Austin’s McKinney Falls State Park has several great hiking trails – all within a half hour of downtown! We love to go hiking here and enjoy the spectacular scenery including the two waterfalls. You will find a total of 9 miles of hiking as well as biking trails in this small park. Most of the trails are short and kid-friendly. You can grab a McKinney Falls trail map from the entrance office or at the Visitor Center.
Also Read: Complete Guide to McKinney Falls State Park near Austin
Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail
For an easy trail, complete this 3 mile paved hike that circles the park. The trail follows the path of Onion Creek and has excellent views of the surrounding scenery. The trail begins at the Upper Falls and goes around the campground before looping back along the park entrance road.
Trail Guide: Hike the Onion Creek Trail at McKinney Falls State Park
Near the park front entrance, the trail passes the Horse trainer’s cabin. This cabin belonged to John Von Hagen who trained Thomas McKinney’s racehorses. The cabin is built by enslaved people. This trail does not go near the Lower Falls area. This trail is also popular with mountain bikers because of its flat surface and great views.
Homestead Trail
McKinney Falls State Park is named after Thomas McKinney – one of Stephen Austin’s first 300 colonists. He owned all the land that comprises the park and even built his ranch here. You can see the remains of his home on the Homestead Trail. This trail is a little over 3 miles and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete at a leisurely pace.
Fun fact – Did you know the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is located within the park and you can even see it on the Homestead Trail?
The trail begins at the Lower Falls and requires you to cross the creek. Bring along water shoes as your feet will get wet. Do not cross the creek if the water has a strong current and keep hold of children at all times. Also algae often grows in the stagnant parts of the creek, so be mindful where you step. The trail is fairly easy and level once you cross the creek.
At the end of the trail you will find the McKinney Homestead. The McKinney family lived in this stone house roughly from 1850 to 1940. The house was built by slaves and is steeped in Texas history. Along with the McKinney Homestead, you will also discover the remains of the Gristmill that was built by Thomas McKinney on the Gristmill Spur Trail. He built a dam to divert the creek water and power the flour mill way back in 1853.
The trail also crosses El Camino Real along the creek bed. We love packing a meal for this hike and enjoying it at the Smith Family Picnic area. Here you will find several picnic tables and barbecue grills. It is a good place to stop on this long hike. After your hike, enjoy a swim in the Lower Falls.
Rock Shelter Trail
This 0.6 miles trail is fairly easy and will take you to a prehistoric rock shelter that was used by the Tonkawa and other indigenous people for almost 8000 years. The trail also takes hikers along a wooden staircase and a bridge along which grows the majestic ‘Old Baldy’ tree. This bald cypress tree is almost 500 years old and awe inspiringly huge.
From the trail, you can enjoy great views of Onion Creek and see several birds as they fly overhead in the woodlands. End of the trail takes you directly into the limestone overhang of the shelter that functioned as a home for Native Americans. The shelter is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in excellent condition.
Picnic Trail
This half mile trail takes visitors from Lower Falls parking lot to the Smith Family picnic area. Continue past the picnic tables to the Lower Falls. This trail can be combined with other trails to reach Upper Falls or McKinney homestead or the Rock Shelter.
Upper Falls to Lower Falls Trail
Readers often ask, which trail to take to see the two waterfalls?
We love parking near the Smith Visitor Center and visiting the Upper Falls before heading to the Lower Falls. One easy way to do this is by combining Rock Shelter trail that begins near the Visitor Center, Picnic trail, and part of the Homestead Trail to reach the Lower Falls. You can also continue on the Homestead Trail after Lower Falls.
This route takes you past all major park attractions such as Upper Falls, Visitor Center, Old Baldy, Rock Shelter, Picnic area, Lower Falls, Gristmill, and the McKinney Homestead. The route clocks at around 3 to 3.5 miles if you take the Homestead Shortcut trail and is perfect for a half day jaunt through the park. Use the rest of the time to swim in the Upper or Lower McKinney falls and enjoy their beauty.
If you’re familiar with Sculpture Falls on Barton Creek in Austin, McKinney Falls are pretty similar to that – but on a much larger scale! The surrounding rock is limestone and volcanic ash just like that of Barton Creek Greenbelt.
Flint Rock Loop Trail
This trail begins from the Homestead Trail and is 1.5 miles long at moderate difficulty – though add in the access along Homestead trail and it’s more like 2.5 miles round trip. The trail goes over several rocky outcroppings and through the wooded bottomlands of the Williamson Creek.
You can see several wildflowers on this trail. There is hardly anyone on this trail so it’s perfect for those looking for solitude and wildlife. It is also popular for mountain biking – though remember you will need to cross the creek with your bike to access this trail.
Williamson Creek Overlook Trail
This trail located on the north side of the park is one of the least crowded trails within the park. While the trail is officially just a little over a mile, the trailhead can be accessed by hiking along a portion of Homestead Trail and then Flint Rock Trail.
In our experience, it clocks closer to 2.5 to 3 miles depending on how many detours you take. From the overlook point, you have a pretty scenic view of the narrow canyon below carved by the waters of the Williamson Creek.
Cactus Garden Trail and Armadillo Trail
Cactus Garden Trail is a new addition to the park trail system along with the Armadillo Trail. Opened in July 2024, these trails are still not added to the park’s official map. As they are new trails they are not properly marked yet. Cactus Garden Trail is 0.6 mile sling while Armadillo Trail is 0.5 miles long.
They are both located to the south of the park near the campgrounds. On the Cactus Garden trail you can see prickly pear cacti while you can spot the famous nine-banded armadillos on the Armadillo trail.
The park and its network of crisscrossing trails makes it quite easy to explore most of the state park in a day. Be sure to carry insect repellant, sunscreen ,and enough water for your hike.
Remember – Homestead Trail, Williamson Creek Overlook Trail, and Flint Rock Loop Trail require you to cross Williamson Creek upstream of Lower Falls.
Read More: Best Hiking Trails near Austin, Texas