Pedernales Falls State Park Reviews

Take a drive through the winding roads leading to the main campground. There is a $6.00 fee per person or $20.00 per family. There is a beautiful scenic spot perfect for photography

Access to the falls are via a steep trail and stone steps; the disabled should go to Blanco State Park for more access. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, once you hike to the overlook or down to the falls. Lots of restrooms available along the hiking trail, plenty of parking. Great place to take a picnic, hike the trails and then cool off in the falls. Water is moving quickly due to recent rains, so be careful.

The view from the top of the trail looking down to the falls is breathtaking! Just a short walk down some steps and there is so much to explore. The wonder and awesome power of nature... how water and rocks carve and scrape whirl pools. The layers of rock strata formed over centuries. It’s not possible to swim or even wade in the falls area due to the fast water and uneven surfaces, but it’s super fun to climb over the rocks.
It’s not far from the parking lot where there are decent restrooms. In a different part of the park, there is a swimming area. Here it depends on recent rains whether you can swim or paddle around rocks - we’ve experienced both in different trips.
It gets very busy during peak times (holidays). Even if you have a State Parks pass, you will need to book a free day pass online during these times. There is no WIFi so you will need to do this before you arrive. We were able to drive a few miles away and a slot opened up.

It’s a beautiful place..great swim area..good for trekking too! Don’t forget to pack a lunch and snack!

Beautiful park. Love hiking here! The ranger when we paid was a little crude, but whatever, the park is so beautiful it doesn't matter!

We really enjoyed our visit here. The camping sites were really nice and the falls were beautiful. I only wish there were more designated areas where you could swim near the falls. This apparently was allowed at one time but changed due to safety concerns. Still relaxing to sit by and watch though.

Since it is a state park there is a fee to get in. It was just $6 for me but I'm not sure about anything else. You can swim, hike, fish, etc here. You have to walk some and down stairs to get to the rocks and water but it is so nice and beautiful.

We combined a Pedernales Falls afternoon trip with the Hamilton Pool in the morning. I didn't have high expectations, but it was fantastic. The kids could have climbed the rocks all day, and when they finally started to get tired and hot, we drove over the swimming hole to cool off and we could hardly get the kids to leave. They finally got hungry enough and we had already eaten all of our food that we packed for lunch.

The swimming hole was clear and had cool running water that felt great. There were two rope swings for the kids to enjoy, and some smooth rocks for climbing. They even have showers and nice bathrooms (for state parks, that is) to clean off before heading out.

We have lived in Austin for over 20 years and never gone to Pedernales Falls State Park. We went on one of the first beautiful days of the spring and it was such a lovely surprise. We will certainly be back. Just a few thoughts that I wish I had known. I am sure the park was exceptionally busy because it was a long weekend and beautiful in February. However, we sat in line in our car over half an hour waiting to pay to get into the park. This may not be usual, but yesterday they were only taking cash at the guard entrance. The fee is $6 per person. (12 and younger get in free). I would suggest having cash ready, as we got through very quickly once we got to the head of the line. And, grab a couple of maps or download one off the website before you go. Things are "signed" pretty well, but it helped to have a physical map with us. And, cell phone coverage is spotty.
There is a bathroom at the entrance, but the line was LONG when we came through. We decided to wait and go to one of the others on the map. The map does NOT show there are bathrooms at the park entrance. You can also get bottled water and drinks at the park entrance station.
We chose to avoid the falls this day, because the park was so busy. We were interested in hiking and headed to the Wolf Mountain trail. There is a lot of parking available and we had no trouble finding a spot. This trail is well over 5 miles - we went out and around the mountain and back and showed nearly six miles. It is crushed rock and good hiking. Lots of places to stop for water and a snack, so take some along. There is no bathroom at this trailhead, but there is an outhouse about 2 miles in that is not too bad (for hiking). There is a bit of elevation change, but no big problems for anyone is decent shape.
Once we were out on the trails, we saw few people the rest of the hike - considering how busy it was when we arrived.
LOVED knowing we have this park so close to Austin. Wish we had tried it years ago.

My family took the waterfall trail and had lunch in natures splender. Don't count on your phone, it will most likely fail you. It's fun to climb the rock formations and jump across gaps. The scenery of water twisting its way through rocks and cascading off small outcrops is majestic and make you feel good on a nice cool day. Sadly the first couple miles are swim forbidden but you can Wade around in the shallow bits.

Five stars for good clean "mostly" fun.

Second visit here was even better than the first. The park has a fair amount of trails and beautiful sights. Both the twin falls and the namesake falls are worth checking out. Given that this is Texas, you might want to visit in Spring/Fall/Winter as it is going to be pretty uncomfortable from June-August.

Great hiking trails! Don’t listen to the reviews that say there are poor views and trails. The best hike is Junipter Ridge to Wolf Mountain, it is beautiful and showcases the views of hill country! I would recommend Junipter Ridge when it is hot because it is throughly shaded. Jones Spring and Wolf Mountain are great but definitely get hot as the day progresses. I have been to this park many times and have had brief and pleasant experiences with the park rangers as well. It is 6 dollars for the day pass and you can pay with card inside the HQ. The falls are mostly for swimming and fishing. If you’re going to the river I’d recommend coming early in the morning as parking fills up quick. Overall, I love this park and would recommend! Five stars!

We stopped here for one night on our way across Texas. The campsites, with water and electricity, are very large, with grassy areas and covered tables. We went on two short hikes with scenic views, both very pleasant, through the trees. I would love to spend more time there and hike mire and swim in the river.

Located in Johnson City this park is definitely a top Texas Park visit. We spent most of our time in the marble fall area. This park has everything from horseback riding, hiking , bird watching, camping and water to to cool off. This park is a must if your visiting Texas. I would also reserve online in advance, this is one of the more popular parks.

Wonderful, out of the way state park in the Texas Hill Country. Spacious campsites, multiple hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, guided hikes and bird-watching. Dark sky at night, and excellent management team. A great play to stay or just spend a day.

Excellent place, beautiful river, scenery. Water is clear, rocks are amazing, pets are allowed, staff is nice. Wonderful place to camp or visit for a day. Be sure to make reservations early because camping gets filled up early on.
IMPORTANT: under no circumstances should you link to directions directly from the Trip Advisor website. Those directions will waste your day and make you quite unhappy as you circle around the park on dusty FM roads which lead nowhere. Using google maps works much better.

This is our second time coming to this park. (we are from canada).
We walked up the river and there is just so much to see, the place is just awesome.
We plan to come again this trip and do some of the other trails in this park.

The park is spotlessly clean and in a beautiful place. The Falls are stunning. We took a guided historical walk (free!) from Stephen that was educational and entertaining. Highly recommend!

Beautiful, amazing! Loved it! Lived in Texas all my life & didn't realize this was here. Went on a sunny morning in April, lots of people & dogs. They do not allow swimming or wading at the Falls, but the park has camping & another swimming area. It was perfect weather but it could get hot here. Easy hike across rocks & down to sandy beach areas. Love the water & waterfalls, beautiful. A must for Texans with a bucket llist!

My husband and I were there for a trail race and were pleasantly surprised by the views of the falls! Short little hike to get there and the views are beautiful!!!

We love this park! It is beautiful and easy to find and access.

We did multiple hikes and due to the weather being cooler when we stayed it was great. We started early and got three hiking trails in by after lunch. The trails were maintained and clearly marked.

This park has many natural vegetation areas, waterfalls, and other beautiful natural landscape. We took many photos and explored the guided nature trails too. There is a bird blind/preserve in the park too.

The RV loop is a bit far from the rocks and day use area that Pedernales Falls is known for. You will need a bike, scooter or vehicle to get to that area from the RV loop. The bathhouses in the RV loop were very clean and the water was hot. Our site 006 was a back in, they offer back in and pull thru sites. All the sites are well maintained and come with a picnic table and fire ring. They have electric and water at most sites and the dump station is on the was out of the RV loop. Firewood is available to purchase as well.

This park is nice year round and is good for day use and camping. However, it fills up quick for camping so it can be hard to get a reservation. Planning is key to visit this park. However, it is definitely worth the stay. We will be back. Thank you to the PFSP staff for their hard work keeping this park beautiful.

This is a beautiful scenic park located in Hill Country. We went to specifically swim there. The River was at a brisk pace, but we did find some peaceful areas to relax. It is quite a good trek to get to the swimming hole- there’s only 1 place to swim here. The trek back to our vehicle was a chore for us out of shape folks. Beware: lots of rocks & parts of the river have pretty strong currents. You need water shoes or sandals to really enjoy getting around in the river.

Drove into PFSP this morning about 10:00. We beat the rush to the river / falls parking but just barely. Absolutely beautiful. So much to explore but with three boys (3, 6 and 7) we have to move fairly slowly. Some big rocks to climb but boy is the scenery cool. Amazing a place like this can be so close to Fredericksburg and Austin.

We didn't plan on an entire day but did bring sandwiches and our camera. We took tons of shots at the falls and then drove to picnic/swimming spot for lunch. There was a very long line at 12:00 waiting to get into the park. Lunch at the picnic tables and then the steep walk down to the swim area.

Lots of sharp rocks so wear shoes until you get to the waters edge. Bathrooms are clean - nice plus for a state park!

Reservations required in advance. Zero ability to book one at the gate, for no human was around to explain this. Do your research ahead of time. We learned our lesson after this long drive from Austin. A bit disappointing to find zero access. Even the outside trailheads were posted "for permit holders only."

This is a little off the beaten path, but you will be happy that you visited. The waterfall is picturesque and the view from the top is breath-taking. I recommend you wear comfortable clothes and bring plenty of water with you.

We could climb over these rocks all day! Highly recommend the trip to Pedernales Falls. I thought we’d have time to do the main Falls and twin falls as well, but we were too fascinated by the main Falls.

I highly recommend reserving your spot online before you visit; we drive to parks from San Antonio and never risk being turned away because we always have our reservation from online.

We are visiting Hill country for spring break. Sunday went to park and had a blast. Saw lizards, fish, and even an baby snake. Son just kept climbing and climbing. Can't swim at falls area but swimming area at picnic area downstream. Not flat and easy but not too hard as to keep you away from seeing it.

This park is simply amazing. Beautiful!! Definitely get a workout, but don’t really feel it with how beautiful it is.

This is a good place for varying levels of hiking. The best part is being able to cool off in the falls!

This is one of our favorite state parks. The view is awesome! I am not much of a hiker, so I got dropped off at the bird blind while the rest of the crew hiked down to the fals. I was in bird heaven! I saw birds there that I had never seen before & could've stayed there all day. The volunteers who keep this going need to be commended! The set of the crew enjoyed their hike, even our mini dachshund got to go hiking & loved it. Can't wait to go back!

Hiked the Jones Spring Trail and Wolf Mountain Trail with my brother and dog Ella. Was an overcast day, but still had some nice views. Will definitely return.

