Pedernales Falls State Park is about 30 miles west of Austin, Texas. And guess what this state park is known for… WATERFALLS! (Tough one, I know.) In the park, a part of the Pedernales River cascades over massive, layered steps of limestone. It’s spectacular.
Because Pedernales accommodates most of our favorite camping activities (like swimming, tubing, kayaking, hiking, and fishing – though we aren’t big on fishing, but dang we’ll eat them) we packed up our tiny fiberglass camper and hit the road to Texas Hill Country.
If you haven’t already noticed from our Lookout Mountain post and video, if there is water, little D wants in. Unfortunately, the dates we had planned for our trip were doomed to be cold and rainy rather than warm and sunny. So the splashing and swimming will have to wait for our next visit.
But that didn’t stop us from exploring the park and having a fantastic time. Instead of swimming, we did more hiking and walking around the river. Little D is a trooper when it comes to hiking, but some of the trails at Pedernales are for the more long-distance hikers and not necessarily little kid friendly, especially, the Trammell’s crossing trail. We did hike the beginning of the trail, down to the river’s edge, but we didn’t attempt crossing the river due to my chattering teeth. Our video below shows a couple guys crossing the river to get to the other side.😜 Tough men, indeed! I can’t begin to tell you how cold that water was. BRRRRR!!!!!
On the other hand, we did hike the Twins Falls nature trail to catch another awesome waterfall at the park. It’s one of those, no-entry falls, but it was still a gorgeous view which we don’t get in the city.
I have a strong word of advice when visiting the falls at Pedernales. Be careful when walking around the river and rock formations. There are many places to trip and fall which we did twice. Little D took a spill and then I fell carrying her afterwards. So keep your eyes open for large rocks or holes hidden in the water.
All in all, this is a fantastic and fun state park to visit in Texas’ Hill Country. It has also recently undergone some renovations, so most of the RV sites are fresh and new as are some of the bath/shower facilities. And fellow campers will agree that new and clean facilities are a big plus when it comes to campgrounds.
We definitely recommend you add this to your list of places to see in Texas. In fact, we have it on our list to re-see. Till next time. Happy camping and be safe during your travels.
✪ Pedernales Falls State Park – 2585 Park Rd 6026, Johnson City, TX 78636
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