Mount Bonnell

Beautiful place to take a walk. Be mindful as you will be climbing on steep rock steps. The landscape is beautiful. It was free to visit. You can over look the Colorado River from a high view point.. This is not an handicap area

You HAVE to visit this place if you are in Austin. I don't know where is there a better looking sunset. Just few steps up, parking is free at the bottom of the hill. Don't be discouraged because of the big crowds, there's plenty of space up, you can take a right or a left and most likely will have a great view of the river, sunset and the Austin Skyline.

Great viewpoint with one of the best overlooks in Austin. The climb is short but a little steep, so expect some steps. Once you’re at the top, the view of the river and city is absolutely worth it, especially at sunset.

With an elevation of 236 meters, it offers a panoramic view of downtown Austin and Lake Austin, making it one of the city’s most popular scenic overlooks. Free parking is available within Mt. Bonnell Park, followed by a short trail that includes climbing roughly 100 steps. Visiting about 30 minutes before sunset or at dusk provides the best experience, as the sky turns shades of red, orange, and pink, beautifully reflected on the lake for stunning photos.

This place is gorgeous! My sister got married here this past weekend and it couldn't have gone any smoother. The ONLY complaint I have is about parking. When it was getting busier, parking was insane. I can't say if there is additional parking somewhere else, but it got pretty congested. I felt like we would have a lot of people walking by while the ceremony was taking place, but they all seemed to stand back and observe. I was so appreciative of that! Just from what I saw, this would be a place I wouldn't spend more than a few hours at. I'd love to go back and explore again.

A nice little gem of outdoors and nature in Austin. If you're in the area, or even just driving through, it's probably worth the stop to get out for an easy climb up the hill (perhaps some may find the steps challenging, but I believe most worn mind it) in order to take in the nice views of the mountain and the Colorado River.

Very short climb, high payoff views. If you're looking for a long hike, this isn't it. But if you eat a quick and easy way to impress visitors, this is for that occasion.

Highest point in Austin area. At the overlook you can see downtown Austin skyline, Colorado River and it's surrounding. You don't have to use the stairs to go up to the top, go to the other end of the parking lot and u can hike up to the top. It is a must see if u are in the area. Watch out for car break in tho.

Highest point in Austin area. At the overlook you can see downtown Austin skyline, Colorado River and it's surrounding. You don't have to use the stairs to go up to the top, go to the other end of the parking lot and u can hike up to the top. It is a must see if u are in the area. Watch out for car break in tho.

I've been to Mount Bonnell a couple of times but it's been a long while since I've been recently. It really hasn't changed much over the last 4 years; it tends to be pretty packed most evenings and especially on the weekends! There is parking along the road but be VERY mindful of locking your car and keeping valuables out of site because this is a common place where people's cars get broken into unfortunately. The walk up to the lookout is relatively short, I wouldn't call this a hike, it's more a big outdoor staircase to a pretty overlook where you can see the river and downtown Austin in the distance. It is lovely at sunset though! And you can walk a little bit further down from the lookout but as far as I know there isn't a main trail or a longer hike (but maybe there is one and I just don't know). Overall if you're visiting Austin or here for a short period of time, you definitely should make at least one trip out to Mt. bonnell! It isn't a place you really need to come visit several times tho unless you just like the view at the overlook.

Texas is flat so this mount has a view Easy hike Panoramic views of city skyline and lake Austin. Almost 800ft elevation No restrooms Free Parking available Dogs allowed

Anyone under the misunderstanding that Texas is flat,just needs to climb the Stairs of Mount Bonnell. While only 800 ft to the top,the stairs at almost a 45 degree angle can be moderately challenging if your over 40! If you're in the Austin area and want a break from the traffic, congestion and overbuilding,take a short trip to Mt Bonnell for a breather. Guaranteed to lower your blood pressure. Certainly a 5 Star View... Go!

Beautiful view. Hike is easy my 88 year old dad did it without problems. Highly recommend.

Lots of steps to get to the point, but wow was it worth it! The view was gorgeous and perfect for photos. Just be careful of the steps and hold onto the rail, my young daughter tripped a few times since it's a bit uneven.

I love Mt. Bonnell as an introductory hike for anyone visiting Austin. It's very easy, with only a few stairs and mostly a gentle slope, well-cleared, and very brief for those of short attention span. It's great for kids, the elderly, dogs, etc. My only hesitation in recommending it is that the parking situation is rather fraught. Even if you leave nothing in your car, even if you roll down the windows, it will more likely than not get broken into. Take a ride share and just enjoy the view.

Back at Mount Bonnel after 3 yrs. It's a wonderful little scenic stop over in the heart of Austin.