Some of the Hill Country’s best hiking and dazzling scenery is just an hour west of AustIn. Wear river shoes. The terrain along the river requires frequent splashes through shallow running water. There are trail maps at the park entrance. Regardless of the hike you choose, start your trip at The Overlook. It’s only a few hundred yards down a gravel path. Just follow the park entrance road til it ends. That parking lot is the trailhead. Spectacular!

If all you plan to do here is see the falls, note that it is not easily handicapped accessible and would be a serious challenge for those with difficulty walking to actually get to the falls. We were told that it was 350 yards from the parking lot to the falls overlook. The trail was wide but had a great deal of gravel which made using a mobility device very difficult. The grade descends going to the falls but, of course, ascends going back. When you actually reach the falls there is an overlook on that level which allows a fair view. To see all of the falls area one must go down a steep set of rock stairs. Once on the lower viewing area you can see the entire falls areas and there is a bench to sit on. But then, of course, you have to climb back up. For those able to do so, you can hike down to the falls from this point. These are not traditional looking falls, but more water flowing and cascading over flat rocks.

Just kind of happened upon this gem when traveling. So glad we the stop. Was able to find a few geocaches while there too. I loved just sitting and being present as we took in the area with all our senses.

Stunning landscape, warm water. We sat in the river all day and soaked up the sun. A beautiful peaceful place. Definitely will return.

When we arrived to the park, the main trail of the pedernales was closed off, but we were directed by security to hang out in the swimming area until it reopened in another hour. We went down to the swimming area and there were tons of rocks every where and a nice river. Make sure to wear hiking shoes or sneakers and take some water shoes with you. I wish I would have known that before getting there, because those rocks are rough on your feet. The water wasn't too cold at all.

Very nice state park. The Pedernales River was very low, so the falls were not real impressive, but the scenery is gorgeous. My wife, I and our little dog hiked down to the falls and enjowed it immensely. Pretty rocky and a little steep in a place or two for us older folks, but it was a great walk and well worth our effort.

Enjoyed two nights at the park. The park is rather spread out. The headquarters is quite a distance from the campground. Really enjoyed the bird blind. Walked to the duckpond in search of the Golden-cheeked Warbler, but unsuccessful on this trip. Plenty of hiking and close to Johnson City, for wine touring. The William and Smith winery outside Johnson City was our favorite.

This beautiful park surprised me. It was full of hidden gems, our family loved exploring here. The staff if friendly and helpful. We are definitely coming back!

We found our way in to the State Park and took the short hike down to the falls after we had eaten our picnic lunch we had purchased in Johnson City. We really did not know what to expect. There were several viewing areas to see the water cascading down the long expanse of rock. The falls were not the kind to come falling down straight like Niagra Falls, but they stretched out a long ways. A number of people had walked down to the water, kids jumped on big rocks etc. It was an interesting side trip for us.

Even with low water the falls are impressive and the river beautiful. It’s quintessential hill country with lots of trails and places to swim in the river. Dogs allowed on trails also.

Texas Hill Country winters and springs are the best for campers!

While the river/falls may be what the park is best known for, the excellent bird blind is one great feature of this park. Don't miss it if you love bird watching.

This park is close to Austin, Marble Falls, Johnson City, Blanco, great vineyards and lakes and lots to do!

This is the second time I've come to the falls and it's been great both times. The first time the weather was warmer and it was possible to swim. Recently it's been too cold.

Park entrance is $8pp. You'll be able to spend time taking in the sights, hopping from rock to rock not trying to get wet from the streams that cut through, go fishing, and dip your feet in the water.

Overall, it's a super scenic place and a good refuge from the city.

My parents (in their late 60s) and I visited Pedernales State Park on a whim, as tickets to a neighboring park were sold out all week. Pedernales has a $6 admission fee per person that can be paid on site or in advance online via the Texas Parks site. We only had a couple of hours so we paid for a time frame (2-5pm) to enter the park. However, you can also buy an earlier time frame or for camping.

This trip was totally worth it. My parents and I were super impressed and they both were willing to hike around all over the place. I had to really move it to keep up with them! Telling you about it doesn’t do it justice. You just need to check it out for yourself.

This is another great park in the Texas Hill Country. Great looking campgrounds excellent trails friendly staff. Finally got a weekday free to drive out here to hike. This park is very busy on the weekend so if that's when you need to come then come really early because it fills fast and the gate is closed when the parking is full and there isn't really a lot of parking. Their are several lots but none of them are big. 1st stop today was waterfalls. Drove through the campground to the trailhead of the Twin Falls Trail. not much parking here maybe three or four cars. The short trail takes you to an overlook to see Twin Falls Creek and it's …. ah yes Twin Falls. I've seen better but it was worth the time, I think I burned up 16 minutes on this half miler. Next went to the granddaddy falls of this park the falls on the Pedernales River. WOW! This thing is huge! Not a great drop more of a slide over the rocks but this huge falls slides over a massive stone out of a massive canyon. I walked around here almost 2 miles exploring the river and the falls. Don't stop at the overlook.... I mean yes go to the overlook but don't let that be it. Go father into the woods past the overlook and probe down the social trails until you find one you feel comfortable with the get you out on the rock slab. As you walk around you will see deep holes filled with crystal clear water and in some crevasses you will find the water running through the rock unseen if you weren't there and there are also small cave-like channels through the stone. Absolutely beautiful!. Next it was time to hit the heights on the Wolf Mountain Trail. On this trail you will encounter three more small canyons as you cross regal Creek, Bee Creek and Mescal Creek which by the way are all low water crossings so if it has been raining much you probably should save this on for another time. Also on this trail is the primitive walk in campground which I didn't pass through due to time restraints and if you turn up the hill at the pit toilet you will soon see a very steep path going off to your right. At the top is a small viewing platform and you are at the highest point of Wolf Mountain. I sat there for lunch and watched as several groups passed by so I don't think a lot of people know it's there. Also on the trail are the ruins of and old homestead and the ancient Jones Spring. I don't think it was always called Jones Spring... no it wasn't that name came in the 1800's from the people who lived in the home you just walked by. Everyone at this park was very friendly.

Pedernales Falls is beautiful. The pictures don't do it justice. The water is clear blue and everywhere you look is good for a picture. We hiked about one mile up away from the hustle and bustle and although there is no swimming allowed we actually saw people swimming in the pools. The water is fresh and you can put your feet in. After we hiked through the falls we went to the river part where there is swimming allowed. Definitely recommend this place and would love to go back.

the amount of rain, decides the level, at the falls. it is a sloping fall, over limestone. if the water is not high, you can walk all over the rocks. there were various pools of water. some wide, some deep.(you cannot swim here) there are so many varieties of rocks- different sizes, shapes, etc. it is gorgeous. you can go to the swimming area, further down the road. it is beautiful green water, on the pedernales river, lined with cypress trees.

Short hike with our dogs on the falls. Beautiful views, will be nice to return in the summer and when it’s been raining—imagine the falls are even more beautiful!

Coming from NH it was nice to be in the warm sunshine in October. There was a nice breeze and bright blue sky. The exploring of the main falls was amazing. I would love to see it when there is more water but having less made it so you could walk more places. It was neat to see the fish living in the large pools. I also found a fresh water spring feeding into the river...really neat!
The trail to the Twin Falls was not so wonderful. Trail maintenance has not been a priority.
The Trammel river crossing is really cool. Be careful if you walk across it because it is slippery. Really fun to walk across the river. The views were amazing.

As our first time visiting, we headed straight for the falls. The walk down is listed as moderate, but it was fairly light. Exploring beyond a bit moderate due to navigating the rocks. So worth the trip! We spent nearly 3 hours working our way up & down the river, snapping pictures and just really taking it in.
There are miles of trails for the more avid hiker. Miles.
Park was easy to get to and for not being far from 2 major cities, quite & remote - although very popular.
Beautiful & scenic hill country.

We hiked around the park, not too strenuous. The falls were lovely. You can climb around the boulders.

My wife and I visited Pedernales Falls State Park for some short hikes and to view and photograph The Falls. I thought the park was beautiful with lots of scenery and nice trail to the overlook where the falls are. I was a little underwhelmed with the falls. It is more like a river dropping into a lower level and going over a few massive rocks on the way. It's not a waterfall that comes over the side of a mountain and cascades down the cliff. Still, it was a beautiful park and the trails to the falls was very easy to walk. There was ample parking and the roads are in good condition. I would recommend this area as a nice and peaceful getaway for a few hours. The geologic features carved into the rocks show the force of the river over the centuries.

Day trip to the Pedernales State Park. Enjoyed the park very much. Plenty of places to walk and hike. Park is beautiful. Going down to see the Falls and Swimming areas requires about a 1/4 mile walk down slightly steep walkway. Great place to walk and hike to see God's land 😊. Amazing to see the power of water and erosion over decades of time. Go and see!

We enjoyed hiking the upper Falls area first. Wear good, supportive shoes as you will be trekking downhill a lot. The river is beautiful, even in late winter. The crowds were low, even on a Saturday. We also hiked to Twin Falls--a little disappointing, but still beautiful. The trail is pretty and well marked, though more rugged than the upper Falls area. The hike to the swimming area is fun too.

Go early as the lines of cars forms quickly to get into the park. Very interesting landscape. Falls are more like cascades into pools. Everyone seems to enjoy walking around on the rocks. Swimming area is in a separate place. Take a picnic along. Many trails of all different difficulties.

There is a walk from parking to the falls and grade is reasonably tough back up from the viewing area and their is really a good climb down to the fall. The fall is wide and long. Not a major drop but more of a cascade over different rocks. Massive. Need better than a 250 lens for shots from the viewing area. The length of the visit can vary depending on your plans. Think you should allow at least an hour but may should allow a good bit longer.

Words and pictures can't describe the nooks and crannies available to explore here at the falls. Be careful. Brought our furry kids and they had a blast in the pools. Had the place to ourselves in mid Oct. for day use only - no camping. Recommend long pants and closed shoes on some of the trails, there are lots of sticker burrs and thorns in the fall. Dogs didn't like that. Trails are well marked for the most part. There were no restrictions other than not to cross to the other side of the falls/river (private property). The attraction was better than expected. If you are only here for a day, allow several hours to explore and watch the hawks.

Instead of Enchanted Rock, had to re-route to Pedernales Falls since we didn’t reserve in advance. I don’t recall reserving any Texas parks, but it’s been awhile. Beautiful sunny day with friends, and I finally got to watch birds, lots of turkey vulture, you can’t swim in all the places but to only designated one.

This was our first trip here and we planned to visit the falls for a swim. Unfortunately they were closed for revitalization, which we didn’t know until we had paid and were driving around the park looking them.

Instead we hiked along some of the other areas, which were really beautiful. Unfortunately swimming was not allowed where we hiked and it was near 100 degrees. Our visit ended after only a couple hours, but we would return when the falls open again.

This park is well worth a visit. The view of the falls once you walk down the hill, is stunning. Be ready to do some rock clambering. The swimming fort her south down the river is also lovely.

