Pedernales Falls State Park | Texas
Pedernales Falls
Mike’s Score: I was impressed by this park! The Pedernales Falls are beautiful, and there is a ton of solid hiking available throughout the park. Standard campsites at a fair price. 4/5
Location
Street Address: 2585 Park Road 6026 | Johnson City, TX 78636
HQ Coordinates: Latitude: 30.308054 | Longitude: -98.257649
Phone number: (830)868-7304
Park Description
More than 40 miles of meandering trails make Pedernales Falls State Park a hiker’s haven in the Texas Hill Country. Many visitors also come to view the strikingly beautiful falls of the Pedernales River that flow over tilted stair-steps of layered limestone. Swimming and fishing are allowed in the river.
Camping: The park provides a range of options including drive-up campsites with water and electricity, walk-in tent sites, and equestrian campsites for those traveling with horses. There are 58 traditional campsites with water hookups for car/tent camping. The park also offers group camping areas, making it a great destination for family gatherings or group outings.
Hiking: Scenic Hill Country trails from easy to challenging. There are 40 total miles of trails for hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers, including 15 miles of single track trail.
Fishing: The Pedernales River offers opportunities to catch bass, catfish, and sunfish.
Horseback Riding: There are 10-12 miles of equestrian trails for riders to bring their own horses. Negative Coggins test required.
Open year round. Self-pay station available for after-hours visitors. Campers with reservations who may arrive after 10 p.m. must call the park before 5 p.m. to get the gate code. Park rangers in residence on site.
Ancient History
View the Pedernales Falls from an overlook, or head down the trail to get a look at the park’s rock foundation. The dark gray limestone that makes up the base of the falls is over 300 million years old, and the lighter limestone on top is younger - about 90 million years old. These layers were once the bottom of oceans that were filled with ancient animals. Swimming marine reptiles like mosasaurs would have glided through the warm water, eating fish, birds, and ammonites. Corals and plants would have lined the sea floor, much like they do in our oceans today. You can still find many reminders of this underwater world if you know what to look for.
Crinoid fossils are common. They are sometimes called “sea lilies”, through crinoids were animals, not plants. The crinoid fossils you might find are usually cross sections of stems, which looks like a handful of Cheerios. Or you could spot a long section of the stem.
Just like in the Gulf of Mexico today, oysters and other bivalves live here and piled up, creating oyster reefs. The ocean floor eventually buried these reefs and they fossilized.
There’s more to find than limestone crinoids, and oyster fossils at the falls. You may see springs, snakes, and waterfowl, too!
Source | Texas Parks & Wildlife
Source | Texas Parks & Wildlife
Source | Texas Parks & Wildlife
Source | Texas Parks & Wildlife
