BASTROP – Although it’s still wintry and cold outside, the time to register the kids for summer day camp is right around the corner.

One popular nearby day camp is at LCRA’s McKinney Roughs Nature Park. With 1,100 acres of pine forests, meadows and hills just 13 miles east of the Austin airport, McKinney Roughs is both attractive and convenient.

The weeklong summer camps are for kids ages 6 to 12. There are eight weekly sessions from
June 16 through Aug. 15. (Camp is not offered the week of July 4.) Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shuttle service from Austin and extended care available. Each session is different, so children can attend for the entire summer and have new experiences every week.

Details:

• Camp Tonkawa , ages 6-7. Campers experience hands-on learning with live animal presentations, nature hikes, camp crafts, games, nature studies and more.
• Camp Comanche , ages 8-9. Campers learn wilderness skills, raft the Colorado River, climb a 45-foot-high rock wall and swim at nearby Bastrop State Park.
• Camp Caddo , ages 10-12. Campers connect with the natural world through adventurous studies of geology, hydrology, botany and more. Activities include rafting, swimming and team-building challenges on a low- and high-ropes challenge course led by our ropes-certified staff.

Registration for the summer camps begins Feb. 4. The fee for each session is $165, and a 50 percent deposit is required. Payment balance is due by June 1. A summer camp shuttle service operates in Austin from 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. and 3505 Montopolis Drive and costs $60 a week. Early drop-off and late pick-up are available for $50 a week for both options, or $25 a week for one.

For a flier with more information and a registration form, go to www.lcra.org/parks/ (check back in early February for the flier). To register, call locally (512) 303-5073; toll free 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 8041; or send e-mail to outdoorprograms@lcra.org.