more trails
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BANDA - 1/5/2008
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Distance: 10.00 Miles
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We said we would return and we did. This time we hiked the Eastern, Northern, and Western trails. Pecan Bottom, Coyote Rd., and Big Sandy offer some very nice walks with huge old trees and the river to admire, but the atmosphere is altered a bit by views of the Hyatt Regency golf course to the North. Buckeye is a nice hike with several ups and downs along the way.
Yaupon was a bit of a disappointment as about half of it seems to be a pipeline easement, and almost all of it is right next to a road...either Pope Bend Rd., or Hwy. 71, so there is lots of traffic noise along this trail.
Pine Ridge was a very nice hike, and is our favorite in the park so far. It traverses some "knife edge" hilltops and travels along through the pine trees, making you feel as if you are in far East Texas. Nice views of the river valley as well.
Very nice park!
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BANDA - 12/30/2007
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
We hiked here for the first time today on a beautiful December day. The trails are all in very good condition, lead to some very scenic places, and we saw very few other people. Most of the people we did see were on horseback, and it was fun to talk to them and their horses. We didn't see very much wildlife, but we did hear an owl as we were finishing up our day. We will return!
Very enjoyable
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Falchion - 12/2/2006
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Distance: 3.00 Miles
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It was a little cold, but McKinney Roughs is very enjoyable. We hiked down to the Colorado river and up to a great senic outlook.
We came across a handful of nice people on horseback, but no one else.
I look forward to returning and exploring some more of the trails.
Variety of trails and views
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wdoud - 11/22/2006
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Distance: 3.50 Miles
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I hiked portions of the Ridge, Riverside, and Pine Ridge trails, totaling about 3.5 miles. Very nice view of the Colorado River. Some parts of the Pine Ridge trail were of moderate difficulty, but steps cut into the ascents were very helpful.
Great Hike with various terrain
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Kane - 11/4/2006
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Distance: 4.80 Miles
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Hiked the Pine Ridge trail, then connected to Cypress and finished with Bluff Trail. All trails offered great views. Only met 1 other hiker on the trails.
I'll definitely go back
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eljefegrande - 7/11/2006
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Distance: 3.50 Miles
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The trails were well maintained, the staff was really nice. I took the Pine Ridge trail, didn't see a single person for 3 hours.
Long views, beautiful pines
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Chris and Holly - 2/21/2006
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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We did this hike on President's Day, which was a cool, rainy, gray day. As a result, we were one of only a few people at the park and had the trails mostly to ourselves. The Pine Ridge Trail displays several enormous loblolly pines and a carpet of quiet, red pine needles set against deep green trees. At the top of the ridge we took in long, foggy views of the Colorado River, cattle pastures, and stands of woods. The hike was not hard, but was certaily vigorous, requiring us to climb and descend hills repeatedly. A great day - we highly reccomend this hike, whatever the weather!
Fun way to end the year!
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donnak - 12/31/2005
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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Not a cloud in the sky, temp in the low 70s, light breeze from the north. What a beautiful day. I took the Riverside trail and walked alongside the river - there was one area with lots of rocks that extended out into the river, and we could walk out on the rocks and stand in the middle of the river. That was fun.
Then I took a right on Coyote Road, and looped through Deep Sandy and Pecan Bottom trails. Saw two armadillos, one white-tailed doe, and two hawks that made a noisy take-off when I turned a bend in the trail. Thwack! Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh! Scared the bejesus out of me. I sat on a log and looked out on the shimmering river, and time just stood still.
I walked back onto Riverside and ascended on Bluestem trail to get up to Bluff Trail Loop. The trail was steep but short here, but well worth the effort. Bluff Trail offers lookout points over the Colorado River every few yards. I was standing directly above where I had walked on the Riverside trail - a fun perspective. There was a huge patch of cactus on the other side of the river, and patchwork pastures to the east - varying shades of tan and gold. The rest of Bluff Trail was dry - there was plenty of cactus and the brush was scraggly. Two big black vultures just sat on their branch, watching me walk by them (waiting for dinner?!!).
I made it to Ridge Trail. There is a great lookout directly to the right at this intersection. Don't miss it. It's a nice place to rest. Ridge trail leads back to the Visitor Center - it is easy, very level, lots of forest.
