Mount Bonnell

Love this place! Highest point in Austin and the best place to view the sun set.

It was cool to see the lake/​river from above. Most of what you’ll be looking at are the crazy mansions people have along the water, though. But, if we’re gonna be real about it, some of the digs these people have are pretty baller and I like scoping out my future estate as much as the next person.
Not much of a «hike,» I would say — you drive most of the way up the mountain, but a nice little walk nonetheless.

Due to an ice storm that left me trapped in Oklahoma for a week without electricity, and due to an overindulgent New Year celebration, I decided it was time to get some fresh air and physical activity.
Mount Bonnell fit the bill, but not in the way I had expected. After reading all of the reviews, I was prepared to want to die climbing the stairs. In fact, not too long ago I decided against bringing an out-​of-​towner here for our date because I thought I’d be heaving and ho-​ing like a fool before we even got half way up.
In reality, the stairs took about 3 minutes and didn’t even cause heavy breathing. (For reference, I am in very average shape. Like, I could probably run a mile if somebody were chasing me, but that’s about it.)
Another thing I didn’t expect was the number of children. Holy Moly. There must have been at least 10 million. Maybe 20. Idk. There were a lot. So if you’re trying to decide if it’s practical to get your little one to the top of this thing, I can’t say that I’ve personally tried it, but I can say that it obviously isn’t too difficult. (Again, for reference, I went on an overcast Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t unbearable, but a lot more crowded than I expected.)
As for logistics: when you get to the top, there is a nice little landing and then the option to go right or left. Both options are short – about 10 minutes each. To the right, there’s a wide, gravely-​but-​well-​paved downhill path that eventually dead ends. This route, which is the more crowded option, offers lots of views of the lake and the lovely homes beneath. The path to the left was my favorite part of the experience and the most «hike-​y» element of Mount Bonnell. It’s mostly just trees and rocks and there aren’t views of the lake, but it is much more secluded and less paved than the other option. This path technically dead ends and you probably are supposed to turn around, but if you’re willing to make a short jump, you wind up back at the southern end of the parking spots.
TL;DR:
Don’t be intimidated by the number of stairs. There are lovely views and it’s worth a stop if you have 20 minutes to kill or if, like me, you live here. However, I wouldn’t go too far out of my way if you have limited time in Austin.

Nice views of Town Lake/​Colorado river. As far as views in Austin it is hard to beat, but can’t give it 5 stars comparing to other places in the country. Definitely worth the drive and short hike to the top on a clear day.

Great views, good trails. We got there on a chillier day so it was crowded at all and the air was crisp. Beautiful views of the crazy houses along the water and the Austin skyline.

A quick «hike» up to beautiful views of Austin.
Make sure you wear sneaks because there are quite a few steps (maybe 100?) to get to the top. A pretty viewing area at the top including some signage about wildlife and history, a pergola, and picnic tables. There’s a bit of a path (down) to other viewing stations, you see a lot of the large, expensive homes on the water.
It’s a quick stop – 30−45 mins total. Dogs are welcome and tons of people seem to like to stop by.

Beautiful views of Austin, both the skyline and the water! Less of a hike, more of a walk up some stairs! There seem to be other places where people can walk/​hike but I wasn’t sure. There are some picnic tables, next time I would bring a picnic!

Visiting Austin? You must drop by Mount Bonnell (officially Covert Park). Live here and have never been? Tsk tsk, you’ll have to turn in your Austinite card right now or get yourself over there as soon as you can.
The visit to this historical site (the highest point in Austin, with a colorful history relayed on stone markers) will only take 10 – 15 minutes unless you plan to hang out and make a picnic of it. Why bother? Because you will get some of the best views available for the Austin area. Fill your memory store with an awesome sunrise or sunset here, or get out that smart phone and selfie away. Come at night and see the city lights sparkle or gaze at the twinkling heavens.
From this lofty vantage point facing southeast, you take in a panorama of the downtown skyline. Turn west and see the beautiful Colorado River /​Lake Austin with the Pennybacker Bridge, plus the Hill Country beyond. You can get the best views from the western ledge of the pergola overlook (careful, don’t slip!), or while standing atop one of the concrete picnic tables facing town.
There are a few short trails (most are unsanctioned) around the hill, or you can just stick to the big 106 step staircase. There’s a rail in the center for a reason, so please stay to the right (it’s just like on the freeway, people).
Depending on when you’re here, you may see some nutty athletes from local training groups running up the steep Mount Bonnell Road and continuing to jam straight up the park stairs — it’s known as a nice spot for an intense glutes workout. Classifying this tiny park as being for «hiking» is a bit of a stretch, though.
If you come at night, you just may find some classic Austin hippies wearing tie-​dye, keeping it weird & smokin’ a bowl while taking in the view… just sayin’.
Open 5am to 10pm. Street parking.
BEWARE: The place is a hotspot for car burglary at all hours. You’ll notice broken glass on the ground in all of the parking areas. Do not leave anything valuable in your car and do not place valuables under the seat before exiting your vehicle; the thieves are watching & waiting; they’ll smash & grab and be gone in the 5 minutes it takes you to walk up the hill. Sadly, I know this from personal experience :-(Minus one star, since it’s ridiculous that this is still a regular recurrence 20+ years after my car break-​in. Get it together, APD! This spot is a tourist attraction that leaves a bad impression of our wonderful city.

Classic Austin scenic overlook.
There are many steps to the top but spacing is good, will get your heart rate up.
Popular place. Lots of folks and pets on leashes.
Amazing how the hills of Austin have been transformed into housing development after housing development, as far as you can see.

The view is beautiful!
Park on the side of the road with all of the other cars, and «hike» up the mountain. It’s more of a climb up ~100 stairs than a hike.
Keep walking down the path to see more of the view without trees getting in the way.

