Monthly Programs
Recreation Programs
Education Programs
Community Program Registration Policy
Monthly
Family Nature Quest
» First Saturday of each month through August
» 10 a.m.-1 p.m., FREE, All ages
» Hikes are one hour and leave from Visitors’ Center at 10 a.m. and noon
Come to the park for a fun family hike as a naturalist guides you along one of our many beautiful trails. We’ll bring together a unique blend of natural history to describe how land and water stewardship are critical to animal, plant and human life along the Colorado River. After your hike, visit our interactive exhibits and enjoy a nature craft or borrow a trail pack and take the kids outside to enjoy one of our self-guided nature scavenger hunts together. Bring a picnic lunch and make it a nature day! Pre-registration is recommended for hikes. Hikes are limited to the first 20 participants and are designed to include families with children of all ages.
Stargazing at the Roughs No registration Required.
» Fourth Friday of each month through August
» 9:30–11 p.m., FREE, All ages
Don’t miss this opportunity for the whole family to explore the galaxy together as our astronomer takes you on a tour of the Milky Way that’s truly out of this world! Behold the wonder of the cosmos through our Dobsonian telescopes and venture beyond the boundaries of our planet. Learn about the constellations and marvel at the beauty and mystery of the universe in this spectacular free program for the whole family. Bring lawn chairs, refreshments and blankets for comfort and enjoy this family event. Program will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.
Recreation Programs
Clean the Colorado
» Sun., March 4
» 9 a.m.-1 p.m., FREE, Adults
» Various locations on the river below Austin
Enjoy the beautiful Austin-Bastrop River corridor while helping to keep this pristine section of the Texas Colorado clean and healthy. Bring your own boat and gear or use the boats and safety equipment provided by LCRA. Come along for a free ride and do a good deed at the same time. You will need to bring your own lunch, water, hat and sunscreen. Long pants and shirts are recommended.
TOAD–Texas Outdoor Adventure Day
» Sat., June 16
» 9 a.m.-3 p.m., $50 per person, Adults and children ages 7 up
» Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Like the first explorers of Texas, we will travel down the Colorado River, navigate through the woods and climb to great heights. Meet at McKinney Roughs for a day of excitement, adventure and good food. The day begins at the challenge course where we will get vertical on the rock-climbing wall and zip line. Next, everyone becomes an explorer as we use Global Positioning System (GPS) units to navigate the McKinney Roughs hiking trails. We will top it off with a splash -- a raft trip down the Colorado River where getting wet is guaranteed.
Light o’ the Moon Float Trip
» Sat., April 7, June 2 and Aug. 4
» 7-11 p.m., $50 per person, Ages 7 and up
Beat the heat and enjoy the river in a whole new way! Floating by the light of the moon, you'll be serenaded under the stars by the nocturnal creatures of the river corridor. Take in the beauty of the sun setting on the Colorado and the cool comfort of the night air as your raft is gently guided down a stretch of tranquil river. Participants must be able to swim. Preregistration is required.
Card Cache Scavenger Hunt
» Sat., April 28
» 10 a.m.-1 p.m., FREE, All ages (children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult)
Take command of your own outdoor adventure! Utilize the McKinney Roughs trail map to create your own route to five predetermined card box locations within the park. Collect one nature-inspired card from each of the boxes. These cards will provide fun facts pertaining to wildlife, insects, trees and other natural wonders. You'll have the opportunity to climb hills, traverse ridges and explore land around the Colorado River. Return to our headquarters with your cards to share your new-found nature facts and learn how other participants’ cards interact with your own. Prizes will be awarded to the lucky hikers who randomly collect a secret combination of cards. Preregistration is required.
Kayak the Colorado
» Sat., June 23
» 9 a.m.-noon, $40 per person
» Adults and children 14 and up in solo boats, ages 10-13 in tandem boat with adult
There's no better way to usher in your weekend than with a serene and refreshing morning on the water. Listen for the salute of waterfowl greeting the day, catch a glimpse of the waking wildlife along the river banks and bask in the breathtaking scenery. Relax and recharge as you kayak the Colorado. This trip is great for all skill levels. Preregistration is required.
Education Programs
Outdoor Challenge Day (for Homeschoolers)
» Mon., April 2
» 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., $35 per child, Ages 7-16
Kids will enjoy a day of team building and high adventure at McKinney Roughs. Participants will be grouped into teams with their peers and guided through low-impact, high-energy activities designed to encourage communication, cooperation and compromise in a positive and fun environment. The High Course brings a world of adventure that will captivate the individual team members. Participants will use the support of their groups to reach beyond their personal comfort zones and conquer high elements such as a catwalk, rock wall and zip line. This is a drop-off program, but parents may stay and observe if they choose.
Kid’s Day Out: Outdoor Adventures
» Fri., April 6 (Austin Independent School District holiday)
» 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., $65 per student, Ages 8-12, Austin shuttle option $15
No school? No problem! When your child is out of school, send them packing…to McKinney Roughs. Students will start the day with a hike down to the Colorado River where we will enjoy a snack and the scenery. After the hike back to base camp, we will break out the GPS units and learn how they work and how to use them. Once our skills are up to par, we will test them with another hike; this time marking waypoints along our journey. When this task is completed, we will return to base camp to plot our waypoints onto a map. After lunch, the group will proceed to the Challenge Course for some “air time” with the help of two rock walls and two zip lines! To wrap up the day, we will enjoy some time on the water with a raft trip down the Colorado River. All activities are supervised by trained staff. An Austin shuttle is available for $15. Shuttle location will be LCRA's General Office Complex at 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. Morning pickup will be at 7:30 a.m. and evening drop off will be at 5:30 p.m.
