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Old 04-29-2005, 06:22 AM   #5
Shannon
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 1,420
Re: McKinney Falls or Bastrop

At all but Bastrop State Park's rental cabins and backcountry campsites, you will hear road noise from a major highway the runs just outside the park. I always forget about it until we set up camp and settle in, then I'm wondering how I forgot because it's so loud. Luckily, the pileated woodpecker (imagine a real live "Woody Woodpecker" and that's pretty much what a pileated looks like -- they're HUGE, too!) is in the park and is so big and loud you won't miss it over the road noise, if one perches anywhere nearby. I tend to go to Bastrop these days when Justin and I want to enjoy a non-"roughing it" experience -- so we stay in the cabins. If I camp in a tent there in the future, it'll be in the primitive camping areas off the trails, not the developed campground, due to road noise. The one good thing is the tent camping area is distinctly separate from the RV camping area, so there are no generators to contend with overnight.

Paradoxically, we have not camped overnight at McKinney Falls SP yet. No particular reason, except for time (well, and a knee injury, knee surgery, and a small business to coddle and nurture! )

That said, with kids, I would definitely go to McKinney Falls State Park instead. It may be close to Austin and get busy, but it's got plenty of space, has a HUGE picnic area and plenty of trails of various lengths (including opportunities for mountain biking), plus the waterfalls and more water for fishing, dipping toes in the water, etc. If you needed to stretch your legs, or rest your legs after too much hiking, you're close enough to Austin to enjoy things like the Lady Bird Johnson National Wildflower Center and some of the Austin city parks.

If anyone wants to post photos of McKinney or Bastrop to share, do remember we host the free Your Photos Gallery.
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Last edited by Shannon : 04-29-2005 at 07:17 AM. Reason: typo
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