McKinney Falls

McKinney Falls SP https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mckinney-falls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinney_Falls_State_Park McKinney Falls State Park is located in Austin, Texas, at the confluence of Onion Creek and Williamson Creek. It is part of the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail. The park includes several designated hiking trails. The namesake features of the park are the scenic upper and lower falls along Onion Creek.

For assistance using this map, contact the park. McKinney Falls TexasStateParks.org/App TexasStateParks.org/SocialMedia e k State Park Ask for a TRAILS MAP for detailed trail information. Trail locations here are for reference only. W illi a Onion Creek N m so re nC N /mckinneyfalls @McKinneyFalls #TexasStateParks #BetterOutside LEGEND Headquarters Williamson Creek Overlook (1.1 mi.) Upper Falls State Parks Store Flint Rock Loop (2.25 mi.) Wi-Fi Atlatl Range Smith Visitor Center Bouldering Rocks 3 4 on Restrooms am illi W Lower Falls k ee Cr Showers s Water and Electric Sites 12 2 6 5 Group Camping 1 Homestead Trail (2.8 mi.) Homestead Youth Group Camping Area Big Cedar Camping Area 56 55 Moss Loop Camping Area 59 64 63 62 65 66 Horse Trainer’s Cabin Grapevine Loop Camping Area 48 46 45 53 52 44 47 49 43 41 42 Rock Shelter Trail (1 mi.) 39 1 3 4 2 36 34 40 Big Oak 32 Camping Area 35 33 31 29 28 54 51 30 50 57 6 5 58 85 81 78 24 26 27 80 60 7 73 75 84 8 9 82 61 25 18 74767779 11 19 20 21 23 6769 72 10 17 Little Oak 12 14 68 71 16 Camping Area 13 15 Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail (2.8 mi.) s all yF ne ay rkw Pa in K Mc Texas State Parks Store Ice, T-shirts, caps and one-of-a-kind gift items are available at the headquarters building. Firewood vending near the camping loops. Friends of McKinney Falls State Park To learn more about volunteering at the park or to make a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.mckinneyfalls.org Picnic Trail (0.5 mi.) n io Cr Dump Station Trail connects here k ee Limited Cabins No water or restrooms available. Gristmill Scaled-down view of trails Visitor Center Group Dining Hall Parking Wheelchair Accessible PLEASE NOTE Complete Park Rules and Regulations brochures are available at the park headquarters and posted throughout the park. As a state park, the primary focus of this site is to provide recreational opportunities while protecting fragile park resources and maintaining public safety. Help us to protect this special place and provide for everybody’s enjoyment by following some simple guidelines: For all park visitors: • Trash your Trash. • Public consumption or display of any alcoholic beverage is prohibited. All outdoor areas within the park are “public.” • Pets must be on a leash no longer than six feet, attended at all times, and are not allowed in the water. • Pets are not allowed in any public buildings as well as the cabin area and youth group area. • Help protect this special place by leaving all plants, animals, and artifacts where you find them for others to enjoy. Please don't leave your mark in the park – including graffiti. It's the law. • Persons under 18 years old are not permitted to ride in the back of a pickup truck or on a trailer. • Stay on designated trails. • Numbered sites are for overnight camping only. No picnicking. • Coolers not allowed at the Falls. Picnic in designated areas. TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. © 2023 TPWD PWD MP P4505-090D (2/23) On Cabin Area Sites with 50 amp service This publication can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/parkinfo/maps/park_maps/ For overnight park visitors: • Campsite CHECK OUT time is 12 p.m. Renewal requests should be made by 9 a.m. and are subject to availability. • A maximum of eight people are permitted per multi-use campsite and six people permitted per limited use cabin. • No tents, RVs or pets are permitted in the limited use cabins. • Quiet hours are enforced from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Guests who do not have a camping (overnight) permit MUST leave the park by 10 p.m. • Front gate locks at 10 p.m. and opens at 8 a.m. daily. • Gathering firewood is prohibited. • Firewood vending machines are located in the camping loops. • Black water and gray water can only be discharged at the dump station. • Park all vehicles on the paved parking surface. Excess vehicles MUST park in the overflow parking areas in front of the rest rooms or in the day use parking areas. PARK RESERVATIONS TexasStateParks.org ParquesDeTexas.org (512) 389-8900 Picnic Area Playground Amphitheater Scenic View Historic Ruins Fishing Birdwatching Park Host Maintenance Hike and Bike Trails Hiking Only Trails 911 for emergencies After hours: (512) 389-4848 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway Austin, TX 78744 (512) 243-1643 Proud Sponsor of Texas

For assistance using this map, contact the park. For a web version of the map text, visit our Trails Information page. For information on #TexasStateParks, visit texasstateparks.org Sign up today for free email updates: texasstateparks.org/email /TexasStateParks @TPWDparks @TexasStateParks Sponsor: Whole Earth Provision Co. 

