Mount Bonnell is one of the most popular tourist destinations around Austin. The summit is about 780 feet above sea level and has panoramic views of Lake Austin. For many years this was the highest point within city limits, but that’s no longer true due to annexations.
Plenty of parking is available along Mount Bonnell Road. There are two ways to get up to the bluff: straight up the stone stairs or walking along a more gradual path from the west.
The area has a rich history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A trail used by Native Americans went along the bluffs of Mount Bonnell. The summit was apparently named for George W Bonnell, a Texas newspaper publisher in the 1800s. The area was later owned by F. M. Covert, whose family donated the land in the 1930s. Although the sign says Covert Park, locals just call this Mount Bonnell.
Today, lake houses and boat docks line the shores of constant-level Lake Austin.
Looking upstream, the Pennybacker Bridge carries Loop 360 traffic over Lake Austin.
A panoramic view of the Austin skyline can be seen to the east. Downtown’s skyscrapers are to the right, the Texas State Capitol peeks out behind some buildings in the middle, and the UT Tower and football stadium are on the left.
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