McKinney Falls State Park
McKinney Falls | |
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Location | Travis County, Texas |
Nearest city | Austin |
Coordinates | 30°10′51″N 97°43′19″W / 30.18083°N 97.72194°W |
Area | 744.4 acres (301 ha) |
Established | 1976 |
Visitors | 335,332 (in 2022)[1] |
Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Website | Official website |
McKinney Falls State Park is a state park in Austin, Texas, United States at the confluence of Onion Creek and Williamson Creek. It is administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The park opened on April 15, 1976 and is named after Thomas F. McKinney, a businessman, race horse breeder and rancher, who owned and lived on the land in the mid-to-late 19th century. The park is part of the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.
Pre-history
This section relies largely or entirely upon a single source.(October 2021) ) |
During the
A volcano, now long extinct and called "Pilot Knob," spewed debris into the surrounding sea. The streams of soft volcanic debris eroded faster than the hard limestone. The removal of the softer layers and undercutting of the limestone by the water led the falls to be formed over millions of years.
There is evidence that hunter-gatherers occupied the land that is now McKinney Falls State Park at least five thousand years ago, maybe more. The tribes found water in the creek and protection among the rock shelters created by the same undercutting action that formed the falls.
History
In Spanish Texas, McKinney Falls State Park was traversed as part of the El Camino Real de Los Tejas. In 1716 the expedition of Domingo Ramón followed the left bank of Onion Creek along the western edge of the park to its junction with Williamson Creek. Indentations in the rock resulted from extensive use of the area.[3]
The land that the park occupies was originally part of an eleven league (about 49,000 acres (20,000 ha)) grant that Mexican land speculator
In 1971, J.E. "Pete" Smith, the grandson of James Smith, donated 682 acres (276 ha) of the ranch to the State of Texas for a park. The land was appraised at $731,300 and the state received a matching federal grant to develop the park. After archaeological digs and surveys were completed, the park was developed. The park was dedicated on April 14, 1976 by Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe and opened to the public on April 15.
The Texas Legislature also approved funds for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to construct new state offices on a bluff on the northern edge of the donated land. The offices are outside the park boundaries and only accessible by a separate road.
Heavy rains that started on October 30, 2013, pushed the water of Onion Creek to its highest level since the park opened. Water flooded the Smith Visitor Center and damaged bathrooms, picnic sites and the Rockshelter Trail. The park was evacuated and temporarily closed while park staff cleaned up and repaired the damage. The Smith Visitor Center and part of the Rockshelter Trail officially reopened in 2022.
Features
The park includes several designated hiking trails. The namesake features of the park are the scenic upper and lower falls along Onion Creek.
Flora
Fauna
Historical Sites
The park also features the Smith Rock Shelter, a limestone overhang used for shelter by Native Americans for hundreds of years, along with the ruins of McKinney's stone house, gristmill and his horse trainer's cabin. The Smith Rock Shelter and the McKinney homestead have each been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Pollution
The park was a popular spot for
The problem was blamed on rain water runoff from the mostly urban area located upstream on Onion and Williamson Creeks. The run off dumped animal waste, oils, dirt and debris into the creeks.[6] Another contributor was the Williamson Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant would occasionally dump effluent in various stages of treatment into Williamson Creek if there was equipment failure. By 1982, the plant was overloaded by the rapid growth of the city and regularly discharged effluent into the creek, not all of which met state standards for discharge.
Twelve years later in June 1993, the park ban on swimming was finally lifted. This was due to the closure of the Williamson Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1986, Austin's enactment of a comprehensive watershed ordinance and starting a citywide hazardous chemicals collection program.[7] Swimming is still often restricted because of high fecal coliform counts, usually after heavy rains.
See also
References
- ^ Christopher Adams. "What is the most visited state park in Texas? Here's the top 10 countdown". KXAN.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Raney, Jay A. Down to Earth at McKinney Falls State Park, Texas. Bureau of Economic Geology. 1997. p3.
- ^ "McKinney Falls State Park". El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail. National Park Service. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Henson, Margaret Swett. McKinney Falls. The Texas State Historical Association, 1999.
- ^ Mangan, Andy. "McKinney Falls thrives despite ban on swimming". Austin American-Statesman. August 15, 1982. p B8.
- ^ McCann, Bill. "Creek Pollution Cuts Use of McKinney Falls State Park". Austin American-Statesman. March 17, 1985. p B6.
- ^ "A Good Week for Parks". The Austin Chronicle. June 24, 1993.