First time coming here!! There may be a short hiking path but we drove up to the parking spot where we just climbed up the stairs of 100 steps etc. from the top, the view was very nice and beautiful! You'll get to see either the scenery of the downtown Austin or the river! It's a nice location to look out the view and enjoy nature!! Come see it and have fun! Cheers

Loved visiting Mount Bonnell on an overcast day! My GPS took me right to the bottom of the steps, where it was easy to park. I was a little nervous about parking, but it was easy! The flight of steps is steep, but not too bad. Once at the top you can look out and see the river and beautiful houses. This attraction is free and there were people having picnics up at the top. I would go back here. I was SO nervous that people let their kids just run wild up on top of the cliff. It is definitely not safe since you can just walk or stumble right off of the edge. I'd love to go back when the sun comes up. Pretty spot to take in the scenery!

Such a special spot in Austin! The views never cease to be breathtaking. Highly recommend coming at sunset. There are some spots to sit for a cute picnic. Be warned that at peak times there might be a lot of people and you may need to wait to take a photo. The initial climb up is definitely a bit tiring, approximately 50 stairs.

This spot should be on your Austin bucket list! It's an easy hike to get up to the overlook. Dogs are allowed here (on leash) too. The views of downtown and Lake Austin are stunning! Parking is relatively easy but there have reports of break-ins so lock up your valuables. Wear sunscreen and be ready to take some great photos.

I love Mount Bonnell aka Covert Park! Breathtaking panoramic views of the river (Colorado) and Austin. Absolutely amazing photo ops. The walk makes for a really easy hike as there are stairs as well. My favorite thing to do is a sunset picnic. Literally awe-inspiring to watch the sky changing at that elevation.

Love to bring visiting guests here. The view is gorgeous. It's a short climb to the top. Less than 5 min. It's close to the Mayfield Park and Preserve where you can see peacocks, their babies, and peafowl. There are porta potties there. Parking is easy if it isn't busy.

For just a little bit of effort to get up the long staircase, you get access to one of the best views in Austin for free! Parking is usually never an issue. The summit area is usually kept clean and you can see all the nice lake houses as well as the river. A must visit whenever you come to Austin.

So as you begin your trek up Mount Bonnell... you end it. Yup, the name is egregiously misleading. We will say the view is stunning and provides a great lookout point up and down the Colorado River. We understand it got its name because it's the highest point in Austin but if you come here expecting a hike then you're better off somewhere else. The parking can be tricky as it's immediately off the road and the steps up are a good workout for 40 seconds. For what it is though, it's a pretty lookout, just not really anything remarkable.

I brought my brother by on his visit from Kansas City. We hit this spot right after picking him up at the airport. It was a very hot day in May, so we appreciated the trails off the stairway with picnic tables to take a quick break and see the beautiful views of the Austin skyline. The views all the way around are wonderful. Especially the lake and beautiful homes along the lake.

Short uber from downtown to a nice overlook view! Very short and non-strenuous hike to get to the top. My friend did it with an injury. Beautiful views.

Thank you to the friendly local when we first arrived for recommending us to stop by the views here. We came by at sunset and the walk is very brief. It's about a 5-10 minute stroll and you have varying angles of the skyline, multimillion dollar homes nearby and the Colorado River. It made me feel very serene and grateful to be around great friends to enjoy the views. This is certainly a must stop if you're in Austin. If I lived here, I would probably be here very frequently with a charcuterie board and some snaccs.

Mount Bonnell is a must-visit tourist attraction in Austin! There was plenty of free parking on a Sunday afternoon and people came and went quickly just for photo ops, so you can enjoy the views without too much crowd in between. You can take a short hike to the summit or the steps (we took the just over 100 steps) and it's well worth it for the breathtaking panoramic views of the city and the Colorado River. It's the perfect spot for a scenic photo, a romantic sunset, or simply soaking in the natural beauty. We decided not to wait for sunset as it didn't work as with our itinerary, but since it's the highest point in Austin, you'll see other reviews with nice sunset photos! We also skipped the hiking as it was very hot that day, but nonetheless, worth a visit!

Nice walk to see the lake. Small parking space but it wasn't crowded on the weekend we went. I love the short walk to get a beautiful view and get the serenity of being in nature. No crazy crowd was a plus.

Love this place. My husband asked me to marry him there in 1996. We always find ourselves revisiting. We recently took some friends who enjoyed the views. It's kept pretty clean still which is nice.

