Walk through Texas history

Walking through Texas history at McKinney Falls State Park

Looking down at the McKinney Falls upper falls

Swimming and fishing is allowed in both Onion and Williamson creeks. | Photo by ATXtoday

In honor of the Texas State Parks centennial, we’re visiting and writing about eight around Austin. And, as the only state park in Travis County, we’re starting with McKinney Falls State Park.

History

McKinney Falls’ history dates back ~9,000 years, to Native American settlers researchers believe may have been Tonkawan.

A few millennia later, a stretch of the park was once a portion of the El Camino Real de los Tejas, a roadway traveled by missionaries, government officials, traders, and other adventurers journeying between Mexico and Texas in the 1600-1800s.

The name McKinney originated with Thomas McKinney, an early Austin colonist whose firm helped finance as much as 10% of the cost of the Texas Revolution. He began building on the land now home to the state park — using the labor of enslaved people — in the mid-1800s.

McKinney died deeply in debt in 1873. The property passed hands until it was donated to the state 100 years later.

A tangle of cypress roots in the water at McKinney Falls State Park — See wildlife like deer, quail, armadillos, and wild turkeys at McKinney Falls.

What to see

See the ruins of McKinney’s homestead, plus an early rock shelter, along the park’s trails. You also won’t want to miss Old Baldy, a 500-year-old cypress tree named Austin’s 2012 Tree of the Year.

The real star of the show at McKinney Falls, however, is — you guessed it — the falls. Walk along Onion Creek to see the upper and lower falls up close, or take them in from the Visitor’s Center observation deck.

The lower falls at McKinney Falls, as seen from the opposite shore. — See the upper and lower falls up close along hiking trails.

What to do

McKinney Falls has 641 acres worth of activities, including:

Camping, starting at $20 per night
Hiking
Mountain and road biking
Bouldering
Swimming
Fishing

If you’re an athlete, take note: the Austin Falls Ultra, a trail race ranging from 5K-50K, takes place Saturday, April 8.

Make a reservation to visit McKinney Falls State Park online here.

Which state park should we visit next?

A. Blanco State Park
B. Pedernales Falls State Park
C. Longhorn Cavern State Park
D. Inks Lake State Park

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Wednesday, Feb. 15

Galentine’s Get Together at Vista Brewing | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 4-9 p.m. | Vista Brewing, 13551 FM 150 W., Driftwood | Free | Celebrate friendship at this event with complimentary welcome beverages, discounted wine, and a raffle.
Aladdin | Now-Sunday, Feb. 19 | Times vary | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $45-$150 | Take a magic carpet ride into this musical inspired by the Disney film.

Thursday, Feb. 16

Been Here: Queer, Black & Proud | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 6-9 p.m. | George Washington Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina St., Austin | $20-$30 | Learn from filmmakers at this screening of “All Boys Aren’t Blue.”
Sam Bass Theatre presents “Romeo and Juliet” | Thursday, Feb. 16-Sunday, Feb. 19 | Times vary | Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock | $12-$18 | Take in one of the most iconic love stories of all time.

Friday, Feb. 17

Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing | Friday, Feb. 17-Sunday, March 5 | Times vary | The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $37-$47 | Stoppard’s classic tale explores themes of infidelity, reality, and art.

Saturday, Feb. 18

Precision Camera’s Garage Sale | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Precision Camera & Video North Austin, 2438 W Anderson Ln, Austin | Free | Shop demo cameras and lenses, discontinued products, used items + more at Precision Camera’s Garage Sale.*

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

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Weather

78º | Partly cloudy | 16% chance of rain

Biz

Electronics manufacturer Skorpios Technologies plans to shut down its southeast Austin factory and lay off ~60 employees, starting in April. Company executives said the decision stemmed from difficulty negotiating a lease extension on its 150,000-sqft facility. (Austin Business Journal)
Walmart plans to close its Downtown Austin tech hub, plus two others in Portland, Oregon and Carlsbad, California. Roughly a dozen employees at the location will be asked to relocate to keep their jobs. (Austin Business Journal)

Number

21,089,289. That’s how many people traveled through Austin Bergstrom-International Airport in 2022, breaking passenger traffic records and marking a 55.4% increase compared to 2021. ✈️

Announced

Tilda Swinton, Priyanka Chopra Jones, and Robert Downey Jr. will speak at SXSW this spring, the festival announced yesterday. See the full list of new names on the lineup. 🌟
Actress Margo Martindale will be honored at the Austin Film Society’s Texas Film Awards on Friday, March 3. Tickets for the star-studded event in Luck, TX are available now.

State

Gov. Greg Abbott will give the State of the State address at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16. Tune in online or turn your channel to NBC to watch the broadcast. 📺 (KXAN)

Civic

Austin Resource Recovery is in the process of hiring private contractors to help clean up debris from this month’s ice storm. After clearing 2,500+ truckloads, the agency expects cleanup to be completed in April. (CBS Austin)

Community

Barton Springs Pool will close for maintenance for two weeks starting Saturday, Feb. 25. Likewise, Springwoods Pool will be shut down from Tuesday, Feb. 21-Wednesday, Feb. 22. 🏊 (Community Impact Austin)

Shop

We love our furry friends, so it’s a good thing Love Your Pet Day is Monday, Feb. 20. Celebrate your beloved pet with this “Out of this World” bandana from Hannah Chloe Co. That’s something worth barking about. 🐾

Community

Looking for a unique night out? We thought you’d never axe. From date night to get-together with your best buds, make it a night of fun and competition at Celtic Axe Throwers. Bonus: Take 50% off your deposit with code axetoday at checkout. 🪓 *

Number

55°. That’s the optimal temperature for storing wine. So unless you enjoy keeping your humble abode chilled year round, we recommend buying a wine fridge to foster favorable conditions for long-term aging. Our pick: this sleek wine fridge with touch-panel control and capacity for 24 bottles. Cheers. 🍷 *

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Upgrades: Ready for takeoff

Austin airport reveals renderings for West Gate Expansion

Construction on the West Infill project is expected to begin this spring. | Rendering courtesy Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport revealed renderings for its West Gate Expansion, and the upgrades are looking pretty swanky.

Construction on the $165 million addition is expected to begin this spring and include:

An additional 30,000 sqft on the concourse level
A new mezzanine
12 new boarding bridges
Three new gates

In case you haven’t heard, this is just one of many projects coming soon to ABIA. Other upgrades in the works include:

Filling in the empty space above baggage claim to add more square footage for bag checking and security screening, at a cost of $175 million
A new centralized bagging handling system with the ability to process 4,000 bags per hour, at a cost of $176.5 million
A new central utility plant and Austin Energy substation, at a cost of $14 million

Learn more about these efforts, and others.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: I enjoyed visiting McKinney Falls State Park so much, now I can’t wait for my next state park visit.

Are there any must-know tips, overlooked trails, or must-see spots I should know about? Send me your state park secrets. 🥾

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Honey, we shrunk Austin.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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