I chose McKinney Roughs because it was only a 2 hour drive from Houston, and I was looking for something that I could do in one day or less. The actual hike took about 4 hours with plenty of stops to soak in the scenery. I am a beginner hiker - this is a good park to build confidence. I felt safe the entire time. I encountered some people on horseback - which was not a problem at all. They called out before approaching me from behind, so I would know that they were there. I just stood to one side to let them pass. We actually crossed paths a couple of times.
The facilities are very nice and clean. Kudos to LCRA. I read that kayak lessons are offered in the summer...hmmm!
Pleasant, well-marked trails
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seejanplay7 - 12/24/2005
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Distance: 3.50 Miles
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I have hiked McKinney Roughs several times and always enjoyed my experience :) There are several well-maintained interconnecting trails that wind through some delightful scenary. Watch out for the clay-based mud near the river if it's rained recently. A hint: spray your shoes with Pam first, the mud doesn't stick! One feature I like at this park, all the trails have signs that point you back to headquarters ... no guess work.
Mud along the River!
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txhipowr - 5/30/2005
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Distance: 8.00 Miles
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I had the afternoon to myself so decided to revisit McKinney Roughs. It looks like I did the same trails as described above plus I added the northern end of Coyote Road and the Deep Sands/Pecan Bottom Loop. Pine Ridge was great but Cypress, Riverside, Deep Sandy, and Pecan Bottom Trails were very muddy from recent rains. I arrived at the park at 12:30 and left around 4:30 and saw no-one on the trails at all!
A hot day
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Austin Explorer - 5/21/2005
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Distance: 6.75 Miles
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Despite the heat I headed out to McKinney Roughs to fill in some of the blanks from previous trips. Saw only three other people on the trail, so I pretty much had the trails to myself.
Because of spider webs across the trail I ended up using a broken branch to clear them out as I advanced (a.k.a. the magic wand approach) Two sections of trail had a very short detour around nesting Ground Bees, the first I had ever seen around here.
sloshing through the mud beneath a gray sky
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manwithdog - 1/29/2005
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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Willow and I went out to enjoy a cloudy day in the woods. Bare oak trees against gray skies are among my favorite things during Texas winters, and McKinney Roughs has LOTS of 'em. There was quite a bit of mud on part of the trail, and I couldn't decide if it was tiresome or amusing the way it clung to my soles and built up to a sort of muddy platform shoe...I guess it was more amusing. Lots of birds out today - robins, woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, and all the ones that wouldn't hold still long enough to identify. The trails are really clean - people have greater respect for parks they pay admission to, perhaps. There are loads of trails out here and it would be easy to get out and hike as much/little as you want. Well worth the $3 admission. As an added enticement, Little Thailand (which sits directly beneath the Garfield water tower) is on Hwy 71 as you return to Austin and they serve up some tasty Thai food - the best in Garfield, anyway.
Good Hike ! solitude with the spiders.
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yeiyel - 7/23/2004
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Distance: 7.00 Miles
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A beautiful summer day 8:30 in the morning. My teenage daughter and I decided on this hike and were not disappointed. The solitude was great. There was a LARGE group of kids at the entrance and I was beginning to rethink picking this hike. But after we started we saw absolutely no one. The trails were well maintained and easy to follow except a couple of intersections. The Cypress Trail along the Colorado River was shady and somewhat cooler than the ridge above. Pine Ridge Trail, is just that, pine trees. Remember the solitude I said was there? Well it was there for the spiders also. If anyone followed us in the afternoon, their way was cleared of spiders and webs.
All in all it was good hike, very enjoyable.
A Diamond in the Rough.
