Pedernales Falls State Park – Texas State Park 30/89

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The Deets

Pedernales Falls State Park is located in Johnson City, TX, an hour west of Austin, TX. The Pedernales River is the main draw at this park, and you can swim, tube, wade, kayak, canoe, or fish in the refreshing waters. On land, you can enjoy bird watching, hiking, mountain biking, geocaching, picnicking, riding horses (your own), and camping. Camping options include sites with water and electricity, and also primitive camping.

There are more than 40 miles of trails to explore, and the river is always waiting to cool you off at the end of the day. A word of caution, though. If you are not local to Texas and are unfamiliar with flash flooding, do a little research on that. This is the warning directly from the state park website, and we urge you to heed it:

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 rising or getting muddy, leave the river area immediately. Flash flooding is common in the Texas Hill Country. Please be alert to weather conditions.

The History

The 5,212 acres of land that now makes up Pedernales Falls State Park was purchased in 1970, and TPWD opened the park to the public in 1971. Ranchers and farmers occupied the area from as early as the 1860s, and you can read more about that history here.

Pedernales Falls got its name from Spanish settlers. It comes from the Spanish word for flint, a characteristic rock that covers the riverbed.

Our Experience

We had a wonderful day out at Pedernales Falls State Park, including enjoying one of the best bird areas we’ve ever been to at a state park. There is a butterfly garden area with two large, comfortable bird blinds, and we could have easily spent all day there. My only regret is that we didn’t go early. There was a bird guide in the morning hours, and by the time we made it over, they were gone. The upside, however, is that we were the only people in the entire garden!

We also thoroughly enjoyed the river. It was such a great way to end the day, relaxing in the current. The climb down to the swimming area is steep though, with no hand rails, so keep that in mind if you’re taking little ones or a lot of supplies down with you (coolers, chairs, etc.).

All of the staff members we interacted with during our visit were very friendly, and all of the facilities were well maintained. The campsite areas with water and electricity were especially nice. It looks as though some areas were getting a makeover and they looked amazing!

The Trails

We hiked a bit of the Pedernales Falls Trail System which took us down to a great lookout spot for the falls and the river. We followed it down to the water’s edge and poked around there for a while. The main trail was very wide and mostly shaded. We tried to find our way over to the North Loop Equestrian Trail, but lost the trail and ended up turning back. There has been so much trailblazing in that area to get down to the river that it was hard to tell what was right and what was a random branch off.

Instead, we chose to hike the Hackenburg Loop, which turned out to be absolutely beautiful. The trail starts out wide, but quickly narrows down to a single-file track through the woods. It also runs next to the river for the first half or so. While you can’t see it, you can hear the water nearby and it makes for a lovely soundtrack. When the trail turns away from the river, the entire atmosphere changes. You pop out of the woods to more of an open setting, and unfortunately, full sun. But it’s still beautiful and definitely worth the hike! The Hackenburn Loop is listed as moderate for the challenge rating, and we think that’s a fair assessment. Overall, it’s not a hard trail, but it does have some areas that require tricky footing over rocky terrain.

The last trail we hiked was the Twin Falls Nature Trail, a short half-mile loop. Unfortunately, you have to park outside of the camping grounds to get to it, so expect to walk in to the trail head. The trail itself is listed as moderate and it is warranted. There are quite a few rocky/tricky areas to climb over, and there is elevation involved. It is shaded and has a great overlook spot to the small waterfalls below.

Our Takeaway

There is so much to see and do at Pedernales Falls State Park. It almost feels like a no-brainer to recommend it! There is something for everyone, and again, rewarding yourself with a dip in the river at the end of the day is superb. We’d love to go again someday to hit more of the trails. There was so much we didn’t get to do, and next time, we’ll get there early and hit the bird blind first!

Prefer to see this park in action? Check out our vlog episode for Pedernales Falls State Park.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy