McKinney Falls State Park located in South Austin is a 726-acre park acquired in 1970 from private donation and was opened to the public in 1976.
The park is named for Thomas F. McKinney, who came to Texas in the early 1820s as one of Stephen F. Austin’s first 300 colonists. Sometime between 1850 and 1852, McKinney moved to Travis County and to his property on Onion Creek, where he became a prominent breeder of racehorses with his own stable and private track. He built his large two-story home, stone fences and the first flour mill in the area with slave labor.
Reprinted from Texas Parks & Wildlife | Photo Ryan Buchanan
