Place Post: McKinney Falls State Park - Lower Falls

I went to McKinney Falls State Park with my mother last weekend. I picked this place because when I thought about the “American environment”, I thought about places that are quiet, with water, trees, and some human interaction with the nature. My mother and I had been to McKinney Falls State Park once during winter of last year. I wanted to revisit it again in the summer and see if there are any differences between the two seasons.

On that Saturday morning, I arrived at there around 9:30am. I expected that there are some people early in the morning since the weather gets hotter later in the day, but similar to the amount of people I saw in the winter. However, I saw more people than I thought. During the winter, there weren’t a lot of people visiting the park, only about 10 people at the lower falls. There were only hikers that walked around the trail and near the pond area. On my way to the lower falls, which was located on the east side of the park, I saw people fishing, biking, swimming, and simply having a great time. Although, there were a lot more people in the summer, but not as busy as other water places in Austin (eg. Barton Springs Pool). The visitors still had a lot of space in the park.  

 (Photos taken by author)

As I sat down on the rock formation above the waterfall, I could hear the running water, people talking to each other, and the splashing of water from the swimmers. For me, this represents an environment where people are connected to the nature. I believe this is a great place where you can escape from the city and feel the nature without lots of traffic noises around you.

 

 (Photo taken by my mother)

I came from a small city in Taiwan where people live closely together in small apartments. The cities are urbanized and the environment is heavy disrupted by human activities. To me, the “American environment” is a place where you can relax and be away from the crowd. It should also be a place where people can interact with nature in a good way (not polluting or destroying the environment). McKinney Falls State Park is a fine place if you want to relax or spend time with family and friends or reconnect with nature.