Summer camps begin Monday as scheduled at McKinney Roughs Nature Park despite a fire earlier this month that destroyed close to 200 acres and some of the park’s popular hiking and equestrian trails.

To ensure that the campers have a safe and fun time during camp, nature center personnel say the youngsters will hike on trails in the western part of the park that was not impacted by the fire. Because the park’s challenge course was damaged, arrangements have been made to take the campers to a challenge course nearby. Otherwise, campers will spend their time near and in the educational classroom buildings as planned.

“We don’t anticipate any problems during our summer camps because of the fire,” said Carolyn Nelson, manager of LCRA’s natural science centers. “We have plenty of room for the campers to enjoy the outdoors, while they remain safe and out of the trail repairs.”

Close to 200 acres were burned in the fire on the east side of the 1,100-acre nature park. Hiking trails, horse pens, and fencing suffered fire damage. Many large trees burned, but hopes are high and signs are good that some of them will survive the fire. The east side may be ready to reopen at the end of the summer. An assessment is ongoing.

Mother Nature is showing signs of making a comeback. Within a week of the fire, which started June 1, deer were spotted in the burned area and blue heron were in the ponds. Hummingbirds also were seen.

“It is really encouraging,” Nelson said. She pointed out there are environmental benefits to brushfires, such as bringing back native landscape and increasing food sources for animals. She anticipates that within two years the burned area will become one of the most beautiful in the park.

Meanwhile, education staff is planning ways to incorporate the burn into curriculum to show children some of the positive aspects of a fire.

There still are hot spots, but they are getting fewer and fewer. A local fire department told nature center staff there could be hot spots for another two or three weeks. A “hot spot crew” is being used during the night to patrol the burned area of the park.
Information updates about park access are made frequently on the McKinney Roughs hotline at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 7427. For general park and program information, call (512) 303-5073, or go to www.lcra.org/parks.