool down your sweat so you are not overheating at night! Trust me this here is heaven sent when camping at McKinney Falls State Park.
- Water Shoes– This is not a beach with soft sand, this is a waterfall made of pure rock! Surrounding these waterfalls is even more rock. So if you want to spend your time laughing and swimming, instead of yelling ouch and cutting your feet, I highly suggest a good pair of water shoes.
- Sunscreen Spray– While the majority of the state park is highly covered by trees, the waterfall areas do not have a lot of tree coverage. Being half red head I never go below an SPF 50, but I love the spray sunscreen because it is quick, easy, doesn’t turn your skin white, and actually doesn’t smell awful!
- Insect Repellant Bracelets– Have you seen these bug bracelets!? I love them! My kids love them! They of course smell like bug spray, but other than that they are amazing! Instead of drenching your body with the smelly bug spray, you just have to wear these comfortable bracelets and you will be bug bite free!
- Camping Chairs– At the waterfalls there are no picnic tables, no benches, no pavilions, nothing! So if you are swimming or just wanting to sit and enjoy the view; its either the muddy/rocky ground or a camping chair that you haul in. Do your backside a favor and bring in some chairs! I love these chairs because they fold so small and are so easy to haul around.
Upper Falls Vs Lower Falls
Upper Falls
Upper Falls is the closer falls to the campground areas. It is next to the visitor center and is a very short hike, if you can even call that a hike! The trail will take you to the top of the falls and to a gorgeous view point. Beware of holes in the rocks as you walk closer to the falls, there are random holes that will take you completely under the rock and into the water at the base of the falls. I highly suggest that if you are going to walk around at the top of the falls that you wear water shoes to help prevent you from slipping over the cliff.
These Falls are the smaller falls, but it has a pretty big swimming area. There is a small dirt beach area, but nowhere to sit, so be sure to bring some camping chairs with you, unless you like sitting on mud.
Lower Falls
Lower Falls was my favorite of the 2 falls at McKinney Falls State Park. The hike to this waterfall was a little bit longer than it is to the Upper Falls, but still not long. I didn’t even need to carry my 2 year old to the waters edge because the trail was so easy and short.
I would suggest water shoes or Keens though. You will be hiking on a rock to get to the falls and the rock starts to recline the closer you get. I made the mistake of just wearing sandals so walking on a recline made my feet slide out of my sandals and it was hard to walk.
If you walk straight from the trail you will get to Onion Creek at the top of the Falls. The water does have slight rapids here, so if you are swimming with kids I suggest you go to the base of the falls so they don’t get swept down the waterfall. The view from the top of the falls is so beautiful though!
The water at the falls is such a good temperature not too cold, but enough to cool you off in the heat!
My Thoughts Of McKinney Falls State Park:
I LOVED our time at McKinney Falls State Park! The waterfalls were beautiful, the trees were so green, and there was wildlife all around. It is an easy park to get around and so much space to it. I would definitely go back, as long as I was camping in an RV or in a cabin (just somewhere with A/C). Or I would love to go back during the spring or fall when the heat isn’t so high.
My kids loved camping here especially because of the trees they could climb, but also of course the falls they could swim at. If you are in the Austin area, then I highly recommend visiting these Texas waterfalls!
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