Mount Bonnell

Mount Bonnell was part of  a 54-acre tract  of land owned by F. M. Covert, Sr.  A pioneer Austin businessman. Negotiations to give the summit of Mt. Bonnell, to be known as Covert Park, to the people of Travis County began in 1934 but was concluded by the remaining members of the Covert family in honor of their father  on June 2, 1939. Covert Park at Mt. Bonnell provides a fabulous view of the Colorado River valley and the city of Austin skyline.

photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Inscription:
Rising 775 feet above sea level, this limestone height was named for George W. Bonnell, who came to Texas with others to fight for Texas independence, 1836. Was commissioner of Indian Affairs in Republic of Texas under president Sam Houston. Moved in 1839 to Austin; there published the "Texas Sentinel", 1840. Member Texan-Santa Fe expedition, 1841. Was captured but released in time to join Mier expedition, 1842. Was killed in camp on Rio Grande, Dec, 26, 1842. Frontiersman W.A.A. "Bigfoot" Wallace killed an indian he met face to face while crossing a narrow ledge 50 feet above river, 1839. He also took refuge in a Mount Bonnell cave to recover from "flux", but was missing so long his sweetheart eloped. In the mid-1800s Mormons built a mill on the Colorado river at foot of Mount Bonnell. Mill was destroyed by flood and the Mormons moved on west. Mount Bonnell was site of picnics and outings in 1850s and 1860s. As it is today. Legend has it that an excursion to the place in the1850s inspired the popular song "Wait for the Wagon and We'll All Take a Ride". As a stunt in 1898, Miss Hazel Keyes slid down a cable stretched from the top of Mount Bonnell to south bank of then Lake McDonald below.

Texas State Historical Marker
photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Erected:
1969

picturesque view from Mount Bonnell
of the Pennybacker Bridge (on 360)
photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Handicapped Accessibility:
Depends on the mobility issue. If you can't climb the steps (like my wife), there is a hiking trail to the far right of the park base. As you can see in the pictures below, if you are able to use crutches you can barely make it pass the locked access gate. However, if you are in a wheelchair, there is no way for you to access the park at all. That said, even if you get to the top of this access area, you will not be able to make on to the top of the Mount, due to the uneven step like trail from that point on.

Photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Pat Surbaugh at Mt. Bonnell
Photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Photo by Kevin Surbaugh

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Location:
3800 Mt. Bonnell Rd.
Austin, TX 78731
GPS:
N 30 19.270 W 097 46.297
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