INTERPRETIVE GUIDE McKINNEY FALLS STATE PARK THANK YOU FOR VISITING! ON THE ASHES OF AN EXTINCT VOLCANO AWAITS AN URBAN McKinney Falls State Park is just 13 miles from the state capitol. Hike or bike the winding trails or relax by the waterfalls. Cast a line, sleep under the stars, and keep an eye out for wildlife! The paths of the past and future meet at the creek. OASIS WHERE THE PRAIRIE FURTHER READING MEETS THE PLATEAU. ONION Margaret Sweet Henson, McKinney Falls, Texas State Historical Association, 1999. CREEK’S RUSHING WATERS CARVE WATERFALLS BECKONING – James Wright Steely, Parks for Texas, University of Texas Press, 1999. SOLITUDE SEEKERS AND EXPLORERS. A PREHISTORIC ROCK SHELTER AND 1850’S HOMESTEAD McKinney Falls State Park 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway Austin, Texas 78744 (512) 243-1643 www.tpwd.texas.gov/mckinneyfalls/ REMIND US THAT THE FATE OF HUMANITY AND NATURE ARE INTERTWINED. YOU ARE PART OF THIS STORY. © 2020 TPWD. PWD BR P4505-090X (4/20) In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries. TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. Texas State Parks is a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. F A L L S S T A T E P A R K ENOLA BOWERS M C K I N N E Y UNDER THE SEA If you stood here 80 million years ago, you would be at the bottom of an ancient sea. Fish, oysters, sharks, and 30-foot-long mosasaurs would dart around you in the deep. Rumbles from eruptions would make your world tremble. Green ash would blanket the ocean floor. One day the submarine volcano, Pilot Knob, would grow silent. Today, it remains extinct like the many sea creatures that make up the limestone beneath your feet. This limestone is the foundation of everything that lives here. Over time, the ocean receded to where the Gulf of Mexico is today. Water rushed down the Balcones Escarpment into Onion Creek carrying sediments and soils. This is where the Blackland Prairie and the Edwards Plateau collide. Today, ringtails, roadrunners, bobcats, and bald cypress trees thrive here while water continually carves waterfalls and homes out of the limestone. MEET ME AT THE CREEK For 10,000 years, over 300 generations of Native Americans hunted, fished, and camped here. A 500-year-old bald cypress tree we call Old Baldy grew up alongside them and still stands today. On Old Baldy’s 200th birthday, life in the Smith Rock Shelter changed forever. Spanish missionaries, revolutionaries, and settlers arrived in 1716. They were all traveling between Mexico and Louisiana on El Camino Real de los Tejas (The McKinney Homestead LEAVING A LEGACY I Rock Shelter Royal Road). Most were passing through. In 1850, the park’s namesake, Thomas Freeman McKinney, decided to stay. Thomas’s second wife, Anna, adopted daughter, Minerva Fannin, and 14 enslaved people followed. Thomas was an Old 300 settler and wealthy slave owner who financed 10% of the Texas Revolution. Enslaved people built two houses, a gristmill, and miles of livestock walls here. They hired a horse trainer, John Van Hagan, to run the ranch. Hundreds of sheep and purebred racehorses turned the prairie into pastures. After the Civil War, the enslaved people and John Van Hagan left. Thomas grew ill and passed away in 1873. Outstanding debts mounting, Anna remained to settle the estate. She sold this land to James Wood Smith in 1885. They hired families of tenant farmers that grew cotton, vegetables, and tended livestock. In the 1940s, the land grew quiet. According to Thomas McKinney’s nephew Reynolds Lowry, cultivation ceased “… owing to its being too rolling and subject to rapid erosion … at times the floods … rip the roof of the world off in cultivated areas.” In 1943, Sandy Nixon and his wife – nearly 80 years old – were the last known residents of the property. Later that decade the Homestead caught Life as a tenant farmer fire. The tenant families were like the Nixon’s was onerous – but they were free. gone. Imposing limestone walls are all that remain. 1946/001-076B, COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COMMISSION n 1973, the Smith Family donated this place to Texas Parks and Wildlife and to you. Old Baldy has seen more people since this park opened in 1976 than it has in the entire 500 years it has been alive. Once surr