Beautiful location, great hiking trails. The camping sites were very well laid out. Bathrooms clean.

It was very pretty here and clean. Roads were great. When we went it was very hot and dry though - so no water was really going over the falls. Hope to go back someday after some rains!

Pedernales Falls state park is very beautiful. We went hiking near the pedernales river which is one mile walk from the main parking lot. After walking a mile from the parking lot,there are stairs to go down to where the river is. Must visit if you are in or around austin.

So glad we went when we did because parking got full and people were turned away. It’s a beautiful place...where good shoes if you plan to hike along the rocks!

You'd expect Texas state park to be beautiful, and it was. In addition to the natural beauty of the falls, there was a bird blind. Butterflies graced this area by landing and feeding on native plants. Pay attention to the sign that suggests you look around before seating. It has an image of a snake on it!
This site is glorious.

It is very nice place for any activity and beautiful around the area . It is the first time for me to visit there and you decide to come back again.

This is a great place for hiking, water play, picnics and wildlife. I can not say enough about this park. Clean, beautiful and always something different to watch and see. So two beautiful fox yesterday!

To get down to the falls is a little strenuous but getting back is much more difficult. Well worth it, if you're fit enough. Good facilities for bird photography and plenty of different habitat types. One of not many places to reliably see juniper hairstreaks, if you are a lepidopterist. The sort of place you keep going back to.

The falls were Beautiful. Started out early before it got too hot. I couldn't imagine doing this in the heat of the day. Appropriate shoes a must. Landscape is stunning. Upon checking out the campgrounds, we decided we will never camp here...there are NO pads large enough to accommodate large rigs. Strictly a day trip only for us

We visited The pedernales in April and it was such a great experience, the view is breathtaking. Planning to visit again soon!!!

This park was such a wonderful surprise. It is a bit of a drive off the beaten path, but well worth it. You can do quite a bit of hiking here, go camping, or even horseback riding. The cascading waterfalls are definitely the highlight. When we were there in December it was not very busy, but we understand it is very busy in the summer when it's hot out.

We decided to try one of the hikes on a cool day in February since it had been so unseasonably warm earlier in the month. I don't tolerate the heat well. We hiked The Twin Falls Nature Trail (.47 mi.), listed as moderate. The park map said it was "short but rugged", and it was. It is a loop trail that is well marked with hiker emblems in the trees most of the way, and a few white paint arrows on rocks in steep areas where there are no trees in line of sight. The trail is mostly all downhill with fallen trees, rocks, and roots along the path. I had my hiking poles and hiking shoes, and I needed both. Coming back up was not nearly as hard.

We drove around the park roads, and noticed the following: 1) the campsites are large, wooded, and far apart. Lots of privacy. 2) Not many restrooms. There are only 4 in the whole park and 2 outhouses. 3) there are tent camping sites, and water/elec sites. 4) There are also equestrian trails and equestrian camping. 5) there is a swimming area at one point on the river.

We plan to come back in the fall and try some more of the trails. There are 7 of them. 1 is easy, 4 moderate, and 2 challenging. No water on any of the trails, so bring some. And, Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes are native to this area. Cell phone service is spotty. Signs warn of flash flooding of the river, so be cautious. Hiking boots or shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and water a must. Insect repellent if you plan to hike near the river. Hiking poles are a plus.

*State parks require reservations now, and this park sells out of day passes quickly! Plan in advance!!*
This place is SO beautiful! My family (with kids ages 7 and 4) started our day at the falls, which was a short hike from the parking area. We had to pretty much find our own trail down to the falls themselves (which is weird because visitors are encouraged to explore the rocks) but we got down relatively easily. We had a great time climbing up and over huge boulders, stepping over/through shallow areas, seeing caves, and admiring the scenery and the sound of rushing water.

After that we got back in the car and drove to the swimming area, which was much different than we expected. The restrooms near the parking area were closed so we had to change clothes in our car. It's a steep hike downhill to the creek, and maybe 10-12 minutes, with lots of stairs. The shore is partly sandy, partly rocky, and partly shaded. The river itself is rocky with large rocks strewn about, but the water is not clear enough to see the large rocks so we had a lot of stubbed toes and banged knees. (Wear water shoes!!) The water isn't deep, maybe only 2-3 feet at most parts, but has a quick current. (Put kids in a life jacket!) It is a beautiful spot, and there were lots of families enjoying it.

Light trekking to get to the falls. Some rock climbing required to get to the water but easily traversed, even for this old man. Put in 16000 steps here. Numerous falls to check out not really high but still very attracktive

Pedernales state park is an excellent place for hiking, biking and seeing natural spring fed water falls. They have several swimming holes, tuning, bird watching, camping and more! There are so many great places to explore!

The view from the top was fine for me, but my adventuresome husband wanted to hike and see more. Many steps to be made around here if you want too! If you are out of state and plan to see multiple TSP, you may want to invest in the year pass, but multiple parks in the same day are free!

I liked Inks Lake and Colorado Bend state parks better. Maybe I didn’t give it a fair shot - it was a gloomy gray day. The signage in the park isn’t the best, especially on the trails that we tried near the falls (which weren’t that pretty to me - with goats across the creek, an electric line crossing right over the falls almost). Even though the trails are shown on the map, they aren’t marked and there are a ton of user created trails all over the place and what you think is the main trail devolves into nothing so you don’t exactly know if you’re on the right track. The thing I liked best was the two bird blinds. They are terrific!

Just one and one half hours from SA. We always stop at the Hill Country Cupboard restaurant first to eat breakfast. Then off to Pedernales Falls state park. We hiked down to the falls area first. Beautiful but too dangerous to get in the water although some kayakers did take the plunge at that point to travel the river to safer zones. We drove back to the swimming area. Even here one needs to be careful. The small rapids can easily sweep a person downstream which means they would be beaten to smithereens by the small protruding rocks that create the rapids. There are plenty of shady spots on the rocky (smooth rocks) and sometimes sandy shorelines. Water is cold but tolerably and enjoyable when the temps are in the 80's and above. It is so nice to be somewhere that people can choose to be risky...if I want to risk drowning, I should be able to make this choice. The scenery is worth being the last thing I see.
Anyway, we are heading back next month, now that we know where, how, how much and what to bring. Dog friendly place also.

We had a great time hiking and bouldering throughout Pedernales Falls State Park. However the really stand out in is the Pedernales Falls Overlook - truly beautiful and such a great opportunity to check out the mix of water, rock, flora and fauna.

Came here in December during the week and it was more crowded than I expected. Be sure to make a reservation. All state parks are requiring them during Covid. We had my 85 year old dad with us. Compared to other states parks you can't see much from the car. We did enjoy the bird blinds. It was very relaxing. Plus it was cool to see all the birds. We also had a beautiful sunset. We would like to come back when we can do a bit more hiking. There is a huge area of picnic tables. Overall a nice clean park.

A beautiful wild place in the TEXAS Hill country. Lots of hiking available and great picnic spot!
You will be amazed at the waterfalls and river canyon!

Easy hike down to the river and the falls. Lots of rock formations and beautiful running water. When it rains I hear it is even more beautiful. The cedar trees add to the beauty by their smell and their shade down a pathway to the river. Camping is allowed. Horses are allowed. Lots of birding there as well. Their are plenty of hiking trails around the area as well. If you buy a Texas Parks pass you pay no entry fee for your car in any park in Texas. We visited two parks today so we saved $24 today! Take a walking stick if you have one, good support. Weather was perfect on this day. Driving in this area to get to the park was also beautiful. Don't miss this one, especially if Texas has had some rain!

We had cabin fever and were looking for a post-dinner venue to hike. We had a wonderful hike with the people and pets. Very scenic and enjoyable venue. Not too difficult for hiking, so we had a range of generations and no problems.

Our objective was to hit the mountain biking trails which were fun. Be sure to take the short hike into the falls too. Beautiful.

The falls are beautiful. We went when it was full. Try to go before it gets real dry. The trails are good - some along the river are a little hard to follow. Good ranger hikes and talks.

Interesting park to visit, although it took a bit of searching arohnd to find the best way to enjoy the site.

First, make sure you book your reservation online in advance - looking at the calendar, this park appears to sell out quite a bit.

After checking in at the main gate, you can drive straight ahead to find the falls area. There's a small parking lot with a restroom (that was open mid-June) above the trailhead that leads down to the falls with a good viewing point before the descent. It's a relatively steep and rocky trek to the river bottom, where you can walk over and around the boulders and huge rock formations that were created by river currents. Unless there's been a recent rain, the falls are small and only come over a very small portion of the rocky area. There are interesting river channels (think "tube chutes") that funnel the water to a wider basin at the bottom, but no swimming or wading is allowed in this area. Walking downriver is weedy and rocky, with no defined trail that we could find.

Leaving the falls, we went back to the picnic area and found it to be a wooded area not close to the river, so not the best place if you want to settle in while swimming. There is an open restroom here, so stop and change here if needed before heading further. The road continues another 1/4 mile to a parking lot (with a closed restroom) where you can start a downhill trail that heads to the river. I wouldn't recommend carrying a lot of stuff as it's moderately steep and rocky, and certainly not fit to pull an ice chest on wheels down comfortably. Once you get to the river, there are small rapids and falls. You can go upriver or downriver on unimproved trails and find your own place to stop. We came here for a half day visit while needing to be in the area and found a nice spot for our picnic lunch, shady, with a sandy area to put down towels on the riverbank. Unlike many of the Hill Country rivers, it wasn't uncomfortably rocky. The riverhad a moderate current, wasn't perfectly clear but not muddy, and went to about 6 feet deep where we stopped.

We volunteer here and it has great camping and hiking experiences. The falls are beautiful and the river is great for swimming and water activities.

Very nice place to spare a day when visiting Austin. This park good hiking trails with some amazing views and a beautiful set of waterfalls. It also has a nice area to swim on the clear river waters. Highly recommend for nature lovers.

Day visitors like us need to get reservations in advance because they don't have enough parking for the crowds they get from Austin and San Antonio.
The website says you HAVE to print the reservation on paper after paying online, but that is difficult if you are traveling. Who carries a printer with them while traveling?
At the park they have "sign-itis." Every 100 yards or so is a sign saying "Don't do this, don't do that, Don't go here, don't go there." In other words, go home, leave us alone.

Really enjoyed the park, the trails and time on the rocks at the falls. Water was relatively low but still had a good time traversing the rocks a waterway to the falls. It was a very hot day when we visited and did so in the heat of the afternoon. But still enjoyable.

Our party of 4 adults and a four year old drove out from Austin on a sunny day to get a little exercise and enjoy the day. When we first arrived a ranger had the road to the falls blocked because the parking there was full. We talked to him and he said it would open up again in about 40 minutes. We took a little hike to the swimming area to pass the time. Later we went back and the road was clear. It is a short hike down to the falls and then we had a good time clambering over the rocks for some time. Everyone was able to keep up. There are some harder ways but there always seemed to be easier ways available when we looked for them. The water was fairly low when we were there. If the water is higher many of the areas we walked would be underwater or inaccessible.

