Pedernales Falls State Park
2585 Park Road 6026
Johnson City TX 78636
830/868-7304
History: Pedernales Falls State Park, 5211.7 acres, in Blanco County east of Johnson City, was acquired from private owners in 1970 and was opened to the public in 1971. It is located along the banks of scenic Pedernales River. This area, formerly the Circle Bar Ranch, typifies the Edwards Plateau terrain.
WARNING - The Pedernales River running through the park can flash flood with little or no warning. The water in the river can rise from a placid stream to a raging torrent in a few minutes. If you are in the river area and notice the water beginning to rise, you should leave the river area IMMEDIATELY. Flash flooding is a common phenomenon in the Texas Hill Country, and park visitors are encouraged to be alert to weather conditions.
Pedernales Falls
with average waterflow.
Flash flooding at Pedernales Falls.
Picture was taken 5 minutes after the previous one.
Activities: Activities include camping; picnicking; hiking; river swimming;
tubing; wading; mountain biking; fishing; bird
watching (checklist available);
and horseback
riding (Customers must bring their own horses and no overnight
equestrian camping is allowed.) River recreation is in a limited area beginning
at the Youth Group Camping area and down river to the park boundary. See
park map for details 
(PDF 119.7 KB).
Volunteer Opportunities: For information on volunteering at the park, visit the web site maintained by The Friends of Pedernales Falls State Park at www.friendsofpfalls.org.
Area Attractions: Some nearby activities include Inks Lake State Park, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Blanco State Park, and Guadalupe River State Park; Lyndon B. Johnson National and State Historic Sites, in Johnson City; Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site - National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg; Enchanted Rock State Natural Area north of Fredericksburg; and Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. Many wineries are in the area including the Texas Hills Vineyard. You may want to refer to nearby parks.
Facilities: Facilities include campsites with water and electricity; a sponsored youth group area, which may be used by any youth group with an adult sponsor; hike-in primitive campsites (2 mile minimum; no pets allowed; no groundfires; self contained fuel stoves only); picnic sites; restrooms with and without showers; a trailer dump station; 19.8 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails; 10 miles of equestrian trails; and 14 miles of backpacking trails. Be sure to stop by the Texas State Park Store located in the park headquarters building.
- Park & Facility Fees
- Facility & Trail
Map (PDF 119.7 KB)
The park has a covered bird viewing station with feeders and a drip bath. Food is provided all year. The station can accommodate about 15 people. There is no charge to use the viewing station other than standard park entrance fees. This is a wheelchair accessible facility.
Flora/Fauna: Although the Pedernales River is the focal point of the park,
there are other areas of interest to hikers, nature lovers, and the general
visitor. Well-marked trails pass through hills dotted with oak and juniper
woodlands and provide access to more-heavily-wooded areas of pecan, elm, sycamore,
walnut, and hackberry in the major drainages. Ash, buttonbush, and cypress
grow on the terrace adjacent to the river.
Fish commonly caught in the Pedernales River include catfish (predominantly),
bass, perch, and carp. The park is not really known as a "fishing" park,
but catfishing is good after a river rise.
Wildlife in the park is typical of the Texas Hill Country and includes white-tailed deer, coyotes, rabbits, armadillos, skunks, opossums, and raccoons. Over 150 species of birds have been seen in the park, and about one-third of these are permanent residents. Birds seen throughout the year include ravens, vultures, herons, quail, doves, owls, roadrunners, wild turkeys as well as the endemic rufous-crowned sparrow and western scrub jay. The endangered golden-cheeked warbler nests in the park, arriving in mid-March.
More information on the wildlife mentioned here:
Pedernales Falls is the park's main attraction and may be viewed from a scenic overlook at the north end of the park. In this area, the elevation of the river drops about 50 feet over a distance of 3000 feet, and the cascading falls are formed by the flow of water over the tilted, stair-step effect of layered limestone. These river limestones belong to the 300-million-year-old Marble Falls formation and are part of the southwestern flank of the Llano uplift. These layers of limestone were tilted by the uplift, then eroded long before early Cretaceous seas of the 100-to-120 million years ago covered this part of Texas and deposited sands, gravels, younger limestones, and marine fossils.
Elevation: 1197 Ft.
Weather: July average high is 94; January average low is 32; first/last
freeze: November 3/April 3; May, August, and September are wettest months.
Schedule: Open: 7 days a week year-round, except when wildlife management activities dictate closure of all or part of the park (Call or Check the Calendar of Events for dates).
Directions: The park may be reached by traveling 9 miles east of Johnson City on FM 2766 or by traveling west of Austin for 32 miles on US Highway 290, then north on FM 3232 for 6 miles.
Current conditions including, fire bans & water levels, can vary from day to day. For more details, contact the park.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744