Neat little hike with great views of the river or whatever situated below. Not breathtaking views, mind you, just mildly exciting. The passerby here are just part of the scenery. Pay them no mind. It is as if they are invisible and don't exist. Last visited: Dec' 23. In the Austin (A-TX) area. The day after X-mas. Hike is not even tiresome, and very short. You just hike up some rocks. Pass some useless folk along the way, and snap some pointless photos. At the top (I'm the only one that cared to make it), you're treated to some dilapidated rubbish and lot of folks hanging around admiring said rubbish, and ignoring others completely. Not worth snapping photos of this sad sight, hence why I turned back posthaste. All in all, this hike is borderline worthless, but the views are passable. I'll give it a strong D- and call it a day. Huzzah.

A great place to watch the sunset and do a little walking. It's not a big area, but the view of the lake is nice. Take lots of pictures or even have a picnic on the hills.

Wow what a view!! I do not blame the people who live right off the water. It is a perfect mix of hill tops, mountains, houses and water. The walk to the top is not very difficult and definitely a place where families will spend their afternoon together. If you have younger kids, please keep your eyes on them! There is no kind of barrier/fence which is quite dangerous. There is plenty of parking. Keep in mind it is a nice place to enjoy the view but do not expect to take a hike that will last you hours. There are protruding rocks everywhere so watch out not to fall or you may need a Band-Aid.

Fun little stop! Beautiful views. Easy hike, good for all ages. We went over Christmas break, temps were perfect.

A must-visit when you're in Austin. The view of the Colorado river, Austin skyline, and homes along the Water Edge St are breathtaking and blissful. Go up the flight of stairs to get to the spot. While parking may look like a challenge, you won't have trouble finding any as people are pulling in and out. It's also the highest point in Texas at around 781 feet which is saying something. Be careful as you look down and climb down on the rocks and ledges; one slip and you're in for a nasty tumble. But the scenes are breathtaking and worth it. Another reason why Austin is a killer city and one of my favorites!

I love this little hike and viewpoint! Free parking too! Climbing the stairs is worth the view of downtown Austin and all the spectacular mansions nearby. Tons of good photo ops.

This is a very late review but listen up, please carefully consider it before you parking your car under the Mountain, cause my car got broken into, and all my documents in my purse got stolen, and I did saw broken glasses all around the parking lot which should have been a red flag to me but whelp... I would say it's not worth it even for a visit as there isn't much thing to see

Quite a few stairs to go up but there is a ramp to the far right at the end of the parking that you can walk up instead. For such a flat city this is a nice view. It's a quick little hike that gets you away from the city. I enjoy seeing the mansions across the way and we even had a little snack at one of the tables off to the side. There is plenty of parking available.

Was a nice hike but not as long as we expected. It was fun to to see the houses and the fire from the top though!!

Beautiful views of Austin and Lake Austin. A must do when in town. There's several steps to get to the top from the parking lot (less than 5 min). But from the top, you can take side rocky roads for clearer views of the lake.

It was an absolutely beautiful view! The weather was perfect. I definitely suggest checking this place out.

This is definitely one of those Austin destinations that should be on every body's list. There's usually plenty of parking and you can have your choice of going up the mountain gradually, or take the exhausting stairway. However, once at the top, you are treated to some of the best views of Austin and the surrounding hill country. On one side of the mountain you have a glorious view of the Austin skyline and on the other end the Pennybacker Bridge. There are a couple of picnic tables at the top, but to be honest, it's not the best place to have a picnic because of all the sightseers.

A quick 10min (0.5mi) "hike" on paved rock path, slight incline, with a great view of lakefront properties of those more wealthy than myself. Apparently the highest point in Texas, which says a lot.

Although I feel like I should give a lower rating, I won't because I feel like this place delivered on having a great view and a great little hike. The reason I am giving you a 4 star rating is because we had people in our group literally from one year old to over 80 years old and this place delivered on all age groups. I was panting going up to stairs because we heard that was the easier way to go up but we had come down the other way which ended up making a little loop back to the parking lot which was really nice. The other way had a little hike going down and allthough at times it was a bit difficult because some areas were a little bit steep and the rocks were a little bit slippery, we took our time. We did not feel rushed because we did not come at sunrise or sunset and came rather in the afternoon so we were able to take our time going down. Granted, this was literally the last day of December and so the weather was really nice but I imagine it would be very hot in the summer so be careful of that. I took mosquito spray and sunscreen with me just in case to use it but we did not end up having to use the mosquito spray. I wanted to give a lower rating but decided against it only because we saw lots of glass all over the parking lot and on one side saw whole windows on the floor because of how many break ins there were in people's cars and I did not feel safe because of that. There were break ins and there were signs along the parking lot that say to protect your belongings and lock your cars but I feel like if they know this area gets broken into so much there should be some type of security and some type of safety measure taken to protect Citizens. We should be able to be safe and enjoy a nice view. Other than that it was a great time.

