McKinney Falls State Park Campground

I liked this place a lot, it reminded me of a location like papa's games.

Great spot in the trees, very shaded. Bathrooms/showers were not the best, but it's a state park, so I get it. Overall, I'd consider staying there again.

All the park rangers were super friendly and helpful. Well maintained campsites clearly marked with restroom and hot showers close by.

Why we booked: We wanted to check out Austin and prefer park campgrounds to RV resorts in general. Having hookups meant we could take our time and stay awhile, especially at the price.

Campground: A well-maintained campground with a mix of nomads, retirees, and families. Just about what you'd expect from a solid state park campground. 

Quirks: Late check-in can be a bit tricky. Solar might not always be easy. I've heard the park gets mobbed by day-use in the summer.

Site: 20 in the Big Oak loop was just right for us. Lots of Carolina Wrens! Easy in and out with our 27' travel trailer and F250.

Nearby: Hiking trails, the Lower Falls, and the Onion River are all nearby. It's not super feasible to bike, as you're out a ways from most amenities, but car access to pretty much anything you need.

Value: Unbeatable.

We stayed at site 49 in the Grapevine loop. It was so so quiet, we loved that. Not too much traffic of people going in and out. There were cardinals everywhere which made for a good time of bird watching. This site was perfect for backing in, you can pull forward and back in almost completely straight. Very close to the bathrooms and trash. The site had relatively good Verizon cell service with 2-3 bars around 30-40mbps. The picnic table was able to catch three bars of 5GUW. The pad was asphalt with a slight 1-2 degree slope to the right. We loved how close we were to the onion creek loop, it was really fun on a bike. The Upper and Lower falls weren’t too far away if you walk, or they have plenty of parking. Great spots to watch the sunset! If you’re checking out make sure to get to the dump station early as it gets backed up since there is only one for the whole park.

Type of Park: State Park 

Check In: 2 pm Check Out: 12 pm

🚻 Restrooms

🚿 Showers

💩 Dump Station

🔎 Munzees and Geocaches in the Park

🚶🏻‍♀️ Trails for walking and biking🚲

🌊 Onion Creek was very low at this time

🏚 Cabins

🚧 Gates are closed and locked from 10 pm(code given at check in)

👩🏻‍💼 Staff was friendly

📋 Site#80, Big Cedar Camping Area

🔙 Back In

🅿 Site Pad: asphalt, long enough for trailer and tow vehicle

💧 Water- high enough for filter to hang down

⚡ Max amp: 30

🔥 Fire Ring w/Grate(but a burn ban was on) 

Picnic Table: metal with wood tops, concrete base 

Wooded on the back end of the site. You can see the neighbors on either side through the trees.

🌳 Good shade on most of the site

👎🏻 Cons: 

No sewer(but most State Park sites don’t have it) 

Regular cost per night$20+$6 daily fee+$10 for extra vehicle 

Discounts: Texas State Parks Pass. Daily fees waived, half off second night 

My Total Cost💲52 

In the Area: 

The campground is in south Austin, but it doesn’t feel like it’s in an urban area. City close with the feel of being out in nature. LOTS to do very close. Dining, dancing, bars, water sports, bats, shopping, State Capitol and more.

More info at https://www.denisevajdak.com/2022/06/mckinney-falls-and-dancing.html

We stayed only two nights while exploring Austin and it was great! Took our dogs on one of the trails and the campsites were fairly dispersed. Very cheap too I believe $20 a night.

Nice campground come to town with lost of green and spacious sites

Campsite was in the middle of a culdesac. Huge campsite.

Stayed for a week in December. Traveling with a 40' Class A RV. Getting in and out of the park was smooth for the most part just watch some overhanging limbs.

Plenty of space between sites. Park, sites, and road all well maintained. Lots of fun hiking/running/biking options around the park. Easy access to Austin and plenty of local options (groceries, pharmacy, restaurants, etc) just a few minutes from the park. We loved it!

This place is incredible! The waterfalls are perfect to cool off in on a hot Texas day. This place has a cool history and it’s fun to look for stuff on the trails. I would go with out kids first.

Found a site here at the last minute even though every other site in the park was taken. This place is almost always full even if you attempt to find something months in advance. Sometimes the only way to find a place here is just to constantly check and see if something opens up at the last minute.

