McKinney Roughs Nature Park

Discover the secrets of nature and learn the fundamentals of navigation like a true outdoor survivalist. Campers will unplug and tap into their inner explorer to build confidence through hands-on survival challenges and team building activities.

• Bullseye! Perfect your aim with precision target sports like archery and tomahawks.
• Get the point. Create your own spear point or arrowhead from locally sourced flint.
• Become a wayfinder. Learn your way around the wilderness by using a map and compass to navigate your surroundings.
• I will survive. Safely craft your own fire and build personal shelters with natural resources. 

Dive into adventure while exploring life above and below the surface. Campers will discover the world of aquatic creatures to unravel the mysteries of their environments.

• Grab a paddle. Venture out on Lake Bastrop and explore its cattail marsh and surrounding piney woods.
• Snakes, turtles and gators, oh my! Meet our animal ambassadors and learn how different species adapt to their environments.
• Let’s experiment. Discover the importance of water quality testing using Secchi discs, turbidity tubes, and pH and Nitrate comparators.
• Zoom in! Grab a microscope to examine microorganisms and discover life beyond the naked eye. 

Suit up for a week of cosmic curiosity and stellar experiments! From rocket launches to stargazing, campers will feel like real astronauts in training. Get ready for an out-of-this-world journey and explore the elements of space.

• Blast off! Craft and launch your own solid, liquid and air-propelled rockets.
• Safety first. Build a spacecraft landing recovery system to return astronauts to Earth safely with an egg-drop activity.  
• See like an astronaut. Explore the solar system in an interactive way through Austin Planetarium’s Discovery Dome.
• Zoom in! Get a rare opportunity to look at the sun with a specialized solar scope.
• Twinkle, twinkle, little star. Discover how stars are formed and learn how constellations can help you navigate after dark. 

Giddy up and experience Texas the wild way. Campers will learn wilderness survival skills and gain confidence to thrive in various Texas ecosystems like true trailblazers. 

• I will survive. Safely start fires, build water filters and personal shelters with natural resources.
• Is it edible? Make cookies from local mesquite beans and yaupon tea from holly leaves.
• Call for help. Learn what to do in hypothetical emergencies and create signals to communicate to others in the outdoors.
• Test your aim. Use primitive instruments, such as atlatls, javelins and bows, and practice on targets to simulate hunting.

Brace yourself for river adventures at every turn. Campers will make waves, observe nature and explore the Colorado River and its various ecosystems by watercraft. 

• Field trip! Travel to Lake Bastrop for a crash course in paddling, fishing and dip-netting for macroinvertebrates.
• Communication is key! Learn how to use a radio telemetry receiver to track the signal emitted from a transmitter in the field.
• Miles and miles of river. Discover riparian ecosystems and the massive roles their tiny organisms play.

Travel back in time and uncover stories hidden beneath your feet. Campers will learn the secrets of ancient civilizations by visiting an archaeological site to uncover the past.  With curious minds and dusty hands, history has never been this exciting.

• Just keep digging! Utilize digging boxes to observe your findings and learn to preserve materials.
• Perfect your aim. Practice archery skills on various targets.
• Time for crafts. Create your own pottery and petroglyphs using natural elements to mold clay pots and practice rock art.
• Field trip! Travel to The Dinosaur Park in Cedar Creek, Texas, to learn about the majestic animals that ruled Earth for eons.
• Let’s create some friction. Safely build your own fires using bow drills. 

Immerse yourself in the wild and uncover secrets to outdoor survival. Campers will put their wilderness instincts to the test with exciting outdoor challenges and hands-on activities to master the art of living off the land.

• Outdoor cooking at its finest. Safely build fires to roast marshmallows, practice utensil-less cooking and grind food-grade crickets to make cookies.
• Follow the tracks. Identify native animals by the signs they leave behind.
• Observe your surroundings! Learn to navigate the landscape to locate water and follow animal trails.
• Knot your basic skills. Make your own rope from natural fibers and learn useful knot-tying skills. 

Explore the diversity of our state’s wildlife and ecoregions. Campers will get a front-row seat to the incredible creatures that call Texas home using all five senses to discover the ways native fauna communicate.

• Ca-caw! Recognize common bird calls and discover how mammals use scent communication.
• Embrace your inner angler.  Make your own cane pole and use it to fish.
• Snakes, turtles and gators, oh my! Meet our animal ambassadors and learn how these species adapt to their environment.
• Guess who? Identify mammal furs and determine which species are carnivores, herbivores or omnivores by their skulls.
• There's a fungus among us. Discover the unique traits of fungi and how they serve as the social network of the forest floor.