Have you been to the top of Austin? Part of Covert Park, Mount Bonnell is one of the highest points in our city and is one of our favorite spots to spend the summer. Hike up the short but steep trail of more than 100 stairs, and you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views of Lake Austin and a perfect place to watch the sunrise or sunset. Though Native Americans first used the area, Mount Bonnell is named after George W. Bonnell, a frontier journalist in the Republic of Texas who reached the peak in 1938. But before Bonnell made it to the top, an earlier frontiersman, William “Bigfoot” Wallace, reportedly hid in a secret cave there while he recovered from cholera. Since being donated to Travis County in 1939, tourists and visitors alike have climbed Mount Bonnell’s historic, limestone staircase in search of breathtaking views. In 1972, the land was conveyed to the City of Austin, and in 2006 it became part of the Balcones Canyonland Preserve, one of the nation’s largest urban preserves. ...