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oceanus - 4/4/2004
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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Hey Y''all,
Mckinney Roughs is a really nice park! We did a loop hike along the following trails: Riverside to Pine Ridge to Cypress to Riverside to Bluestem to Bluff Trail Loop (West) to the Ridge trail. Sounds like a lot, but it was probably about five miles in length (I forgot my pedometer). Overall, I would have to say the Pine Ridge trail was the nicest. It is very similar to The Lost Pines Trail at Bastrop State Park, but it is much more hilly. Plus, it has much nicer vistas than Bastrop. Further, the pines are occasionally punctuated by Oak/Juniper Savannah. Leaving the Pine Ridge trail and heading down the Cypress trail, the trail begins to descend into the bottomlands of the Colorado River. It became much cooler. Once we were on the Riverside trail we found a spot that allowed us to access the river. We waded out to a small island, took off our shirts and started swimming. I can think of no better way to bring in the Springtime than to enjoy a Texas river. After a while, and with some reluctance, we continued our hike. The Bluestem to Bluff Loop trails ascend a small set of hills, which lead to the Ridge trail. Once again, there were very nice vistas and plenty of spots to stop and take in the view. Overall, it was a really enjoyable hike. We didn''t see anyone until we reached the river, then once again on the Ridge trail; and that''s because there were probably 100 or 150 people at the visitor center. So, if you''re in the vicinity of Austin, you should definitely check this park out.
Great trail
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schrochem - 3/6/2004
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Distance: 5.50 Miles
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I didn't really know about this trail system until finding it here. LCRA has done a wonderful jobe with setting this up. It looks like there is a lot of educational information in some of their REALLY nice buildings. I didn't get a chance to check them out but will on my next visit.
This outing was a nice partly cloudy day in the mid 70s. I passed two horse riders and only two other sets of hikers for the entire hike. They were headed in the opposite direction. I went bobcat ridge to coyote road in a clockwise fashion. That section of the hike is a little less "intimate" b/c coyote "road" is just that. Riverside is nice and has a "boggy" section that was very interesting. I really like the next section along Cypress then Pine Ridge. They are hiking only (trailheads have a terrace blocking horseriders), so the trail is a small single track and winds closely around the landscape. Views of the colorado are refreshing and really entice you to jump in. The pine trees are great to walk among. Some that are in draws are of considerable size. Spring is upon us, os many of the trees were starting to bud and the smell of dogwoods every once in awhile was an added bonus. Pine ridge is the section where there is a bit of up and down terrain when you aren't on the ridge. There is a beautiful view of the valley below and colorado river as it head toward Bastrop. I will definitely be returning to for the northern trail and some of the intermediate trails.
Liked this one as well
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HikerGirl - 1/2/2004
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Distance: 4.00 Miles
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We did this hike as a group and really liked it. Nice day to get outside & enjoy the New Year.
Lots of varied terrain
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figment - 7/6/2003
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Distance: 5.60 Miles
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Went here for the first time today, took the Pine Ridge trail to the Cypress Trail, which was the only intersection that wasn't marked, to the Riverside trail along the river, to the Bluestem, to the Bluff Loop Trail, to Ridge for 50 feet, to Valley View, and back to Riverside. The trails were very well marked, except for the Cypress-Pine Bluff trailhead.
I hiked in the park as part of a geocache.
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outofbounds - 12/27/2002
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Distance: 6.71 Miles
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I stayed on the south side of the park trails. The trails are very well marked and clean. The trails were muddy from the rain but when you check in at the office they will tell you where the bad parts are located. I did not see anyone else on the trails today and that is part of the reason to come to this park.
Enjoyable afternoon away from the city
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breadolife - 11/2/2002
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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I'm don't hike much so this was new for me. But it was very easy, trails are highly maintained, had no trouble with spider webs, and the overlook was quite breathtaking. I liked that they put a little bench at the top so you could just relax and soak it all in. It's a great trail and I will definitely be back.
Great hike, but caution.......
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JClair - 7/10/2002
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Distance: 4.00 Miles
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the hike would have been so much nicer if the flooding would not have been going on....went last Friday the 5th and alot of the trail was closed. But as AE was saying, spider webs rule this place and with the flooding the mosquitoes were plentiful and while it was really hot, the humidity was horrible. I will try again in a few weeks, the place is nice, solitude is great, scenery is great also. Also, watch for deer and other wildlife when driving into McKinney Roughs, 2 deer and a roadrunner were standing in the drive when I pulled-in, so be careful.
Enjoyable outing, even with the spider webs!
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Austin Explorer - 4/13/2002
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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Being first on the trail has its benefits, and downsides. Walking through cobwebs was a little annoying, but the trails at McKinney Roughs are well maintained and snake through some great terrain.
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Eveline - 3/25/2000
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Distance: 6.20 Miles
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Lots of hills and ravines. Overlook of the Colorado river.