I had visited this park the year it opened in the early 1970's and returned for the first time since then. It is a beautiful park and offers amazing views not seen anywhere else in Texas. I would like to camp here at some point.

A great place to take kids to experience playing in a river. There are also at least one creek we found with water deep enough to jump in. Wear shoes that will stay on better than flip flops. Old tennis shoes would be great. You have to walk a little to get from the parking lots to the water.

This park was great and not too crowded when we arrived. Got our passes online, and was in and out of the park store in no time about 2:00 p.m. Family enjoyed the water on the river and want to go back ASAP.

Went to Pedernales today. It's pretty (lots of water this time of year so some of the river is closed) but the trails to/from the falls are not well marked if you head up-river and they are hard to find if you are out on the rocks by the falls. Also, the falls are not a complete drop-off for the water - it's more that the water is flowing over sloping rocks. Lots of prickly plants along the paths, so wear long pants, or come home with your legs scratched up like mine are. Bring mosquito repellent. Falls are pretty and lovely for a couple hour picnic. I also stopped by the twin falls overlook. Lots of vegetation makes it hard to see the falls - access is closed off (although there is a path, so lots of people much jump the fence). Trails to twin falls were better marked. Would I go back? Sure.

First time to visit the park today and we took the Ranger's advice and hiked around the Falls as a start to our day. Breathtaking and just brilliant. We spent about two hours exploring and hiking around while taking in the views and sounds of the water. Note that there is no swimming in this part of the river although it would be the best swimming spot!

Headed to the swimming area of the river after the Falls and had a great time there as well. It was very quiet which helped and the current in the river was really strong. Depth about 2-4 feet. There were folks tubing the river but you have to drag the tube back up the bank or river--too much work!

Finally had a picnic late lunch at the picnic area which was lovely and shaded with good tables and grills if need be.

At all locations there are good bathrooms (flushing toilets) and plenty of room to change.

Great place to visit on a hot summer day.

I'll start this review with the fact that you must visit this place as the scenery is amazing!

We went to McKinney falls state park yesterday and we were impressed with that, but Pedernales is 1000 times better!

It's the same $6 per adult entry fee (which I think is standard for Texas state parks) but well worth the money.

After entering the park we drive 2 miles to the 'headquarters' to pick up a map then we drive further up to the falls. There as plenty of parking when we arrived but I believe that sometimes (especially on weekends) the car park gets full then they stop entry to the park.

We assumed after the previous day that we'd park the car, walk a bit to the falls, admire the scenery and then move on, but we were very very wrong!

We walked down the steps and then spent 2 hours wandering around looking at the falls and beautiful scenery. There's a lot of sections of the falls and as long as you watch your step you can walk a long way towards the park boundary. We never got anywhere near the boundary before turning back to head back up towards the car park.

Note - there are good restrooms and water fountains at the falls car park.

After leaving the falls area we drove back towards the entrance and took a right to the bird blind car park. There are 2 bird blinds and they both have very clear clean glass with feeders right on the other side of the glass. Whatever the liquid is in the feeder seems to attract the hummingbirds as there were loads of them that just kept coming back for more. Managed to get ok photos and amazing videos of the hummingbirds so highly recommend stopping here to see them.

We had originally planned to do some of the other trails in the park but after the amount of time we spent walking at the falls we were quite tired so decided to leave the park.

I highly recommend visiting here and advise using sun cream as we spent far longer exploring the falls than we thought and got a bit burnt but still had an amazing experience.

If you're going on a weekend see their website where you can buy a ticket in advance (even on the same day if available) to ensure entry into the park in case it gets too busy and they close the gates.

We made advanced reservations which are required. It was not very crowded. The hoke down to the falls was a little challenging especially for our 4 year old granddaughter. Once we got down to the falls it was beautiful. We then took the short drive to the swimming area. The walk down was a little challenging as well. Bring plenty of water. The river was running strong so swimming was a little challenging. Great park!

Absolutely the quintessential natural swimming hole experience in central Texas, and some of the best scenery in the Texas hill country. $6 per person will get you in to all kinds of scenic views and refreshing swims along the Pedernales river. There are plenty of hammocking spots (my personal favorite) at the water's edge and relaxing flowing water. You can play with the rocks, let the tiny fish give your legs kisses, a rope swing to jump in, or just relaxing and taking in the beauty.

The Pedernales Falls you are unable to swim in, but it makes for some great exploring! Just walk around and hop from rocks to rocks with the streams of crystal blue water beneath you.

This was the highlight of our spring break. It's beautiful, natural, and full of new things to discover. I've long observed that my child and her friends ask for very little to keep themselves happily entertained. Our trip to Pedernales bore out this observation. The gently sloped rock formations were partially covered by water with only some parts receiving water flow. The rest were dotted with micro-pools of water each about the size of a kiddie pool. This provided fertile playing grounds for DD. She made it her mission to dip a toe in each and every single one. While I would not let her wade or swim in the water, she found her own fun climbing the rock formations, combing for shells, and making "nature art" with her finds. Keep in mind that swimming and wading are prohibited in the falls area. There can be strong rip tides and undertows. To get higher up the falls, we climbed over rocks and oh so gently snuck past spiky plants (read: bushwhacked through cactus whilst wearing shorts). On the way back, we climbed up and over a low rock bluff instead. Much less prickly this way. We can't wait to go back. Tip: go during the week and get the place to yourself.

We enjoyed our two day stay but would not return by plan. There is no - I really mean it- no river access-or view-without a hike.
It’s not okay for tubing. The water is rapid, clean,clear and shallow.
Plan for at least one mile round trip walk from your car.

I went in hopes for some good hill country photos and did not disappoint. Short and easy hike down to the falls and yes you walk and explore the falls themselves. Lots of good photos. The day we went was overcast. Even better. Not terribly hot. I didn't want to leave.

What a great way to spend a nice day. Beautiful spot for a picnic. Fun to scamper around the rocks, but getting to certain parts of river and back to the lot can be challenging. Not a whole lot of shade down on the river, so bring your sunscreen! And lots of water.

We stopped by Pedernales Falls on our way home from our stay in Fredericksburg. I had mixed feelings about visiting because all of the pictures I had seen seemed a little dreary. The place looks exactly like it does in the pictures. It is slightly dreary because when you get down to the falls, there's not much color - just the rocks and the water. Was still a great place to visit. Our visit was brief. I wish we would have been able to stay longer. The grounds seemed beautiful - but we didn't have time to drive around or walk/hike for a greater amount of time. The kids found it amazingly simple to hop from rock to rock and get down to the water, but my husband and I found it a little more challenging (we are active and in great shape) to get down. We were more cautious as we didn't want to make the wrong move and get injured. Great visit. Glad we stopped by - if we happen to get back to Pedernales Falls, will make sure we at least have half a day to explore.

It was just a quick stop and it was a beautiful site. We will diffently be going back. The canopy ground looked very clean to stay the night so that is on our list to do.

Searching Texas Hill Country for the rare illusive Golden-Cheeked Warbler off we went on a tip, from a birder to Pedernales Falls state park to twitch this Texas Specialty. We clearly heard the bird singing in the forested hills, however I could not see him.

Two of the best bird blinds were so well maintained and inviting we viewed 16 species of birds in 25 minutes. No rare birds but satisfying watching none the less. Some parking lots in the park closed by 11am the Saturday we arrived but because we were going to the bird blind we were allowed entrance. So arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Entrance fee was $6 per adult and children under 12 were free.Again arrive early because parking is limited. Be sure to pick up a map at the visitors center. There was a small gift shop and bathrooms at the entrance.

The trails are very well maintained and a trip to view the falls is a must. I do wish they had more camping for the size of the park. Make sure to make your reservation before going as they are almost always full for the day due to COVID restrictions.

This would probably be more akin to a very rocky river. The falls are easy to access from the parking lot. There are a couple of swimming pool areas at the falls, in addition to a bit of river fishing. The rock formations are huge, and offer plenty of room to sun bathe or climb about. The river is cold, but on a hot day, is very inviting. The landscape around the area makes for very nice hiking.

If you like hiking and seeing nature, this is a cool place to visit. Good trails and pretty scenery. Take a picnic and enjoy the day or just a couple hours.

We loved this state park in Texas hill country. Best spot in park is Pedernales Falls overlook and then take stairs to the beautiful water. Eat you lunch on the rocks and enjoy the fabulous view. Campground was beautiful as well. Nice large spots with good privacy. Bathrooms and showers nice and clean.

I loved the opportunity to hike along and across the river. The hiking is easy but it's important to be attentive to step or jump over spots in and along the river. There is another nice hike with more of an elevation drop. Park staff are helpful and parking was seamless. Watch for weather alert. Trail closures when flooded.

Great park and huge! We only went for the river an the falls. The river has a slow to mid. current very enjoyable and the water temp. was perfect for a hot day! We had a great time there and it's only $6 per person. Go see it for yourself! 😉

Took our non outdoorsy 2 and 6 year olds here and everyone had an absolute blast swimming and playing. Only had a chance to go to one spot and did some light hiking. I recommend water shoes for everyone. We’d only brought sneakers but cheap water shoes would have been better.

Enjoy our annual hikes and visits here. If you only have a little time you can just walk down to the falls and enjoy the beauty of this natural area. We had more time this trip so we hiked the 9 mile Wolf Mountain Trail with an added trail or two. The spring is a perfect time to hike here unless you love the hot Texas summers. Then it would have to be an early morning hike. But there are many trails and plenty of creeks to cross and photos to take.

What a wonderful place to hike and see! It is Texas at its best! It is only $6 per person to get into the park and they have air conditioned rest rooms and showers. Beautifully kept trails are everywhere.

Perfect way to spend a few hours keeping 2 children busy exploring. We loved the falls itself- lots of rocks to walk and climb across.

Great landscapes, good for hiking, swimming and fishing. We didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time here but would love to go back and explore more!

If you can only visit one park this is it. The falls are like nothing else and the twin falls are also a nice trail. You could spend days here

We stopped at this park to stretch our legs and have a picnic (annual pass). It is a beautiful park. Nice trails, the river view was awesome. Bees were crazy that day. But be careful when googling it online....

My friend and I went for a hike here for the first time! It was a really nice hike (there were a few to choose from) and great to be able to cool off in the water afterwards!

Lovely place, perfect to visit with the family. We went on a hot summer day, and were thankful that we had brought some water bottles with us and an umbrella to protect us from the sun. We first visited the area were the waterfalls are, which is a no swimming area. They have stairs to get all the way to the bottom where the rocks and waterfalls are. Then we drove to the area were swimming is permitted, be ready to walk quite a bit to get there.
Many people brought their dogs. There are areas with shallow water, the water is very clear, you can see the fish swimming by you. We also saw a small snake in the water, they hide between the rocks, so just be careful. Oh...one last thing, the rocks are slippery, so bring your water shoes with you.

