Cherie grew up in Austin, and her brother and his wife live there today. It is a cool town, and a place we will want to return to often in our travels.

Camping near a major urban area is always a challenge, but in McKinney Falls State Park we have discovered a great place to stay that is at once both secluded and accessible.

The campsites at McKinney Falls all are equipped with power and water hookups, essential for running air conditioning to battle the South Texas humidity. But the spots are also huge, beautifully wooded, and well separated.

During the mid-week, the campground was also mostly empty. We felt like we had the entire forest to ourselves on some nights!

The falls that the park is named for are nearby, though when we were there they consisted of little more than a trickle of water spilling over a limestone ledge. But the swimming hole at the base of the falls is a wonderful place to cool down.

There are several miles of beautiful trails nearby, and some well-regarded cliffs for bouldering.

Overall, we found McKinney Falls State Park to be a fabulous place to stay – and fabulously close to the bustle of Austin too! I am certain that we will return – it is harder to imagine a better place to park our home when we visit Austin.

Summary Details:

View: Woods!

Sites: 80+ sites. Tents welcome.

Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Hiking Trails.

Hookups: Water & Electric – some 50A too. Dump station available.

Cell & Data Coverage:

AT&T – Strong 3G signal.

Sprint - Strong fast EVDO rev A. (D: 1254Kb/s, U: 178Kb/s, 123ms)

Cost: $16/night (plus $5/pp without Texas State Park pass)

Note: In addition to the $16/night camping fee, McKinney Falls charges $5 per person per night for admission to the park. Since we were staying for nearly a week, it made sense for us to buy a Texas State Parks annual pass for $60 to be able to waive this fee.