If you know, you know how I feel about sunsets and sunrise. There is something about that time of day that calms me and centers me and leaves me of awe. While I was preparing for the Austin trip - Mount Bonnell was one of the most recommended things to do - the opportunity to get some workout in and also watch the sunset was a no brainer. After an afternoon exploring congress street ; the state Capital building (which is one of my favorite architecture); the botanical garden - it was time to unwind for the day. In the summer months, the sunset is quite later in the day so I had to wait about an hour after completing the hike. Keep that in mind if you are headed this way and want to do a sunset hike.

There are stairs to get you to the top but once you are up there, there are some rocky parts if you want to wander off the main viewing ledge. I did a silly thing and forgot to pack appropriate shoes, so I had to do in hike in sandal (don’t judge); I paid for it for days but the hike was still worth it. If hiking or sunset/sunrise (or both) is your thing then you should add this to you itinerary plus you will be rewarded with a great view of the hill country - which I thing is a pretty spectacular reward.