McKINNEY FALLS SP BIRD CHECKLIST This checklist is a list of common and specialty birds seen in the park. Staf and volunteers have used previous checklists as well as eBird data to compile these lists. This list should not be used as a comprehensive list of birds seen in this park. Please help us protect the natural avian communities by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Thank you for your cooperation. Waterfowl ___ Black-bellied Whistling Duck ___ Wood Duck ___ Blue-winged Teal ___ Gadwall ___ Ring-necked Duck Grouse, Quail, and Allies ___ Wild Turkey Grebes ___ Pied-billed Grebe Pigeons and Doves ___ Rock Pigeon ___ Inca Dove ___ White-winged Dove ___ Mourning Dove Cuckoos ___ Greater Roadrunner ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo Nightjars ___ Common Nighthawk ___ Chuck-will’s Widow Swifs ___ Chimney Swif Hummingbirds ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird ___ Black-chinned Hummingbird Shorebirds ___ Killdeer ___ Least Sandpiper ___ Spotted Sandpiper ___ Solitary Sandpiper ___ Greater Yellowlegs ___ Lesser Yellowlegs Gulls ___ Franklin’s Gull ___ Ring-billed Gull Cormorants and Anhingas ___ Neotropic Cormorant ___ Double-crested Cormorant Herons, Ibis, and Allies ___ Great Blue Heron ___ Great Egret ___ Snowy Egret ___ Little Blue Heron ___ Cattle Egret ___ Green Heron ___ Yellow-crowned Heron Vultures, Hawks, and Allies ___ Black Vulture ___ Turkey Vulture ___ Osprey ___ Mississippi Kite ___ Northern Harrier ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk ___ Cooper’s Hawk ___ Red-shouldered Hawk ___ Broad-winged Hawk ___ Swainson’s Hawk ___ Red-tailed Hawk Owls ___ Eastern Screech-Owl ___ Great Horned Owl ___ Barred Owl Kingfshers ___ Belted Kingfsher ___ Green Kingfsher Woodpeckers ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker ___ Downy Woodpecker ___ Ladder-backed Woodpecker ___ Pileated Woodpecker ___ Northern Flicker Falcons and Caracaras ___ Crested Caracara ___ American Kestrel ___ Merlin Parrots, Parakeets, and Allies ___ Monk Parakeet Tyrant Flycatchers: Pewees, Kingbirds, and Allies ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee ___ Least Flycatcher ___ Eastern Phoebe ___ Great-crested Flycatcher ___ Couch’s Kingbird ___ Western Kingbird ___ Eastern Kingbird ___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Vireos ___ White-eyed Vireo ___ Blue-headed Vireo ___ Red-Eyed Vireo Shrikes ___ Loggerhead Shrike Jays, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens ___ Blue Jay ___ American Crow ___ Common Raven Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice ___ Carolina Chickadee ___ Black-crested Titmouse Martins and Swallows ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow ___ Purple Martin ___ Bank Swallow ___ Barn Swallow ___ Clif Swallow ___ Cave Swallow Kinglets ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet Nuthatches ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch Treecreepers ___ Brown Creeper Gnatcatchers ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Wrens ___ House Wren ___ Winter Wren ___ Carolina Wren ___ Bewick’s Wren Starlings and Mynas ___ European Starling Catbirds, Mockingbirds, and Thrashers ___ Gray Catbird ___ Brown Thrasher ___ Northern Mockingbird Thrushes ___ Eastern Bluebird ___ Swainson’s Thrush ___ Hermit Thrush ___ American Robin Waxwings ___ Cedar Waxwing Old World Sparrows ___ House Sparrows Wagtails and Pipits ___ American Pipit Finches, Euphonias, and Allies ___ House Finch ___ Pine Siskin ___ Lesser Goldfnch ___ American Goldfnch New World Sparrows ___ Chipping Sparrow ___ Clay-colored Sparrow ___ Field Sparrow ___ Lark Sparrow ___ Fox Sparrow ___ Dark-eyed Junco ___ White-crowned Sparrow ___ Harris’ Sparrow ___ White-throated Sparrow ___ Savannah Sparrow ___ Song Sparrow ___ Lincoln’s Sparrow ___ Spotted Towhee Yellow-breasted Chat ___ Yellow-breasted Chat Blackbirds ___ Eastern Meadowlark ___ Orchard Oriole ___ Baltimore Oriole ___ Red-winged Blackbird ___ Brown-headed Cowbird ___ Common Grackle ___ Great-tailed Grackle Wood-Warblers ___ Black-and-white Warbler ___ Orange-crowned Warbler ___ Nashville Warbler ___ Common Yellowthroat ___ American Redstart ___ Northern Parula ___ Magnolia Warbler ___ Bay-breasted Warbler ___ Blackburnian Warbler ___ Yellow Warbler ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler ___ Pine Warbler ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler ___ Black-throated Green Warbler ___ Wilson’s Warbler Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies ___ Summer Tanager ___ Northern Cardinal ___ Blue Grosbeak ___ Indigo Bunting ___ Painted Bunting ___ Dickcissel © 2022 TPWD PWD CD P4505-0090Y (3/22) TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church,

MCKINNEY FALLS STATE PARK Visit www.tpwd.texas.gov/outdoor-annual for the most current regulations. 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway • Austin, TX 78744 (512) 243-1643 Other info: www.texasstateparks.org Local Emergency: Call 911 Where to Fish: The park has ample shoreline access to Onion Creek. Licenses and Restrictions: A fishing license is not required to fish within the boundaries of a state park. When fishing from a pier or other man-made structure within a state park, there is a limit of two fishing poles per person. HARVEST REGULATIONS SPECIES DAILY BAG LIMIT LENGTH: MIN-MAX Bass: largemouth 5 (in any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, Guadalupe, spotted) Min: 14” – Max: No Limit Bass: spotted, Guadalupe 5 (in any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, Guadalupe, spotted) No Limit Bass: hybrid-striped 5 Min: 18” – Max: No Limit Bass: white 25 Min: 10” – Max: No Limit 25 (in any combination) of which no more than 10 may be 20 inches or greater in length No Limit 5 Min: 18” – Max: No Limit 25 (in any combination) Min: 10” – Max: No Limit No Limit No Limit Catfish: channel, blue and hybrids Catfish: flathead Crappie: black, white Sunfish All other fish: statewide bag and length limits apply. SPECIES FISHING OPPORTUNITIES © 2022 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Largemouth Bass Catfish Crappie White Bass Sunfish TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. PWD LF P4505-090U (12/22) HA N DY FISH ING BASICS HOW TO TIE A FISHING KNOT NATURAL BAIT HOOK PLACEMENT The palomar knot is very strong and easy to tie. HOW TO MEASURE FISH Pinch the tail together and take the longest measurement from nose to tail. Freshwater fish TIPS FOR RELEASING FISH SAFELY 1. For safety for you and a quick release of fish, mash down the barb of the hook with pliers. 2. Quickly play and release fish as soon as possible (take photos quickly). 3. Remove hook with pliers or cut line if the hook has been swallowed. 4. Gently place fish back into water. 5. Revive fish by holding upright in water and facing it into the current, gently forcing water through gills. Saltwater fish 6. If you don’t intend to eat the fish, NEVER place it on a stringer. FISHING ETHICS SAFETY • Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your head, eyes and skin. • Use insect repellent – but keep off hands, as you will be handling bait and live fish. • Look behind you before each cast to avoid hooking someone or getting caught in a tree (practice casting before you go fishing). • Bring plenty of drinking water to prevent dehydration; soft drinks encourage dehydration. • Wear a life jacket if you cannot swim or you are uncom- fortable around the water. Supervise young children: it only takes a second for them to slip under the surface. Kids under 13 must wear life jackets if fishing from a boat. Before doing anything, ask yourself the following questions: • • • Is it legal? Would it be good if everyone did it? Would it make you proud? Ethical behavior is more than just following the fishing regulations. Ethical people go beyond what laws require and demonstrate good judgment and behavior for everyone – even if no one sees you do something ethical. Ethical behavior includes picking up trash around the area you have been fishing, calmly and politely explaining to others if they are breaking fishing regulations, and respecting the rights of other anglers and those that use the water in other ways. 