This place is probably nice during sunrise or sunset. I came here around 3pm and it was blazingggg hot. There is a small parking lot a few hundred feet from the entrance. This hike. I wouldnt even call it a hike… will take you less than 10 minutes to get to the top. It is soo short haha. I wore flip flops so you can tell that it wasnt strenuous at all. You will see the river and all those rich people living alongside. Damn those mansions. I do like the fact that for such a short distance, you actually get high enough for a view. No need for that 4 mile hike to get that same view

I’m sure if you aren’t the adventurous type, you would have stayed on the directed path, walked up, viewed, and left. You wouldn’t think to detour off the path unto the forest and find really cool nature things.
not many people have that drive to explore interesting things. Yeah, it’s a lot of robot humans on this earth, and a few of the ones that dare for more.
I’m the type that screams adventure; I adore rock hounding, undirected paths into the wilderness, I’m not afraid of flying bugs, or snakes.
Now Austin has lots of nature outdoorsy things, one you’ll have to visit is Mount Bonnell. You will fall in love with this place like I did. Do find yourself some minerals like I did, if you can’t get them out the ground, use some knowledge like hitting two stones together and pop goes the weasel, you just discovered some calcite, celestine, and strontianite embedded within the limestone.
I’m telling you geologists, rockhounds, nature lovers, or even archaeologist this will excite you. As it has excited me.
The view from the top is truly breathtaking beautiful. The closest thing Houston has to this I would say at Buffalo Bayou park or if you are stuck in traffic on the freeway you can see such a view of the city.
Oh and getting to Mount Bonnell, the streets wine in and out as if you are in California, you got yourself looking at limestone on side and great big hills on the other, zipping through the road. It was a ride!
I’m glad my brother brought my family here, especially knowing he has two geology lovers as sisters.

Gorgeous view, short, shaded hike. Gorgeous views of downtown Austin as well as the hill country, looking towards the 360 bridge (Capital of Texas Highway).

A hike for people who may not even enjoying hiking. To get to the top takes less than 10 min! No athleticism required. And the views of the Austin skyline and the river are so worth it. I’d recommend bringing some wine and cheese with your SO/​friends and just enjoying the scenery and people watching.
If you arrive near sunset you are very likely to see someone getting proposed to up here. It always warms my cold heart. :)

It was my alone trip to Austin. I wanted to see the view. Austin is beautiful place just out side of capitol.
This place was short incline by steps but still gives you beautiful view… i wonder how it look like with sunset…

Breathtaking is what I would describe Mount Bonnell! An extremely easy hike! Not even sure if this can be considered as a hiking spot. More like a view point! Probably 15 mins walk to the top! Tennis shoes are not required because I was able to walk around in slippers. However, I do highly recommend bringing bug spray! I left with like 8 mosquito bites! Yikes! Awesome view of downtown Austin, Lake Austin, and really rich and expensive homes! Come here on a date or in a group of friends. Dog friendly as well. My group and I came here and drank wine while waiting for the sun to set. A great way to relax and truly enjoy what’s around you.
— Highly recommend bringing bug spray or mosquito repellents.

A must-​do in Austin. You’ll get a beautiful view of the cityscape in one direction, and the river on the other. It’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Just look up on your phone when the sun is supposed to set, and plan to be on the top about 20 mins before to catch all the colors.
It gets crowded, especially with parking, so plan ahead for this. The drive up isn’t too far from downtown Austin (about 15 – 20 mins). If you park near the top, walking up those stairs doesn’t take more than 5 mins. There’s lots of places to sit up near the top.

First stop on my weekend trip to Austin. It’s a little ways out, but the drive isn’t taxing. Look out for cyclist and cops on the way up.
I’d only seen pictures from the top, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was humid, wet and muddy from the rain and the Mosquitos were bad. Not the best day for a hike, but I was determined to scratch this off my list.
Once you park, the entrance is to the far right. The gate was closed, so we had to walk around the side. Not sure why it was closed, but I love walking through puddles and tight spaces (not).
There’s a small picnic table to the right that almost makes it seem like there’s more park area, but there’s not. The walk up is very short, it may be ¼ a mile (if that). There are several different points that offer great views of the river. They’re actually better views than the actual top. Once you reach the top, there’s a picnic table that overlooks Austin. You have to stand on the table in order to get the best view.
This is a great activity for those who want to get a great view of Austin and it’s beauty. I’d probably visit again during sunset for a relaxing evening.

If you are looking for some great views within the city then Mount Bonnell is definitely a place to hit up. It is pretty easy to find and it is really a short stair climb up a hill. and BOOM — you have awesome views of the 360 bridge, Lake Austin and downtown Austin.
Mount Bonnell is considered to be the highest point in Austin — 775ft. There are some cool stories behind Mount Bonnell. I suggest researching some before heading out and learn some of the history. You will see some informative information at the park. Mount Bonnell is located in Covert Park.
Mount Bonnell is more of a tourist site than a hiking destination. People of all athletic abilities can likely handle Mount Bonnell. There are usually families, kids, old and young about. This is a great spot to bring out of town guests or for a quick outing with the family.

Gorgeous place to take any visitors in Austin. Be ready for a lot of stairs up, but don’t worry, there is a railing. Once you reach the peak, you are rewarded with beautiful views of downtown, Texas hill country, the penny baker bridge, and the focal point, the Colorado river! Lovely place to take pictures, have a picnic, or enjoy the sunset. Everyone I take there is wowed.
Also, when you leave, stop by Mayfield Park at the bottom of the hill to check out the peacock preserve and beautiful gardens. Great little hour stop on a nice day.