Wonderful hiking, beautiful scenery at the falls. If in the area, be sure to make a reservation to see this park.

If you want to just relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, this is the place to be. Crystal clear waters, lush vegetation and beautiful landscape all in one place! If you want to swim at the river, be prepared for a lot of walking. The trek to the river is not so bad but the hike up is challenging especially in the Texas summer heat. Mind you, there is limited cell coverage in the area so you can really enjoy the serenity of nature. I will definitely go back here just to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

We visited a lot of state parks in Texas en this was really one of my favorites. I has a lovely river were you can have a lot of fun and just relax. There are many spots on the river were you can sit. So even if there are other people, you can find your own spot.

We did two day hikes = twin falls and the pedernales falls trail and both were great. They also have a great picnic area where we ate our lunch.

This is a hidden gem. We went for a weekend getaway but plan to return with the family. If you love to hike or walk through cold crystal clear water this is the perfect place. However, it would be difficult for ones with limited mobility because access to any of the amazing views requires walking on a gravel road or hiking trails. There are RV or tent sites but no cabins.

Trail was pretty. Nice views. Kind of ruined by one of the locals that informed the they “work for the park” and Texas has drone regulations in state parks suddenly. Not from around here and I rely on air control & alof air ware b4ufly FAA approved service to let me know where clear airspace is. It would be appreciated if Texas state parks updated these areas since they only allow flight in 2 state parks without permits which you pay for and take days to obtain. Locals weren’t wrong but just threw off the vibe. Probably will avoid Texas state parks in the future not because of the rule but because of the lack of communication with the public outside Texas

Beautiful park, we loved the river. It's a wonderful view. Next time we are going to try camping.
We highly recommended it.
Bring your own food because it's a long way to get there and there's nothing to buy, just drinks.
Alcohol not allowed :(
Definitely you would need sunscreen.

Easy trails, but no wildlife. Very dry and warnings of flash floods. Friendly staff. Park charge for hiking.

Located near Johnson City, this park offers a lot. Camping, swimming, Wading, tubing, horseback riding ( bring your own horse) and of course hiking. All the trails are bike and scooter friendly. Some are moderate and others more challenging, their map does a good job explaining the difficulty level and duration times for each trail. Bathrooms and parkings are well located throughout the park. It gets really busy around noon so try to get there earlier. And get your daypass online in advance. Looking forward to our next visit.

This park is huge, very clean, and has numerous trails to hike. When you first enter to pay they will give you a map. We went to #1 on the map. Got there around 9am before it got too hot. (Stayed for 2 hours) The scenery is gorgeous and it was a great workout climbing up and down the rocks. I personally wouldn't bring pets because there is a lot to hike and it's really hot. We dipped our feet in the water which was nice. There are plenty of bathrooms and water fountains around each trail/parking lot. You can also camp here. Bring lots of water in the summer! For anyone that loves hiking and nature, I definitely recommend this park. I look forward to returning in the Fall or Spring when it's a little cooler.

A beautiful December day enjoying the Texas Hill Country ... hiking, fishing and exploring! A picnic on the shore to top off our day. Be sure to pack light as the trails to the swimming area and to the falls are steep and quite aways from the parking lots. The park is kept in pristine condition, restrooms too! The staff many the entry center are friendly and helpful.

My husband and I drove out to Pedernales Falls State Park on Wednesday. We arrived at the entrance at 12:50 pm. There was a sign that stated we needed a 10 am or 2 pm reservation to enter the park and the entrance gate was closed 12 pm – 2pm. I would have used my phone to make the day reservation at that time but I could not remember my park password. I called Pedernales Falls SP and ask the ranger if I could make a 2 pm reservation over the phone. He said just drive to the park ranger station and he would give me a day pass. I said the entrance gate is closed and I could not get to the station. He said the gate would open at 2 pm then I could drive to the station. I said, ok I will wait at the gate until 2 pm. When 2 pm came along, we drove to the ranger station. At the station, we were turned away for not having a reservation. Thanks a lot for nothing. Just a waste of time. Liars, get your facts straight.

We took a weekend trip out to the falls for hiking this month. It was unseasonably cold, so instead of doing the 5 mile hike, opted to just hit the falls. Was not disappointed. We were able to walk as far as we wanted in the bed of the river over rock formations and across little streams and small waterfalls. It was very peaceful and very well take care of. It was nice seeing a preserved place respected as there was no trash or rowdy people. While not crowded, there were lots of people, but there was tons of room to explore and get lost. Would definitely recommend if in the area. If wanting to drop in for a short hike, the falls are the way to go.

Interesting rock formations, bubbling rushing and calm waters. Armadillo was rooting nearby in the parking area. Fish, deer, garter snake, birds were spotted in a short visit.
Only sad part of the trip was coming across careless visitors leaving their trash behind, and the view of fences and no trespassing signs posted by nearby landowners.

This is a beautiful park! If in the area, make sure to stop by. I found out that you can buy a pass online weeks before we left. I did and I’m glad I did. Soon after we left they closed the park because it was full. I started following them on Twitter because they post often and keep it up to date.

Great Texas State Park. Falls rock formation amazing. River temp in the swimming area was perfect for this 80+ Texas day.

We visited here in April and really enjoyed the hike to the falls. Very easy short hike but you can do a little rock scrambling to get a bit further in toward the falls. Lovely place to spend a couple hours.

My coworker and I were headed home from a work trip when we saw the sign to the park. A quick breakaway from the highway and we were headed down a short hike to the falls. Super easy area to hike around. Listening to the falls was so relaxing. Definitely a fantastic pit stop!

What a great place to walk and enjoy the natural beauty of the falls and surrounding landscape. Young and old, so long as you are physically fit... a must visit time and time again

Great place to camp in travel trailer, get there early to get best selection of campground. Water is a ways from campground, but you can drive there. The walk to the water is a litle far, recommend no strollers, but just my opinion. Place looks great, water was fun, lower enough for our 6 month old to sit in water with us, there were deepe spots, and current wasnt too fast either.

We visited Garner, Lost Maples and Pedernales Falls all on the same week. We arrived at 7:30 am and there was NO LINE! The hiking trails and the hiking in general is only so/so in our opinion and we are frequent TX State Park hikers. The facilities were nice, but the trails were not as clearly marked and others. If you have the choice we would pick Lost Maples and/Garner for hiking over Pedernales Falls.

Took a little day trip with the family. The hike too swimming is a little daunting, but we enjoyed it immensely. Pack light and make sure you have water shoes, the rocks provide some slow moving currents to float the kids on inflatables.

Spent the afternoon here while on a long weekend in Austin. Booked last minute using the online system which was easy to use.

Took us about an hour to get to the park. Entry was easy and our ticket was already waiting outside the park office on a board which made getting in easier than ever. Great park with some good walking trails. We spent time at the Pedernales falls (No flowing water at the time but beautiful none the less) and then headed to the swim area. We went upstream for a bit to get a quite area to ourselves. Great time in the river and pools. Both my wife and I and our dog where able to enjoy the water.Take a picnic and enjoy being in nature.

Plan a visit if nearby and better if its during the rainy season as I am sure the falls would be awesome.

This was the worse camping experience ever. There are ferrel hogs that come out every night and terrorize the campsites - they knock over everything in sight and eat everything they can find. Dangerous and keep you up all night. No warning from the park rangers! We spend three nights there and they showed up every night.

Really nice place to visit. You can clamber down and walk around the falls. No swimming is allowed but it's very tempting on a hot day. We moved on to the proper swimming area which is 96 (I counted) steps down, and of course back up! Not much water at either places. $6 each person.

The falls are wonderful if the water is moving, but a little dull and dry if the water is low. The falls are beautiful and well worth the walk into the park.

The park is a bit of a drive from Austin, but it is a good one that merits a stop if you are traveling west. Not to be missed on a good day!

The trails are well shaded and uncrowded. The falls are very pretty, but swimming is banned for 2 miles on either side. The 5.5 mile loop to the scenic overlook is definitely not worth the effort.

Pedernales Falls is absolutely beautiful, definitely worth the one hour drive from San Antonio. However, to get to the swimming/ picnic area was very difficult due to the over 100 steps and short hike to get to the river. We had to make a few trips to carry everything down. Forget the ice chest, we had to move everything to a smaller backpack cooler. There is a short section for inner-tubing, I recommend a single tube, due to all the rocks in the river. Very disappointing that All the restrooms were closed, this was on a Wednesday. Overall, it was a beautiful park and completely recommend it.

I did primitive camping--more than two miles hike in and out--but there are more "civilized" camping sites available with water, electricity and showers, so you don't have to rough it. The park was very clean and the trails were well marked. I hiked on my own and had no problems. There are easy to difficult trails, but none of the trails are super challenging (other than some uphill trekking--it is the "Hill Country", after all). I would say those that are rated as difficult are mostly due to the length of the trail--if you hike in, you need the energy to hike back out. Make sure you carry enough water, especially in the summer. I was there at the very end of July and it did reach over 100F, 38C. There are cool mini-ecosystems hiding all over--in springs, in pools in teh rocks by the falls. As you hike, the vegetation changes with the soil as you go up and down in elevation. If you are a true observer of nature, there is lots to notice.
There are areas of the river where you can swim, but if you go, like I did, in late summer, the water may be pretty low, so it will be more wading and floating than true swimming.
There was also a very cool bird blind with information on native species and a chance to observe both birds and butterflies in a more "intimate" setting.

This State Park had been on our radar for some time. When we finally had a visit to the Hill Country last weekend we took advantage of the nice weather and headed out to Pederales Falls SP. It was well worth visiting! The falls are very unique, the hiking around on the exposed rocks was challenging and different, and it was just a nice relaxing place to visit and spend some time in on a wonderful spring day.

The camping spots are far enough apart to make each spot private. Many campers brought hammocks. It has enough trails to make it more than a day trip. Only drawback is the ground is almost too hard and rocky to pitch a tent.

On a recent visit to Austin, we had the opportunity to visit Pedernales Falls State Park. Thoroughly enjoyable. It was a beautiful January day and there were many others out enjoying this lovely park. Though we only had time to hike down to the falls, it is highly recommended. The limestone formations and the lovely river flowing through are well worth a visit.

Lots of hiking trails available in the park overall. Access to the waterfall was an easy stroll with a scenic overlook and opportunity to get down to the water with a short walk down steps and some rock scrambling. Be mindful of how far you go into the river at the waterfall as it is private property on the other side of the river and crossing water is strictly forbidden; although, signs are ambiguous. Fishing is allowed off the river bank but NO SWIMMING, WADING OR TUBING for 3 miles around the waterfall site as a Park Ranger will gladly inform you of the $500 ticket that will be incurred for getting into the water. Very pretty site though with plenty of space to picnic or relax.

This park has great hiking trails. We walked on along the river and saw amazing views. There's swimming areas during certain times of the year.