-Official- FACILITIES Get the Mobile App: MAPS ACTIVITIES TexasStateParks.org/app T O Y O T A T U N D R A The Toyota Tundra is built to explore the great outdoors. No matter what the weekend throws at you, your Tundra takes it on with ease. | toyota.com/tundra Official Vehicle of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation CONTENTS 4 100 Years of Texas Parks 6 Parks Near You 8 90 Checklist DIRECTORY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT 52 68 20 38 60 30 84 68 David Yoskowitz, Ph.D. Executive Director Rodney Franklin State Parks Director Mischelle Diaz Communications Director TPW COMMISSION Arch “Beaver” Aplin, III, Chairman Lake Jackson Dick Scott, Vice-Chairman Wimberley James E. Abell Kilgore Oliver J. Bell Cleveland Paul L. Foster El Paso Anna B. Galo Laredo Jeffery D. Hildebrand Houston Robert L. “Bobby” Patton, Jr. Fort Worth Travis B. “Blake” Rowling Dallas T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman-Emeritus Houston Lee Marshall Bass, Chairman-Emeritus Fort Worth 52 Panhandle Plains 48 State Parks Map Special thanks to Toyota and advertisers, whose generous support made this guide possible. Texas State Parks is a division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Cover illustration: Brad Woodard, bravethewoods.com Texas State Parks Official Guide, Nineteenth Edition © TPWD PWD BK P4000-000A (3/23) TPWD receives funds from DHS and USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin (including limited English proficiency), disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, visit tpwd.texas. gov/nondiscrimination or call (512) 389-4800 for information on filing a complaint. To obtain information in an alternative format, contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TTY) at (512) 389-8915, by Relay Texas at 7-1-1, (800) 735-2989, or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you speak a language other than English and need assistance, email lep@tpwd.texas.gov. You can also contact Department of the Interior Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240, and/or U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), Mail Stop #0190 2707, Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20528. In accordance with Texas State Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries. WELCOME from Rodney Franklin, State Parks Director This year is very special for Texas State Parks: We are celebrating our 100-year anniversary in 2023. More and more Texans are discovering the beauty of State Parks and exploring the outdoors in new and adventurous ways. Our teams across the state are incredibly excited to welcome outdoor enthusiasts, especially those who have yet to discover what our parks have to offer. The variety of Texas’ lands is unmatched; from the mountains of west Texas to the Gulf shores, the Texas State Park system celebrates and preserves the natural and cultural treasures that make Texas such a special place. The 640,000-plus acres that make up the state park system are nearly as diverse as the people of Texas. Since 1923, our mission has been to help connect our visitors with the outdoors. As we honor those who have come before us, I invite a new generation to be a part of the story of the lands that connect us all. There is more to enjoy in our parks than you know, so please join us in our celebrations and activities. Every day we look for new and better ways to ensure your state parks are welcoming to every Texan, regardless of their background or experience being outside. I hope you’ll visit soon and often, while bringing your friends and family along. YOU are a natural and we’re looking forward to celebrating the 100-year anniversary of state parks with you! WHAT’S NEW IN STATE PARKS Galveston Island State Park reopened the beachside of the park with a new headquarters, campsites, restrooms, and more. Bastrop State Park unveiled an extensive new group of trails, the “Tree Army Trails,” many of which are ADA-accessible. Improvements and major repairs are planned for Indian Lodge, Tyler, Inks Lake, Cedar Hill, South Llano River, Eisenhower and several other state parks All-terrain “GRIT” wheelchairs are now available at 10 parks with more adaptive equipment on the way to help people of all abilities experience Texas State Parks. Learn more about our accessibility efforts, page 14. More information: TexasStateParks.org/whatsnew 100 Years of Texas Parks The crown jewels of Texas road trips started as an unfunded wish list before the Depression. Back in 1923, Governor Pat Neff realized rising numbers of new car travelers needed places to camp overnight on multi-day trips. Neff convinced the state legislature to create a six-member State Parks Board, half men, half women. Isabella, the Governor’s mother, and her family donated acreage on the Leon

