Fall Campout
NOTE: Date for 2009-10 is not yet scheduled. This page will be updated as soon as it is scheduled.
Date: April 18-19, 2009
What: Spring campout for Pack 39
Location: McKinney Falls State Park, A Texas State Park - campsites with water and electric hookup (# of tents per site is restricted)
Who: Cub Scouts and their families (sorry, non-scouts cannot attend due to our insurance and council requirements)
Admission: The camping site fee is already paid, but you will need to pay a small admission fee at the gate (Adults- $4, and free for Kids under 13) . Entrance is free with Texas State Parks pass. Tell then you are with Pack 39 camping group & they will tell you where our sites are located.
RSVP: Please RSVP with your den leader with
the following information:
_____ Yes, I will be coming to the campout!!! and will have the
following:
# of adults: _____________,
# of kids
under 12 yrs: ___________
Will be sleeping in:
________ 1
Regular tent - (i.e. 3-4 person tent)
________ 1
larger family tent (i.e. 6-8 person)
________ 1
smaller tent (i.e. scout plus dad size - 1-2 person)
________
other
_____ I'm a Day tripper (no tent or overnight) Note - gates are closed
at
10pm, so exit beforehand
_____ No, sorry can't make it this time
Parking: Limited to 2 cars per campsite (excess car fees may apply) - so try to limit extra vehicles (i.e. no need for 2 cars for 1 family)
Burn Ban: There is still a burn ban for Travis County despite the small rains we have received. So make plans to cook on gas grills/etc. for your meal time. Pack leadership will let you know if there is a change before the campout, but right now, no wood and no charcoal fires are allowed. Maybe we'll be blessed by some rain - but hopefully not during the campout.
Directions: The park is located 13 miles southeast of the State Capitol in Austin off US Highway 183. Take McKinney Falls Parkway, off US 183 South, straight to the park entrance.
Organizers: Dylan Drummond, 329-0466,
dodrummond@gmail.com
Ellen Wavro, 243-7291,
ewavro@austin.rr.com
Set-Up/Clean-Up: None Flag Ceremony: Den 10 Skit/Game: ALL DENS
Background: For our campouts, we reserve a group area large enough to accommodate our Pack and we make sure the park amenities include water and bathrooms. All the families in a den camp near one another. As families arrive, they stake out an area for their den to set up tents. Each den leader (or den camping coordinator) should coordinate the food for the den. Many dens plan their meals together and divvy out the food shopping & preparation. Other dens have pot-luck with what each family brings. We have a Pack campfire where each den will perform a skit. Dens may have individual campfires at their campsites. You may need to bring a fire ring or fire pan for the den campfires. Generally you need to bring your own firewood or purchase it at the park, if available
One Tiger parent is required to attend with each Tiger scout. It is possible for older (non-Tiger) scouts to attend with another scout's parent provided:
- The attached Guardianship Form is completed and personally given to our Cub Master or Pack Committee Chair, and
- The scout cannot sleep in the same tent with another child's parent under any circumstances.
About McKinney Falls State Park
Location: History: McKinney Falls State Park in Travis County, in south Austin, is a 744.4-acre park acquired in 1970 from private donation and opened to the public in 1976. The headquarters of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are near this location. The park is named for Thomas F. McKinney, who came to Texas in the early 1820s as one of Stephen F. Austin's first 300 colonists. Sometime between 1850 and 1852, McKinney moved to Travis County and his property on Onion Creek, where he became a prominent breeder of race horses with his own stable and private track. He built his large two-story home, stone fences, and the first flour mill in the area with slave labor.
Acreage: 744
Activities: Preserved in the park are the ruins of his trainer's cabin and the stabilized ruins of his own homestead. Information on Thomas F. McKinney and the history of the park's land use is interpreted in the Smith Visitor Center. Camping, hiking, mountain biking, road biking, picnicking, fishing, and wildlife observation are other activities. Swimming is now allowed in Onion Creek; call 512/243-1643 for current creek conditions.
Campsites & Other Facilities: Park facilities include screened shelters with bunk beds (no mattresses); 84 campsites with water and electricity; walk-in water sites (200 yards in with a picnic table, a fire ring, a grill, and water in area); picnic sites; an interpretive hiking trail, approximately 3/4 mile long; 3.5 miles of paved trails; 4 miles of multi-use trails for hiking and mountain biking; an interpretive center with an exhibit room and audiovisual room; a sponsored youth group camping area; a dining hall (capacity 75) may be rented for day use. There is also an amphitheater that seats 50 people. Wireless internet access (Wi-Fi) is available for park visitors to use.
Before You Go: Please RSVP with your den leader – give us your car make, model and license # for the tour permit and approximate headcount (adults & children) for the reservation.
Insurance Verification Form -- Make sure you provide your insurance information to your den leader BEFORE YOU GO. Follow this link for a form that you can print out for the required information: Insurance Form
- Camping Checklist -- Follow this link for a suggested list of items you should consider packing when going on an overnight camp out.
- Campfire Safety Rules-- go over these with scouts at a den meeting and review at the campground
What to bring:
- Camping Checklist -- Follow this link for a suggested list of items you should consider packing when going on an overnight camp out.
- At minimum: Tent, air mattress, sleeping bags, pillow, flashlight, folding chairs, cooler with drinks and snacks that you want (each den typically has someone assigned to bring food for the den - check with your den leader or camping coordinator)
- Firewood - you cannot collect wood at the campground
- Glow sticks for the boys are always fun.
- Recreational equipment for baseball, soccer, football for the boys to play Sat afternoon and Sun morning.
- Bikes.
- Swimsuits: weather permitting - boys can swim in Onion Creek.
When to Arrive: There are many soccer/football games on Saturday, so arrive when you can. If you arrive before 5 pm, the afternoon is yours to enjoy with your den and scout.
McKinney Falls State Park Map requires Acrobat Reader to view & print
McKinney Falls State Park Phone: (512) 243-1643