My boys and I visited Pedernales Falls on Easter. This place is totally amazing! The views are phenomenal. My boys and I had a great time climbing over all of the rocks. If you have a chance to visit, DO SO!!!!

State park with camping and picnic areas. Visited for one day and had a great time. Arrived early(9am) and got a picnic table near(200yds) the entrance to swimming area. Walked down the stairs to river bank and picked an area to relax under trees and spent 2 hours in the cool river. Low amount of people but started building up to crowed after noon. Good steady current and makes tubing fun. Be careful plenty of rocks in water and on banks. Some folks had picnics on banks or cooked out. If you plan on doing this beware you have to carry everything down and back up the steep stairs and dirt trail. No tables, restrooms, trash bins next to river. Plenty of area for everyone to set-up, water just gets crowed later in the day. Take sunscreen, towels, water, snacks if you plan to stay down there for a couple of hours. We did that and afterwards went back up and had fajitas at our table under the shade and relaxed after. Restrooms in picnic area and near entrance to go down the hill to river. When parking gets full ranger closes area. Day entrance fee is 6 per person, if you plan on visiting several times a year or like to camp or visit other Texas state parks go with the park pass. It pays for itself if you use through-out the year. Every person in your car goes in free for the year. Something to consider.

My husband and I hike at Pedernales Falls State Park several times a year. We usually hike to the falls, down to the swimming area and/or behind the campground. This time, we hiked to Duck Pond ( 1 mile round trip). The small pond was dry and the larger Duck Pond was very low. We saw lots of evidence of wild pigs digging on Duck Pond trail and at the pond itself. There is an old bird blind at the larger Duck Pond. We did not see any birds there. The signage was good. Many birds were at the 2 main bird blinds. Those bird blinds are located before we reached the Duck Pond parking area.

Spent the morning there and experienced wonderful views, fantastic weather, and a beautiful walk through the trees...We only went to the falls but, for this trip, that was enough — we’ll be back!

We loved this park. I can see it may be very dangerous in a flash flood. That being said easy walk, beautiful formations, interesting and pools. We enjoyed the bird blind and observed armidillo, raccoon and many birds. Very nice park.

Enjoyed walking around rocks and falls. Massive area and fun to explore. Wolf Mountain trail was recommended but ranger did not share that the first 2 miles of the hike is a gravel road. 😚

It was hot and the water was down, but it was still facinating. I would imagine that it is even more fun when the river is running, giving you all kinds of pools and falls to swim in. We got to go back and do this again

Great way to spend a sunny, winter afternoon. I grew up in Washington state, where the waterfalls are magnificent, so I was a little bit underwhelmed by the “falls”. However, in the Texas Hill Country, where water views are rare, it was a nice, relaxing .47 mile hike. The sound of the rushing water was wonderful. And it was great to explore the lime stone formations. The map shows several hikes - since we arrived in the late afternoon, we chose the short hike to the falls. Well worth the drive from San Antonio !

Went on walk to the falls with my 12 year old. Easy walk to overview. Bit steeper to get down to river level but families and older folks were all doing it so not too bad. Pretty spot with cascading water forming large pools. But no swimming allowed in this area due to river current risks. Further down swimming, camping allowed. Can imagine must be much fun during hot summers to swim in river, camp out at night. About an hour from central Austin pending on traffic. A quiet place. Peaceful. Of course, we were there off main season during a week day so weekends likely more busy especially in summer.

Always have enjoyed my visits to Perdenales Falls. The trails are great and the falls is always spectacular. So much fun for kids exploring the the rock

The family and I went on a trip to Pedernales Falls State Park for a day of hiking and a some mountain biking. This park has some nice views and some nice trails to ride. My son especially enjoyed swimming in the designated swimming areas and riding the few trails avaliable to bikes. PFSP is a large place so if you plan to make the most of this trip make sure you bring plenty of water and something to snack on. Also, be careful descending to the bed of the falls as this is no walk in the park state park. It is not easy walking up, down, around, and over the terrain. Nevertheless, it is a fun place to visit and revisit. Give PFSP a try and get on out your doors!

My girlfriend and I are hikers and our typical Saturday means at least a 2.5 hour hike. This is our go-to place.

We live in Austin, so it a bit over an hour away. Our favorite trail is Wolf Mountain and the horse trail piece gives us some variation. We like to do at least 2-2.5 hours so this one fits the bill, clocking in at just over 2.5 hours (we walk slightly briskly). Nice elevation changes, nice views from the mountain, and variations in the walking surface make it an interesting time - and it goes by very quickly.

We have also walked the trail out towards Pedernales Falls and also Twin Falls. Those are nice, but for a relaxing hike I really recommend Wolf Mountain trail.

Wish it was marked a little bit better, but its not hard to follow. We also use the "All Trail" app which has some mapping in case you think you're lost. Unfortunately, cell coverage is spotty at best (although downtown Fredericksburg isn't really any better!)

Watch out on weekends as it can fill up, so call ahead or check their facebook page just to be sure.

HINT: after a nice long hike, head out 290 west and visit one (or more) of the plethora of wineries to make a perfect day even better!

Wow, what a blast! Other than the unpleasant walk to and from the river, this was a cool spot to cool off on a 104 degree day. Lots of people but lots of river for all. It is not for the feeble of leg side cell the current is strong and there are lots of rocks to maneuver over. Everyone there is respectful of each other and looks out for kids who could get swept down easily. Other really, lots of fun and worth going to again.

We enjoyed walking around the falls, but the water was low, so it wasn't spectacular. We took the 5.5 mile loop trail. It was very easy, more like walking on a wide path. The views were lovely at the lookout - again, not spectacular. We had to wade through the stream to get to the trail, but the cold water felt good on our feet. Luckily it was a cool day because I think this could be a very hot hike.

Have fun scrambling among limestones to get to waterfalls. Beautiful surrounding scenery. Very nice hiking trails. At dusk, we saw a fox.

Many different, pretty options to choose in this park ... hiking trails and a swimming area. This past weekend we only went to the swimming hole - the water level was high, but not too fast. Our boys loved swimming and floating around. The hidden rocks below were a little treacherous - would be a good idea to have water shoes and life jackets. We went a later in the afternoon as many people were leaving - think it must have been very crowded as there were still a lot of people around. If you plan on taking a picnic/coolers/tubes, it would probably feel a long walk down and up again!
A few years ago we visited when the water level was lower - not swimmable but fun to jump over rocks, in and out of the water - very refreshing! That visit, we hiked down to the falls and were able to walk across a flat rock area to see the falls. We didn't go this visit so not sure if you can still do that when water level is higher.
The trails are steep in parts but shaded, good restrooms and a shower in the parking area at the top of the trail to the swimming area. We haven't camped here but think it would be fun for a day or 2 to explore everywhere.

Don't expect a long cascade of water, but the falls are beautiful nonetheless. We visited after the spring rains, so the river was flowing nicely. This may not always be the case. There is a shaded walk down to the falls, and a nice overlook.

We actually went to this area for a totally different attraction, but just before we went, a friend showed me pictures of this and recommended it. So glad we went to Pedernales Falls State Park! Our son had his tracker on and said we walked the equivalent of over 3 miles and climbed the equivalent of 13 flights of stairs, but it didn't feel as if we were working out at all! We started about in the middle of the falls and the beauty of them just kept pulling us further and further up the falls. It was a tiny bit challenging in a couple of places, but we were able to find alternative routes that were easier. I am 70 and my husband is 71, but we are both in decent shape. We only went for a day trip, but there is camping available in the park as well as trails you can ride your own horse on. I can hardly wait to go back! Oh, and afterwards we went to the Dairy Queen in Johnson City and I had my first ever Blizzard! I highly recommend both the Park and the Dairy Queen.

This place is great for long term camping or just a few hours. The welcome station was very helpful directing us where to go. We just wanted to see the falls part. After driving a short distance you can park and walk to a lookout at the beautiful rocks, river and falls. This was expansive and amazing. With some more exertion, and we went for it, you can take steps most of the way down to the river with a little climbing involved toward the end and start back up. It's totally worth it to stand there and take it all in.

This park has everything you could ask for in a Texas state park! Beauty, wildlife, hiking trails, clear water and waterfalls.
They have a wonderful bird blinds area and butterfly garden!
They have trails for equestrians, hikers, bike riders,etc..

This is certainly one of the most beautiful state parks I've ever been to. If you love nature, you would agree to my first statement when you get to see this place. My friends and I went there on the 4th of July weekend and we decided to go there in the afternoon to watch the sunset and we were so glad we did it. We got there around 6:30pm and it wasn't crowded, which was a good thing. Entrance is $6 / head. We went to the lookout area before heading towards the river area and we just loved the beautiful scenery. One of my friends went swimming and she was enjoying while the 3 of us were just having a good time taking in the beauty of nature around us and waiting for the beautiful sunset. We hiked further up to the falls area and my friend was soaking herself on the water in that area when she felt some kind of tingling sensation on her butt and when we looked at her shorts, it was filled with what looked like tiny black worms. I thought at first they were just black dirt but when I looked closer, they were wiggling. My friend got scared and we all thought about the flesh eating bacteria (in Galveston waters) we've heard recently so she removed her shorts and washed it with the river water. We don't really know what it was on her shorts; but it made me feel creepy. So be careful and check the water first before you soak or swim; it wasn't present though in all areas,we found those tiny black "worms" in the water close to the rocks near the (not-so-high) waterfalls. We didn't get to use the restroom in the parking area so I couldn't tell if it's clean or not. Despite the scary worms, we still find the place beautiful and we hope to come back one day soon.

5 days of beautiful weather & great surroundings. The campsites were spacious & well maintained but most were set up backwards for RVs.

As a family, as a couple, as mother/daughter, we keep returning to this state park during different seasons. It is one of our favorites and never disappoints no matter how you choose to experience it.

Pedernales Falls State Park offers an easy hike to the view of scenic Pedernales Falls. This gives an interesting view of a hill country river.

Beautiful 5000 acre park. Friendly Park Rangers. The 'falls' are a MUST SEE. its about 1/2 mile down a tree shaded lane from parking lot. Beautiful blue-green pools of water surrounded by ancient, twisted cedars and cool rock formations. Perfect photo op.

Joined the Austin Astronomers for a star gazing event. What a great time was shared by over 400 hundred viewers. Dark enough that without red lights you'd never see them. Can't say enough about a wonderful time.

Very nice SP not far out of Austin and next to Texas wine country trail US290. Plenty of hiking with beautiful views. Campsites in the woods with firepits and picnic tables. Many have water and electric RV hookups. Dump station on site as well. Carry your rod and reel as fishing requires no permit. Swimming in the Pedernales on the pebbly beach. Horse trails, too!