Guía de Parques INSTALACIONES Descarga la Aplicacíon Móvil MAPAS ACTIVIDADES texasstateparks.org/app ¡Los niños entran gratis! La entrada es gratis para los niños de 12 años y menores. Encuentra un parque: parquesdetexas.org Contenido Estero Llano Grande SP 2 Actividades y Programas 4 Parques Cercanos 6 Lugares para Quedarse 8 Tarifas y Pases 9 Directorio 10 Mapa de Parques 18 Instalaciones y Actividades BIENVENIDO Rodney Franklin, Director de Parques Texas tiene algunas de las tierras públicas más diversas del país, con una gran riqueza natural y cultural. La vida silvestre está por todas partes, los paisajes florecen con belleza, y la historia es abundante. Sus parques estatales son parte del legado que nos enorgullece. La gente de Texas ayuda a asegurar ese legado para las generaciones futuras al visitar y ser voluntarios. ¡Gracias! Estos más de 630,000 acres exhiben algunos de los grandes tesoros del estado. Los parques nos ayudan a crear recuerdos con la familia y a encontrar consuelo en la naturaleza. Los parques fortalecen las economías locales y unen a las comunidades. Sobre todo, los parques nos permiten pasar tiempo al aire libre para recargar energías, estar saludables y relajarnos a nuestra manera. Les invito a disfrutar de sus parques estatales, explorando lo mejor de Texas con amigos y familia. Los parques están aquí para todos. Nos pertenecen a todos. ¡Visítelos, diviértase y ayude a protegerlos para siempre! Foto de portada: Estero Llano State Park, Chase Fountain © 2021 TPWD PWD BK P4000-000A (5/21) TPWD recibe fondos del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU. (USFWS por sus siglas en ingles). TPWD prohíbe la discriminación por raza, color, religión, nacionalidad de origen, discapacidad, edad y género, conforme la ley estatal y federal. Para solicitar un acomodo especial u obtener información en un formato alternativo, por favor contacte a TPWD en un Teléfono de Texto (TTY) al (512) 3898915 ó por medio de “Relay Texas” al 7-1-1 ó (800) 735-2989 ó por email a accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. Si usted cree que TPWD ha discriminado en su contra, favor de comunicarse con TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, o con el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE.UU., Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. De acuerdo con la Ley de Depósito del Estado de Texas, esta publicación está disponible en el centro de Distribución de Publicaciones del Estado de Texas y/o las Bibliotecas de Depósito de Texas. ACTIVIDADES Y PROGRAMAS ¿Qué puedo hacer en los parques estatales? ¡Disfruta de un día de campo, visita un sitio histórico o elige entre muchas otras opciones! Bicicletas Pedalea a lo largo de los parques a cualquier velocidad, en cualquier estilo, con cualquier grupo. Elige las rutas, el tipo de terreno y las distancias que cumplan con tu zona de confort. Caminatas Empieza con un circuito más corto, avanza a terrenos más difíciles o únete a una caminata guiada. Pescar Puedes pescar sin licencia en tantos como 70 parques estatales. Muchos parques ofrecen equipo para pescar a manera de préstamo y eventos especiales para aprender a pescar. Barcos Renta canoas y kayacs y explora uno de los senderos acuáticos en Texas. Nadar Animales Silvestres Acampar Descubre aves, mamíferos y plantas que tienen su hogar en Texas. Muchos parques tienen señalamientos y listados que te ayudan a aprender más. Encuentra un lugar que cumpla con lo que quieres. Prueba nuevas recetas, comparte historias favoritas y disfruta de las estrellas. 2 Más información y reservaciones: parquesdetexas.org Escape del calor en arroyos, ríos, lagos, manantiales, piletas y playas del mar. Tu seguridad en el agua es muy importante. Lleva el chaleco salvavidas. Aprende a nadar. Guarda a los niños. (512) 389-8900 ¡Pregunta en tu parque cuáles están disponibles! Los niños de 12 años y menores entran GRATIS Cielos Estrellados Escapa de las luces de la ciudad y goza de maravillosas vistas del cielo que no encontrarás en ninguna otra parte. Ven a una fiesta de estrellas o toma una excursión de constelaciones auto-guiada. Familias en la Naturaleza Elige un taller o diseña tu propia aventura. ¡Monta una tienda de campaña, cocina al exterior, prende una fogata y juega al exterior! Nosotros te Toma una publicación gratuita de actividades o pregunta por los paquetes gratuitos con los parques proporcionamos todo el equipo. No es necesario tener experiencia. participantes. Usa los binoculares, lupas, libros de bosquejos y libros de guías para explorar el parque. Mochilas para Exploradores Soldados Búfalo de Texas Descubre la historia con cuentos, vestuarios y herramientas. Sigue la pista de un animal, pesca con caña, cocina sobre una fogata, visita los fuertes y más. Adéntrate en las historias de vida de aquellos que sirvieron valientemente en los primeros regimientos Áfrico-Americanos de las Fuerzas Armadas. ! Seguridad en el Parque Ten cuidado con el agua Pre