If you have walked the Onion Creek Trail over this past year, you have probably noticed wood fences and houses bordering the Southern boundry of the park.
Due to this neighborhood development along the McKinney Falls park border, the park has been approved to reroute this section of the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail. The new section will enhance the guest experience by allowing them to be “fully engrained” in nature/wilderness within the natural viewshed of the park.
Due to this neighborhood development along the McKinney Falls park border, the park has been approved to reroute this section of the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail. The new section will enhance the guest experience by allowing them to be “fully engrained” in nature/wilderness within the natural viewshed of the park.
Houses bordering the Onion Creek Trail
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Onion Creek Trail Re-Route
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To purchase enough materials, the park needs assistance raising
$126,000
to complete the project with the new trail surface.
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Friends of McKinney Falls is dedicated to helping McKinney Falls State Park raise the $126,000 needed to complete this trail re-route project. All Friends of McKinney Falls Member dues will now go towards funding the Onion Creek Trail Re-route. Individuals, families, and businesses can help fund the project by becoming a Friends of McKinney Falls Member, and get great member benefits as well! |
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Letter from mckinney falls state park
Due to recent construction occurring around the park’s boundaries our guest experience and viewshed has been compromised on a .85-mile section of the Onion Creek Trail. Guests are able to visually notice cedar neighborhood fences following the entire Southern boundary of the park and see into those homeowners back windows at multiple points on the trail (approximately .54 miles).
The Park has been approved to re-route this portion of the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail to enhance the guest experience by allowing them to be “fully engrained” in nature/wilderness within the natural viewshed of the park. This will enable McKinney Falls State Park to continue enhancing our guest experience while keeping the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department mission in mind. The new section of trail will meander through mixed cedar elm, Plateau Live oak, ashe juniper groves, and cactus patches. This will assist with portraying the vast ecosystems contained within the park and allow for an increase in interpretive/education opportunities. The trail will contain a re-route for the existing section of the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail, pulling it away from the park’s southern border at a minimum of 300 feet. The additional new section of trail will give guests the option for additional mileage, which extends the trail to 5 kilometers. Adding the new extension will increase our acreage per guest capacity on the trail and provide opportunity for an increase in third party 5k race events (walk/run and or bike). The existing trail corridor we plan to abandon shall be reclaimed to a natural state in the future and be utilized as an interpretive opportunity for natural resource management.
The new surface of the trail will be compacted and stabilized crushed limestone. This provides a stable long-lasting trail surface which will blend with the natural landscape. The trail surface materials are a significant initial cost but will be a low maintenance surface for the future. To purchase enough stabilized crushed limestone (raw materials and stabilizing treatment) the park needs assistance raising $126,000 to complete the project with the new trail surface.
The Park has been approved to re-route this portion of the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail to enhance the guest experience by allowing them to be “fully engrained” in nature/wilderness within the natural viewshed of the park. This will enable McKinney Falls State Park to continue enhancing our guest experience while keeping the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department mission in mind. The new section of trail will meander through mixed cedar elm, Plateau Live oak, ashe juniper groves, and cactus patches. This will assist with portraying the vast ecosystems contained within the park and allow for an increase in interpretive/education opportunities. The trail will contain a re-route for the existing section of the Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail, pulling it away from the park’s southern border at a minimum of 300 feet. The additional new section of trail will give guests the option for additional mileage, which extends the trail to 5 kilometers. Adding the new extension will increase our acreage per guest capacity on the trail and provide opportunity for an increase in third party 5k race events (walk/run and or bike). The existing trail corridor we plan to abandon shall be reclaimed to a natural state in the future and be utilized as an interpretive opportunity for natural resource management.
The new surface of the trail will be compacted and stabilized crushed limestone. This provides a stable long-lasting trail surface which will blend with the natural landscape. The trail surface materials are a significant initial cost but will be a low maintenance surface for the future. To purchase enough stabilized crushed limestone (raw materials and stabilizing treatment) the park needs assistance raising $126,000 to complete the project with the new trail surface.