First time there and it was a little of a hike to the water but was well worth it. Been to Garner, Blanco, Balmorhea, and Guadalupe and the water here was warm and maybe as clear as the Frio at Garner, but the current was just strong enough for my teenagers to have fun in. Plenty of shallow areas for the little kids to play in away from the moving water. Lots of rocks to navigate around on the banks so be prepared to go slow when walking. Last thing, on my way down I noticed no one was hauling multiple chairs or ice chests or anything large. Once I realized how many stairs there were and the rocky nature of the river bank it all made sense. A back pack full of your goods is best to carry on your way down and back up. Some body with a pack mule could clean up around there.

We stopped by Pedernales Falls on the way to Fredericksburg from Houston. You have to stop by the Headquarters office to pay $6 for each person over the age of 12. We took the main road directly to the Pedernales Falls Overlook. We had both a 65+ y.o. woman and children as young as 8 y.o.; everyone was easily able to walk down the path and get to the main rock formation and see the falls. There are beautiful forest trails and great views of autumn colored trees, rock formations, and the Pedernales river itself. There are decent bathrooms near the parking area.

I have lived in Texas all my life (32 years) and just recently visited Pedernales Falls. I must say that I have been missing out all of these years!!! What a perfect weekend getaway!!! There is great hiking and swimming. Visited on a Friday (versus Saturday) so we didn't see many people.

Will definitely be back!!!

We went camping for a few days at Pedernales Falls State Park. The camping sites were well-maintained and offered enough privacy. Deer frequently walked up to us to see what we were doing. The bathrooms were clean and the showers were comfortable. We walked down to the swimming area and decided not to swim as the water looked fast and like it would be too difficult for my younger son to manage. We hiked some trails and our favorite was the Pedernales Falls trail. It is certainly not to be missed. Bring lots of water as it is hot!

Springtime is the best time to camp in Texas in my opinion and I love camping here. I wanted to photograph the falls so I got their mid day and checked out where I would be in the morning at sunrise. Got my campsite set up and enjoyed a dinner cooked over my campfire.

Next morning I was hiking down to the upper falls before sunrise. Too bad but some heavy cloud cover moved in so the weather was not as pretty as I had hoped for but still nice. And at sunrise I pretty much had the whole falls area to myself! After the falls I went to the bird blind building and photographed some hummingbirds.

The falls were much more impressive than we had imagined. We managed to kill a couple of hours climbing and exploring. Wish we had more time to explore other trails, but we couldn't get the kids off the rocks!

Great Trails over rocks, crossing streams, and looking across the river. A beautiful spot with many many miles of hiking trails.

My husband and I went to the park today for the first time to go hiking. We had planned to do the 5.5 Trammell's Crossing Loop, but found we had to cross the river to start the hike. Unfortunately, the water was too high and moving too fast for us to cross. We ended going on the Wolf Mountain hike instead. It was a nice walk, but not really hiking. Most of it was a dirt road that crossed a couple of small creeks. The scenery was beautiful though. We saw lots of camping spots and thought that we might like to come back and camp sometime and see more of the park.

My friends and I have started looking for places to make day trips for hiking. Something healthy and active we can do together. Pedernales Falls is a short drive from San Antonio. We headed out early - and as it does get crowded - I do recommend you arrive early for day hiking. We arrived at the park at about 9am. Loaded up with water packs and some snacks we started our adventure. The first trail we hit was about a four mile trek down to the falls and along the river. We had to navigate up and down rocks, through thickets and finally out on to some of the rocks that actually create some of the falls. Lots of slippery rocks - be sure to wear the right shoes and take your time navigating the trail. The sound of the falls - is wonderful. We stretched out on the rocks in the middle of the river for a water break before continuing along the trail. The water was very clear and cool. I bet there are fish in there! We did see several folks headed the other direction with light weight fishing tackle. The trail along the falls was breath taking. We navigated this trail easily - but with care. The second trail we hit was the trail to Wolf Peak Mountain and the Jones' Spring. This is about a seven mile trail. This trail is rated as challenging - but I would say the only real challenge was the length. Most of the trail is wide and covered in crushed rock - wide enough for a park vehicle to come through if needed. Now on this trail - you will see a lot of folks packing in to camp. To camp here - you have to pack in a mile. And in that mile you will cross a few small streams of water. There are also bikes on this trail - so make room when you see them coming! We went directly towards the Jones' Spring before heading up and around the mountain. The spring was beautiful - fresh water pouring out of a rock wall in several places, running down a sliding shoot into a very vivid blue pool of water. We did contemplate figuring out how to get to the pool of water to take a dip - but - with time limitations - we decided to save that for another day! Past the spring on the back side of the mountain we came along the remains of the Jones' homestead. Essentially some rock walls that out line what was once a house. And a very long rock wall extending away from the house that marked a pasture or their property. Please be respectful at this site - if you see any remnants from the past - please do not be tempted to remove these; honor this family and let the reminders of their past remain in tact for others to see. We took a break for more water and some light snacks before tackling the climb to the summit and the circle back to the main trail. And here is where the trail became very faint and narrow. At times - we were wondering if this was indeed still a trail! We came to a high point where we could view out and around. Texas Hill Country - is definitely God's country. It is so beautiful, green and in bloom this time of year. Definitely worth the climb. The day was escaping up - we hurried along to the main trail heading back. Once we got back - we headed over to the picnic and swimming area to have a late lunch/early dinner to wrap up a wonderful day. We were too exhausted to explore the swimming area - you have to walk a ways from the picnic area to see it - so we will save that for another day too. If you enjoy walking, hiking - and the outdoor beauty of the hill country - then you definitely need to visit this park!! There are several trails here - this is a large park. We will definitely be back soon for another adventure!

Clean restrooms! Amazing camping sites that were large and perfect for kids to ride their bikes around. We saw more wildlife here than any other State Park - many, many deer (one even came close enough to hand feed!), silver foxes and butterflies everywhere, etc. Quite a hike to the swimming place which turned out to be very rocky (small ones that you step on in the water and really large rocks that you can sit on). Definitely need water shoes here. There was also a pretty strong current so we had to keep the kids toward the side and between the large rocks that slowed the current. Still had a blast! Beautiful sites on the hiking trails. Many overlooked the water. I highly recommend this State Park!!

It's a beautiful place to visit, and it was a good time to go because the river was very full. Nice swimming hole. Midsummer is a rough time to go - be sure to stay hydrated!

Pedernales State falls and park are a stunning site for the surrounding area of Austin. Great natural Beauty!

Pedernales Falls is different depending on the season and rainfall. When we visited on a hot summer July day, we cooled our toes in the fresh water stream. The children and adults delighted in exploring the area and delighting in the wide array of wildlife, especially birds, reptiles and fish. Sitting quietly by one of the pools of water we watched the catfish circle and other fish jump out of the water. Overhead, buzzards soared gracefully on the currents. Driving out we saw deer, and no doubt there is much more to see during the early morning or late evening hours. The views down to the area of the limestone rocks and pools were spectacular and the trees provided relief from the heat. The walk down to the observation area is not wheelchair friendly. Basic and clean amenities can be found at the carpark and their is a water fountain to replenish waterbottles and quench the thirst.

We chose to have a family camping trip here in late August without considering the hot Texas August weather. And yes, we were one of the only two tents we saw in the camp ground - with everyone else in their fancy RVs and AC in full blast at night (and even during the day).

With that said, we enjoyed going down to the river bank to swim... the water temperature were perfect and the current were gentle enough even for our 2yo and 4yo. We hiked around for a little bit (not much with the 2 toddlers) and that was pretty enjoyable. The heat obviously could be a factor in the thick of the summer, but having the river to cool off was a very nice consolation.

We were thoroughly impressed by what looks like pretty new Family Restrooms/showers... which made it very easy to clean up in private and not having to worry about rushing or whatever.

We highly recommend this place for family with young kids... and oh, best part is this is basically middle of nowhere (at least our cellphones told us that!), yet we were only <30 minutes from city of Austin!

Nice place to camp with the family and there are nice swimming areas for all ages. Bring bug spray to help reduce the bug bites.

It was a spur of the moment decision to visit Pedernales Falls State Park. We were on motorcycles and not prepared for exploring the park. The staff were very kind and allowed us to leave most of our gear in their office so that we could explore. We spent far more time there than planned, resulting in driving home in the dark, but it was worth it! Loved the experience and want to go back and camp there.

The water is so warm and refreshing.
Had a great time. A little tip: wear water shoes! Lots of rocks.

This is a very nice state park that has multiple trails and swimming holes. Space in the park is limited to a predetermined number of guest so you need to get there early to make sure you get in.

What a lovely park. You can hike down to the falls and see it all, lots to see. There is no swimming this 3 mile area due to currents, rocks, etc. You can go to the next section, another hike down, to enter the water. It’s more of a wading area vs swimming but it’s gorgeous in both spots.

I've been visiting Pedernales Falls State Park since it first opened and while there are now many more visitors, it is still a great place to hike, swim, picnic and camp. The Falls are very scenic, especially when the river is running well. The main swimming area requires a short hike but its well worth it. The main picnic area is very well arranged and the camping area offers many secluded spots. There is a 7 or 8 mile trail that passes through the park crossing a couple creeks and offering nice views of the surrounding hill country. Probably shouldn't be writing such a positive review as I wish this park was less visited but its there for all to enjoy!

This park is everything we hoped it would be. Great hiking trails, beautiful scenery, dry, sunny weather. We will definitely be back!

Last visit I went to the falls and wolf mountain area. This trip the other side of the park being the back country across the Pedernales. This is accessed at the low water crossing called Trammell Crossing. Now low water means nothing here as this crossing gets deeper as you move across until at the far bank it is mid shin to knee high. Not exactly low water when on foot but doable. Expect your feet to get wet! Trammells crossing is accessed through the camping area. A tip if you go early the sign at the overflow lot is going to tell you that there is no parking at the trailhead. But really there is for about 6 or7 cars so if you are in the park early check the trailhead to see if there are open spaces!. The sign also says the trailhead is 1/4 mile farther along the road. Again not exactly. You have to take the 1st left past the camp host and it is a very long 1/4 mile probably closer to a half mile. Once across Trammell Crossing there is a mile burner trail of about 5 and one half miles. There are a couple of crossover trails to shorten that if you would like. The best thing out there is a very nice overlook. Once across the river and up the steep hill the trail splits take the left fork and it leads about 2 miles or so to the overlook. Look out for the small metal signposts and you can't go wrong. This park also has a very nice swimming area (no lifeguards) with modern bathrooms and plenty of parking.

This is such a beautiful park! There is so much to do! PERFECT if you are a hiker. There are so many trails and the trails are wide and in great shape. The views at the falls are breathtaking....everywhere you turn! We even saw a couple taking their engagement pictures there...those will be amazing. We didn't camp, but I would love to go back and do that...the facilities looked great. Cannot wait to go again and would love to bring the whole family...it really is a part of Texas that every Texan should see.

