Park establishment and historical ruins near the falls

McKinney Falls State Park was established in 1976 and preserves the waterfall features on Onion Creek within Austin city limits. The park is named for early Austin settler Thomas F. McKinney, and the ruins of his 19th-century limestone homestead lie within the park near the creek and falls. The proximity of these historical ruins to the Upper and Lower Falls makes the site notable for both natural and historical interpretation.