McKinney Falls comprises a pair of broad 15-20-foot waterfalls where Onion Creek flows over limestone ledges within McKinney Falls State Park inside Austin's city limits. The Lower Falls sits along the paved/hike-and-bike Onion Creek Trail.
Its 15 ft drop is taller than about 7% of the 775 waterfalls we track.
The falls are fed by Onion Creek. It lies in Travis, Texas. The site is on public land managed by McKinney Falls State Park (Texas Parks & Wildlife).
This is a short hike waterfall: reached by a short trail, generally under about a mile each way. The walk in is brief — comfortable shoes are usually all you need. The walk to the main viewpoint runs about 2.9 miles round trip. The nearest town is Austin.
When to go: Spring; after rain for stronger flow. Flow usually peaks after snowmelt and heavy rain and tapers through late summer — a quick look at recent streamflow and the managing agency's conditions page can save a wasted trip.
