Sydney Spence

Mount Bonnell - A Hiker's Dream - Austin, TX



Posted: Sunday, March 07, 2010

by Sydney Spence

Being the Capital of Texas with live music scenes, mouth watering Tex-Mex, and the Longhorns football team isn't the only thing Austin is known for. Mount Bonnell is another one of its marvels with a long history and legends all its own. Tourists revel in the majestic view seen from the highest peak in Austin and locals take advantage of the hiking through the man made dusty trails consisting of pebbles and rocks that entwine with surrounding trees. A tourist attraction since the 1850's, many have climbed the steep side of the mountain just for a moment to take in the scenery. Once you are at the top, you have the view of Lake Austin , the hill country, and downtown Austin that awaits you. Many come for the view, some come for the stories. As legends have it, "Antonette's Leap" was the name given the grand peak in the 1830s when a young woman by the name of Antonette leaped to her death to escape Indians who had killed her fianc. Another legend about a woman named Golden Nell and her husband jumped off the peak in an effort to avoid being captured and tortured. To this day it is said that if a couple makes it to the top of Mount Bonnell together then they will be destined to be married. (1) Of course these are only legends.

Actual historical facts show that in 1836, a man by the name of George Bonnell, moved to Austin and in honor of his role in early Texas and Travis county affairs the mountain would soon be named after him (2). In the 2000s an Austin lawyer by the name of Seldon Graham Jr. wrote that Mount Bonnell may have been named after Joseph Bonnell who was a forgotten war hero. In 2008 a man not related to either Bonnell, by the name of Steven Bonnell, would offer a $200 reward to anyone that could provide proof that the mountain was actually named after George Bonnell. (3) History still shows Mount Bonnell was actually named after George and not Joseph. What very few Austinites would know today is that the actual name of the high peak is legally named Covert Park , which was named after the man who owned the land, Frank M. Covert Sr., who then dedicated it to the City of Austin in 1939. (4)

At 785 feet above sea level, or roughly four miles above the city, Mount Bonnell sits along the banks of the lake and among vast hills for anyone to view in amazement. Paved roads make it easy to get to Mount Bonnell off FM 2222 in Austin , just past Camp Mabry , the local military base. There you will find is parking provided at the base of the mountain which allows for easy access to the stone steps that take you to the top of the peak. A historical plaque posted near parking gives visitors a little history about the highest peak of Austin . Getting to the top today is much easier with white stone steps seemingly carved out of the side of Mount Bonnell leading your way through full green woods to those spectacular views. Once at the top, a stone built pavilion awaits you, with rock slabs that serve as seating and allows you to sit and catch your breath from the walk up or where you can then sit to enjoy the sunset, take in the views, or simply have a picnic.

Trails to the northeast allow you to walk down to large rock formations where you are able to overlook the banks of the lake. Looking down one realizes how steep the sides are, but looking across the lake at homes nestled into the tree filled hillside you somehow forget it. Iron fencing protects patrons from falling over the edge so it makes it a prime location for family outings. To the southwest of the mountain are longer, more extending trails that allow visitors to hike any time of day. Through these trails, which are often not over populated with visitors, even more spectacular scenery awaits. No matter the destination once at the top, not only the hike up, but the natural landscapes will take your breath away.

To outsiders, Mount Bonnell can be considered just another beautiful landscape in Austin that was here long before its citizens claimed it as a park and adds a wonderful addition to the city's skyline. To Austinites, Mount Bonnell offers more than grand views of the waters below, the vastness of a wooded area, and dirt paved hiking trails; it also offers pride in the history to which Mount Bonnell originated from.

Since a very young age, Sydney realized the importance of words, the joy of putting them together, and the enthusiasm in which creating something was like air to breathe. It all started with poetry, which she still writes and publishes to this day but it was always just a hobby to write anything other than that. But one day, words started spilling out on a daily basis and she was unable to put away the Word doc. That was a few years ago. Sydney came to realize that her passion for writing could be combined with the life experiences and she could finally have a career that she was passionate about. Just starting out is undoubtedly the hardest part, but you never know what you can do until you try ~ welcome to the words of Sydney Spence.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)
» left by Fred Bothwell
from Austin West Point Society 2 years 55 days ago.
Very thoughtful article, Sydney.
If you're interested in learning more historical facts about Joseph Bonnell (and why he just might be the namesake of Mt Bonnel) see the current articles about Joseph Bonnell on Wikipedia and in Google search results.

 If you'd like more information, I'd be glad to help you find it  -  about how Mrs George Armstrong Custer and her husband enjoyed band concerts on the mountain top when they lived in Austin after the Civil War, for example :-)


» left by Steven Bonnell
from Montoursville, PA 2 years 1 day ago.
Sydney, nice summary.
 
I've hiked to the peak twice so far, once each visit to Austin – and both times it was in August, too!
 
With reference to ".. Actual historical facts show that in 1836,  
a man by the name of George Bonnell, moved to Austin ... .." :
 
I believe that George arrived in Texas in August of 1836.
 
I don't believe George moved to Austin until closer to 1839-1840, as a publisher and part owner of the newspaper The Texas Sentinel, when he also published his book, where he writes:
 
".. Four miles above the city, upon the east side of the river, is a high peak, called Mount Bonnell. .."
» left by Taylor from Abroad 241 days 14 hours ago.
I'll have to check that when I come home.
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