No visitor can leave the Texas capital city without hiking up Mount Bonnell and checking out the spectacular Austin views visible from what was once the city's highest point.
With an elevation of about 780 feet above sea level, Mount Bonnell sits almost 200 feet higher than its surrounding area. It's become a popular picnic spot, romantic outing, and free Austin attraction.
Hiking Austin's Mount Bonnell
Reaching Mount Bonnell's summit is more of a stair-climbing workout and less of a hike. Steep stone stairs lead visitors to the top. People with athletic abilities ranging from beginners to advanced do the hike every day. Rails along the stairs help visitors ascend safely.
Mount Bonnell sits in about five acres of parkland located at Covert Park in Northwest Austin. But the name Covert Park doesn't mean much to Austinities, who instead just refer to the area as Mount Bonnell.
The short hike up and mini leg workout is worth it for the pleasant atmosphere at Mount Bonnell's peak, where visitors will find a stone pavillon with great views of Lake Austin and the Texas Hill Country landscape. The pavillon tends to get crowded, but off the pavilion visitors can hike down a more rustic stone area for more privacy and closer views.
Austin's downtown skyline is also visible from a picnic area near Mount Bonnell's pavilion, and makes for a great photo. And even the University of Texas' famous tower can be spotted.
Visitors who want to take a scenic route down Mount Bonnell can choose another option besides the stone stairway. A dirt and gravel path next to the pavilion offers scenic views of the hillside and lake.
Getting to Mount Bonnell in Austin, Texas
Mount Bonnell is located at 3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr. 78731. A curfew is enforced from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. During summer months, get there early and make sure to hydrate.
Mount Bonnell History
Mount Bonnell — named after George W. Bonnell, who moved to Texas to fight for its independence and later became commissioner of Indian Affairs of the Republic of Texas under Sam Houston's presidency — has a historical marker designation.
According to the Texas Historical Survey Commission, Mormons built a mill at the foot of Mount Bonnell by the Colorado River (called Lake Austin in that part of town) in the mid-1800s. But a flood destroyed the mill, forcing the Mormons who had settled there to move west.
Records show that as far back as the 1850s and 1860s, Mount Bonnell served as a popular picnic outing destination for Texas nature lovers, just as the site does today.
Nancy Flores - My freelance work, which ranges from writing articles, producing and editing online video and shooting photos, focuses on Mexican travel, ...
