McKinney Falls State Park Campground

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.

(FYI, we stayed here in December 2022)

We stayed 4 days at this park. We were in Site #11. Power and water. Loved it! Site was large with a lot of trees. Nice hiking trails. Only 20 minute drive to downtown Austin. Our reason to visit Austin was to see the bluebonnets and they were everywhere in the park. We had a little wait at the dump as we pulled out, but that is to be expected.

Beautiful Urban Adjacent State Park... just outside of Austin and its many activities. Price includes TX Park Pass discount on second night and no daily entrance fees. Would have been $36 + entrance fees. Not very large but the sites are situated with good privacy. Although our site and most of those I observed were not very level. The pull thru sites have very tight arcs so listed lengths are substantially shorter for practical setup. Nice trails and access to the water.

We stayed in site #68 on the Big Cedar Loop and tent camped for one night. The park itself is clean, and bathrooms are clean as well. While we were hiking along Onion Creek trail (goes right to the falls) a friendly Ranger drove up on a golf cart and offered ice cold water and took our trash. The Upper Falls were beautiful and were the perfect temperature for a swim. We took our dog and they had plenty of doggy pick up sites with bags provided. Check in was easy, they provided a map of the whole park, a parking permit, and a guided map to our specific spot. Overall it was a lovely stay and we will definitely be camping here again.

In this video, we give a walking tour of McKinney Falls State Park and show the best campsites. McKinney Falls State Park is located just south of Austin, Texas. The park sits atop a volcanic formation. We show you the best campsites, but beware of low hanging tree branches when navigating through the McKinney Falls State Park Campground. Onion Creek cuts through McKinney Falls State Park with two scenic waterfalls. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 3.46 Mbps download speed and 2.84 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 12.2 Mbps download speed and 2.73 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 64.4 Mbps download speed and 1.74 Mbps upload speed.

This park is not very large in land area, but is very close to Austin and a good jumping off point for day trips into the hill country. Sites vary greatly from large and secluded to small and tight. Restrooms are out dated and only two shower stalls per loop with approximately 40 sites each. Trails are well maintained and lightly used during the week. Much busier on the weekends. Some of the city roads surrounding the park are quite rough.

We stayed for four nights, the week of memorial day, in our pop-up and had water and electricity. Both services function perfectly, especially the electricity during the hot Austin weather.

The park was well located in the south east part of Austin, and allowed us to easily get to downtown or other fun areas of the city. The park gates do close at 10 PM, but you are provided a key code to get in if needed.

The sites were well-maintained and provided ample space. Both sets of restrooms were always clean and the showers were free of charge.

I worked during the week and was disappointed that the cell phone service wasn’t as strong.