Kid’s Day Out: The River is the Reason
» Mon., April 9 (Austin and Bastrop Independent School District holidays)
» 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., $65 per student, Ages 8-12, Austin shuttle option $15
No school? No problem! When your child is out of school, send them packing…to McKinney Roughs. Student will start the day with a hike down to the Colorado River where we will enjoy a snack and the scenery. After the hike back to base camp, we will learn about the characteristics of a river with our build-a-river demonstration. Students will build and try to control a scale model of a river with hands-on experiments. After lunch, we will have a series of water-based experiments for the students to understand more about the properties of water. When that is over, we will move on to a program that takes students back in time to see what water has been doing all of these years. To wrap up the day, we will enjoy some time on the water with a raft trip down the Colorado River. All activities are supervised by trained staff. An Austin shuttle is available for $15. Shuttle location will be LCRA's General Office Complex at 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. Morning pickup will be at 7:30 a.m. and evening drop off will be at 5:30 p.m.
Kid’s Day Out: Hiking the Roughs
» Mon., May 28 (Austin and Bastrop Independent School District holidays)
» 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., $65 per student, Ages 8-12, Austin shuttle option $15
No school? No problem! When your child is out of school, send them packing…to McKinney Roughs. Students will start the day with a hike down to the Colorado River where we will enjoy a snack and the scenery. After the hike back to base camp, we will break out some compasses and maps and plan our next hike using this instrumentation. After lunch, we will practice tying some useful knots and discuss animal tracks and scat and what it means when you find them. Then we get the GPS units out and learn how they work and how to use them. Once our skills are up to par, we will hike another trail marking waypoints as we go. When we return to base camp, we will plot our waypoints on a map. All activities are supervised by trained staff. An Austin shuttle is available for $15. Shuttle location will be LCRA's General Office Complex at 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. Morning pickup will be at 7:30 a.m. and evening drop off will be at 5:30 p.m.
Water-Wise Wildscaping
» Sat., April 7
» 9 a.m. – noon, FREE, Adults
Save natural resources and money using water-wise landscaping plants suitable for the Central Texas climate. Learn how to select and place native plants for a water-conserving landscape. Focus on plant choices right for your site, attracting wildlife, harvesting rainwater and the use of dry creeks for slowing down water runoff and erosion.
Texas Boater Education Course
» Sat., May 26 and June 16 (two courses)
» 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., $20 per person, Adults and children 13 and up
Join this local opportunity to attend a course to satisfy the state’s mandatory boater education requirements. Anyone born on or after September 1, 1993 must successfully complete a Boater Education course. The law is in effect for any vessel over 15 horsepower, wind-blown vessels over 14 feet, and all personal watercraft (jet-skis). Boating safety and responsibility are stressed throughout the course. Additional topics include ethics and courtesy, accident prevention, general information about boats, safe operating procedures, required safety equipment, boating laws and general boating safety concerns.
Special Events
Earth Day Kayak Trip
» Sat., April 14
» 9 a.m.-11 a.m., $20 per person, Adults and children 14 and up in solo boats, Ages 10-13 in tandem boat with adult
Learn to kayak and enjoy a serene and refreshing morning on the Colorado River. Traveling this quiet waterway gives you ample time to enjoy the scenic views and waterfowl of this Central Texas ecosystem while also learning to kayak. At this promotional price (this is regularly a $50 trip), this trip is a great opportunity for people interested in trying a new sport. Preregistration is required. Space is limited.
Earth Day Festival No registration required.
» Sat., April 14
» 10 a.m.-3 p.m., FREE, All ages
Celebrate the Earth at this free festival for the whole family. Participate in guided hikes through the wildflowers and pocket prairies at McKinney Roughs. Enjoy land, water and energy conservation booths, nature and animal presentations, guided hikes through the unique ecosystems of the park, nature workshops, food, music and fun! For more information visit www.lcra.org/earthdayfestival.
Earth Day Family Raft Trip
» Sat., April 16
» 1-3 p.m., $20 per person, Adults and children 7 and up
After exploring McKinney Roughs' Earth Day festival, relax on a guided raft trip down a three-mile stretch of the Texas Colorado River near McKinney Roughs. Enjoy the river's serene beauty while learning about its natural history, flora and fauna. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required because space is limited.
Community Program Registration Policy
McKinney Roughs' reserves the right to cancel programs due to weather or that do not meet the minimum number of participants. Registered participants will be notified by email or phone and rescheduled to another date or program. If that is not possible, a full refund will be given for any program fees paid.
Due to the popularity of the community programs, there is often a waiting list. Staffing and preparations are made based on a program's registration. As a courtesy, participants desiring to cancel should do so at least 24 hours prior to a program's start time. Cancellations made by the participant at least 24 hours from the program start time will receive a full refund. Participants cancelling within 24 hours of the program start time will not receive a refund of fees paid. Cancellations must be made by email to outdoorprograms@lcra.org and include participant name(s) and programs(s) to be canceled. A confirmation email will be sent when the refund is processed.