This is a beautiful and huge camp ground with lots of nature to admire. The camp sites are spacious and feel very private, yet you don't feel alone with other campers nearby you. We had a stunning full hook up camp site with a climbable tree and took a hike to the waterfalls! There's lots of hiking trails that go really far, if you have the time. Definitely recommend!

We needed a place not too far out of town to test out our setups in prep for summer.

This was easy to get to and we had plenty of space to shake things down.

Loved having great cell service right at our site (AT&T), as we work remotely and needed to get a couple of things done.

Have also hiked here on previous occasions and love the secluded trails and Texas history here!

I absolutely love this park the swimming is great very beautiful

It is a great park that has everything a place to swim, great hikes, historic markers, trails for bikes. We really enjoyed our stay

Small for small groups and occasions

We wanted to try out this State Park even though it is really close to the airport. The people at the officers friendly but very strict about check in time. We had a pool thru that was nice and level, with plenty of room. The bathrooms were very clean, and the trails were nice. There is lots of parking the falls and it is an easy hike to get close and check them out. There was some noise fro plains flying over but other wise it was fairly quiet.

This park is a great option for nature camping very close to all the attractions of Austin. The sites are spacious and they all have electricity and water hookups (some sites have 50 amps, most have 30 amps). All are reservable and very affordable at $24/$20 respectively, with greater discount if you’re a Texas State Parks Pass holder. We are out-of-staters and found great value in the parks pass! Second nights at campgrounds are 50% off and free admission to all state parks.

The sites are very private and spacious and have nearby hiking trails accessible from the sites. There are several camping loops in the park, most of which have easy access to the Onion Creek hike & bike trail. Booking online is straightforward and check-in is virtually contactless.

We spent time hiking the Homestead and Flint Rock trails and really enjoyed the peace and solitude, knowing we were so close to the metropolitan area. A perfect spot for enjoying the city during the day while staying surrounded by nature at night!

Good trails

Great location for a little getaway with the family. Awesome scenery and excellent staff. Had a problem with electrical and was fixed by park staff within the hour.

This park is just outside of Austin. I've lived here my whole life and forget what a little gem this park is. We were in RV spot 11. Nice back in pie shaped spot in a cul-de-sac. No shade over RV so the morning sun warmed it up pretty quick. The rest of the site had some nice shade to set up chairs near the campsite and some good hammock trees.

This campground is a must see if you live in Texas. In addition to the awesome camp sites, there are two swimming areas that are to die for. Highly recommend!!!

The hiking trails with history is the best. Enjoy a nice cool down with a swim.

I loved this park. I want to go back, because it’s been a few years. The falls and swimming hole were amazing. The only thing is it was very hot, and I fell off the falls at one point. I was ok, but had a slight concussion. I was trying to climb it, and lost my footing. If you haven’t gone you need to!

This is one of my top 3 campgrounds in Texas. Most of the spaces are secluded and there are lots of trees and shade. The two swimming areas are amazing and the highlight of the park. I only wish they allowed my dog to swim!

Tent camped 21JUL 1 night.

Super clean park, good trails and great water features. The whole thing is kind of built around a couple swimming holes, which are the main attractions, and pretty amazing.

Sites were big and well treed. Super secluded and plenty of shade to be had.

Trails aren’t close to the sites, so you’ve got to drive once you are setup, which might not be an issue for most, but I like to dig in then hit the trails.

This was one night camp 6/10 for me in my campmaster project and it was fantastic.

Hot but no rain.

This is such a wonderful state park! Great hiking trails, two swimming holes, well spaced out camping sites with electricity and water. We stayed here because it was close to the airport and had a flight to catch. It was only a 9 min drive. It's about 20 minutes from downtown Austin but still offers a peaceful nature retreat and a wonderful spot to cool down in hot Texas summers.

This park is close to Austin and is a great place to get away. Campgrounds were clean - you can use tents or hook up a trailer here. There are restrooms and hot showers, but I haven't used them so I am not sure if they're any good, but they're available. The park closes at 10pm but if you're camping overnight, you'll get a gate code so you can leave and return anytime. The falls were beautiful. Definitely will be coming back here!

Set alongside onion creek in East Austin, this park has a beautiful hiking and camping spots- and it doesn’t stop there. Camp at one of the 80 some campsites and fish an afternoon away.