Great lookout point for not a lot of work/hike beforehand. Most difficult part is climbing the short few flights of stairs, which aren't even that bad. The edges are only roped off so keep a close hold of small, curious children also trying to enjoy the scenery. Great spot to bring out of town guests and families to show them a glimpse of hill country and gawk at the gorgeous multimillion dollar homes on the drive back down. Plenty of free parking.

Beautiful views. Easy climb. Follow the crowd up the staircase. No reason not to tick this off your Texas bucket list!

Very confused as to why is listed as an attraction. Sure it's a great view but it's like 30 steps in the middle of a residential area and not easy to get to for visitors. Very underwhelming. Did not include a hike or anything so wouldn't recommend.

5 out of 5 for the views you may just see someone famous while on your drive there. Nestled in an affluent neighborhood in Lake Austin you will encounter windy roads while getting to the trailhead. Once at the trailhead you will go up about a hundred steps that overlooks the Colorado River with homes right on the lake. This is a great place to watch the sunset and to do something active. One of the many places I take tourists to. It is an essential Austin stop on a city tour.

This was such a lovely little walk. While visiting my friend in Austin, she had been wanting to visit Mt Bonnell since she moved there. I took her up on this offer. We grabbed some coffee and headed over to the parking lot. It looked like there was a great amount of parking, but there was some shattered glass so just be careful if you have pups with you. It was a pretty quick walk. First, you head up a pretty long staircase and then you have the option to go left or right. We went to the right and the view was outstanding. I think if you have the option to check it out you definitely should!

This is definitely one of the coolest places to go visit in all of Austin! If you're looking for a place with fantastic views and stretches of peace and quiet, this is the place to go to. Overlooking the Colorado River, you have amazing all around views. From the ever growing Austin skyline to the mansions across the river, you can take it all in. The trails along the edge of the bluffs are easily accessible and do a great job of giving you a feel for the area. Overall, this is a must visit place when you're in town! :)

I'm giving this a 5 star because of the views, the parking and the price. Hiking much less, due to the trail being short and rugged. The view is very beautiful and worth the stop. It's free including the parking at the bottom of the hill. You can take your dog too as well as kids. Becareful of the ledge since it does have a serious drop. It is a little crowded but again ifbyou wants to take some pics and just get outside, you will be happy with the visit.

I read or heard somewhere that Mount Bonnell is the highest point in Austin and is great for sunsets so we had to make sure we stopped here during our visit. There is plenty of free parking on the street although the streets are a bit narrow especially with oncoming traffic both ways. When you get to the sign that says Covert Park you'll see a flight of stairs. It looks like a lot but in total it's only 106 steps. When you reach the top you'll see a structure where people will most likely be congregated. Grab a spot and wait until the sunset happens. You can marvel at the huge houses right next to the Colorado River while you wait. The only issue is that the cell towers kind of get in the way of the nice sunset but I'm just being picky. There are more views on another path when you get to the top but the views themselves are already beautiful and worth the short walk/hike.

A must see when in Austin. There are steps closer to one side that takes your directly to the top. There is also a trail side that takes you up the slope so that you can view the entire river. It was truly amazing to see and enjoy the view [FREE]. Parking is somewhat challenging since its directly off the street just be weary of cars & people walking by. We actually went back at night & it's even better, no lights except for the moon light.

Iconic spot in Austin. I've been here during the day, for sunset, and at night. It's nice to come here for some pretty views of Lake Austin and boujee houses. I have heard lots of stories of cars getting broken into here. You can see tons of broken glass in the parking area. You just walk up a few stairs for a minute and reach the top. I'm not sure why other reviews call this hiking. The sunset was underwhelming but it still feels very serene and romantic up on Mount Bonnell with all the families and couples surrounding you.

One place us Texans know to visit when going to Austin is ol MT. Bunnell! FREE.99 and comes with a spectacular view of Austin. First portion of this short hike you are just going up stairs. Enough stairs to get your heart rate up for sure but nothing crazy. The remaining of the voyage is very smooth from there. Amazing pictures and makes you feel like you are having a nice escape from the city even though you are not far from It. Always recommended for a great site seeing spot in Austin.

A cool lookout spot! You just climb the stairs and you get this amazing view of the Colorado river. I think it'd be a great spot to watch the sunset. There was plenty of parking even though it was busy.

Beautiful easy 30 minute hike. Much shorter or longer depending on how much you stop to ooo and awe at the beauty of Austin