While staying in Austin, my wife and I took a drive through Hill Country on a lazy Sunday afternoon in April and happened upon Pedernales Falls State Park. We were glad that it wasn't terribly busy as we didn't buy passes online (we heard many parks in Texas may close to capacity during busy times). Passes were reasonably priced (children under 12 can enter for free). Depending on athletic ability, there are various levels of hikes to scenic overlooks. No matter what your level, you'll find a great view. Also, there is a spot to swim in the river, but be careful as the current is deceptively strong (as one dad with two young kids found out the hard way--but they eventually reached safer waters and everything turned out okay). There are tons of narrow steps down to reach the swimming area, so just remember that the walk back up those steps will be especially strenuous for some. Remember to stay hydrated during hot, sunny days! When you're done in the park, be sure to grab some BBQ on your way back to top off a perfect day of sightseeing (we stopped by the Railroad Bar-B-Que in Dripping Springs, TX but you might also try Salt Lick Bar-B-Que in Driftwood).

We weren't sure about this one, but were pleasantly surprised. The falls are not spectacular but still great and the chances of seeing wildlife I think are pretty good. There was a shack near the main parking spot which had a well stocked drinks machine. No staff were about but not really needed. The water wasn't very high but still a great couple of hours. The bird blind was excellent. Probably saw more birds in our half hour in there than we did in the whole of our Texas week. Great butterflies too. Well maintained and some very happy birds including a few humming birds.

Beautiful area all over if visiting be Prepared to walk and make sure you have water. I definitely want to come back for camping and exploring the area.

Such a great mini adventure! Views are beautiful and for a little hike you can go right down on the river bed. Absolutely beautiful ❤

We took our granddaughter here for a day, and she had a blast! We did some of the little hikes, explored the falls, and played in the river. She, we and our little dog all had a ball. A very clean and well maintained park. The rangers were extra nice!

We went to this place to check it out it was a breath taking site to see the waterfall it is quit a walk down some steep steps to get down there but it was well worth it. Then we went to the river were you can swim and it also an amazing time again u have to walk down some steep steps to get down to the river the hardest part is coming back up. Only bring what u need cause believe me it ware you out. No canopy is needed there is shade might want to get there as early as possible to get a spot.

Disappointing hiking place. We did the Madrone trail (extended) which was recommended on both the parks’ website and in all trails. There were no view-points, no special places. Just low bushes and a trail. We tried to drive to one of the waterfalls but signposts were limited so we came up. Certainly not worth driving from Austin to see. Then you are much better off staying closer to Austin and go to Barton Creek Green Belt

Recently spent a day here hiking. Kind of a rainy day, so very few folks in the park. The falls are cool to see and walk down to. Really enjoyed the bird bluffs they built to sit and watch the birds eat. Hiked some trails along the river, very quiet and peaceful. Would come back here again.

My favorite park in the Hill Country!! It has something to offer winter, spring summer and fall. Great camping facilities, swimming areas, bike trails and walking paths.

Loved it , loved it , loved it ! I must be back because one day and overnight stay was not enough to explore everything. Although it was a very hot August day , by evening it got cool enough to sleep in tent without a fan. Prepare to hike to swimming sites, and have your waterproof camera ready for cool pictures
. Staff at Pedernales Falls was very friendly and helpful .

The old joke goes....timing is everything! We know better, but we made a quick stop here, but forgot to check the water flow--big mistake. The drive to the park via Fitzhugh is ALWAYS beautiful, so we did not feel disappointed that the water was not flowing over the falls. We been here when it is, and it is amazing.
NOTE TO SELF: take the time to check the weather (drought conditions) or call in advance!

Didn't know Texas had big waterfalls. It isn't tell but multiple ones you can walk around and look at. Saw a turtle as well. The swimming hole area is not near the waterfalls for safety reasons.

Beautiful waterfalls, I didn't't know the park was as large as it is.
Love the natural plants and flowers.

Beautiful hiking on Wolf Mountain trail. Really enjoyed the views and the peacefulness hiking here. The falls are pretty too.

This is a great place to stop and see some Texas Hill Country. For an easy and beautiful walk, take the Pedernales Falls trail. To get there, drive into the park and buy a day pass ($6 per person) then continue driving on that same road all the way to the end, until you reach a parking lot. From there you just take the easy, wide 1 mile loop trail that goes past the Pedernales River and the falls area, with dramatic slabs of limestone. There are overlooks here, but most people end up heading out onto the limestone rocks to get closer to the river and the falls. There was even some fall color when we were there.

The park gets busy on weekends, so you may want to buy a day pass ahead of time on-line. Also, keep in mind that the entire park is closed on some weekdays for hunting; check the park closure alerts on the park web site before you go.

We have visited many times, often with our travel trailer. Amazing to see the river in flood , and great to camp over and watch armadillos and other critters around the campfire at night. Good variety of terrain and almost always quiet , except at the river close to the parking area. Book camping well in advance !

This was not what I expected but enjoyed it very much. The hike down a gravel trail was very short and easy to get to the falls overlook. Once there, you can climb down the stairs and go all over the rocks and sand that make this area so unique. We spent over an hour exploring. Then we drove to another area of the park and did the twin falls trail. This was not well marked and we went two different ways before finally finding the way to the falls. They were a let down, you could not get close enough to even see but one of them. You could hear the other but not see it.

Explore the river, skip rocks with the kids, hike the hill country terrain. If you have little time make the Pedernales falls your stop, from there decide if you have time for more.

Pedernales Fall trail was beautiful and so was the swimming area. The swimming area got busy, but it was still a good time. We hiked Jones Spring and Wolf trails. The weren't as difficult as anticipated, but there wasn't much shared....be prepared!

Had a great time swimming down the Pedernales river yet did not enjoy all the stairs. For family with canes and wheelchair access to river was not easy. Yet it was lots of fun. Worth the walk. the heat💜😎

Several hiking trails, including equestrian trail. Seldom crowded, these falls are not high in a traditional waterfall sense, but more like chutes to slid down when water is running. The water has cut several channels through the granite rocks for a fun, natural water slide. There is a swimming and tubing area as well.

We had time to do two portions of the park, the Pedernales Falls trail and the Twin Falls trail. The rock formations in the river on the Pedernales Falls were quite interesting, but with the low water level you did not get the power of the water rushing over them. As far as Twin Falls is concerned, I personally would not spend time on it again. There is no parking at the trailhead so there is a 1/4 mile walk from the parking area. Currently, you can't get any closer than an overlook due to a reclamation project. The "falls" themselves looked like a hose draining over a 2 or 3 foot drop. The park overall is great for its hiking and scenery.

The place was beautiful with amazing green colored river, they also do bird feeding at 9am and 3pm, we waited at the bird blind for bird feeding but unfortunately the feeder didn't show up.

The view of the falls is an easy walk from the parking area. The falls themselves, which were perfect with perfect flow to show of their beauty on 1/2/17 are a little more to get to. The park is very well maintained and staff is friendly. It was super busy this holiday weekend but I totally see why.

We visited New Year's weekend. Vehicles without reservations were turned away. Vehicles with reservations were allowed into the park one at a time as other vehicles exited. The park was fairly brown this time of year. The picnic area was empty as was the lower parking lot that leads to the water. Most of the traffic was at the end of the park at the Pedernales Trail System. The Twin Falls trailhead is inside the campground which was blocked to day passes. The ranger did allow us to loop through the campground to look at sites. The campground was tightly spaced and had limited privacy. The bird blind had a small parking lot and was congested so we didn't stop. This park seems like it would be a great destination during the heat with the water flowing. However, it might not be a good destination for dogs as there was a sign warning about blue green algae.

Pedernales Falls has always been one of my favorite state parks simply because we love the Texas hill country. It is a fairly large park and has some really great hiking trails. We did the Wolf Mountain and Jones Spring hike which was 7.2 miles round trip. The trails are nice and wide for the most part but get narrower at the back of the loop close to the springs. The falls are nice and are a short walk from the parking lot and there is no swimming allowed. The campsites are large and some have covered picnic tables. We noticed that on our last two trips there that quite a few campsites were closed, not sure why. One other thing we noticed is phone service is extremely limited. Neither of these negatives hampers the camping experience, therefore the five star rating.

The trails are not too hard and the area is beautiful. The huge rock formations are amazing. People fish there too.

This is a wonderful state park. Very beautiful, tranquil, and overall amazing. Can't get very packed. Some camping spots have little shade like ours did so it can get very hot during the summer. If in a RV or motorhome, make sure you have levelers or jacks! Most RV spots are uneven. The new bathhouses are nice. We can't wait to return for another visit.

On our way to Dripping Springs in early October, we stopped by in the evening as the sun was setting. It was setting right over the falls which made for some nice pictures. Didn't swim, didn't fish but saw a family with a line in. Very peculiar rock formations here. A small small beach area with sand actually existed here too! Fun to hike around and climb on the giant rocks. Caution where you step though! Spent maybe 1 and a half to 2 hours here.

We came to Johnson City to do some hiking. After several months of limited movements during Covi-19, this was a absolute treat.
The trails are nicely mixed with rocky, sandy, flat, and hilly. I appreciated the shady trails as it gets rather hot during the daytime. The fall at the top of the river area was wonderful. From the lookout point to Hakenberry( I think) trail through the narrow road by the river was quite enjoyable.
Trammer crossing was also a wonderful trail. It was fun crossing the river at the lower end. Some parts were quite slippery so you have to be careful. The water was clear and cold and almost made me want to sit in it.
We were so glad to have visited this park. We probably will return next year.

I went here wth my dog for a hike. I have been trying to explore Texas State Parks and this is a nice find. I ended up on a narrow path that I'm not sure was on the trail map, but it ended up winding around and back to the wider path I started on. It was fun to go walk around on the rocks by the falls, too. Such interesting water pools. Swimming is not allowed by the falls, though, because it it too dangerous. Swimming is allowed further downstream.

Went to park as part of a Texas trip. It started to rain and stopped and just did 1 trail- falls area. It is a downhill walk and can get steep if you go all the way down to the falls/rocks/sand bars right by the falls. The area is worth a trip down to as you can walk around on different sand bar areas and see water and crevasses.

The walk to the falls is easy, well paved and by far the most popular. However inviting the water looks you cannot swim in a lot of the areas. It is fun walking over the rocks. There are lots of walks and plenty of camping and picnic area. I must admit I was pretty disappointed with the upkeep of some of the paths. They were so overgrown that we could not find the path and had to return the way we went. It is a lovely spot though.

I couldn't wait to visit since i've always heard it was a great state park to visit for the wonderful falls. Perfect weather during March visit so not too cold at night and not too hot during the day for a really long hike over the river and through the falls to the top of the hill. Campsites are a little stacked on top of each other so ask the staff at front desk for site where there are few kids and few college kids, if you can score that accommodation then you'll have a nice quite night under very dark skies.

It’s a drive to get to the park (relatively remote) but up & down the hills of TX on backroads is pretty. Drove through campground (we were camped at Blanco State Park) - not sure why most campsites closed, but appeared poised for updates of some sort (perhaps rock retaining walls around campsite- saw that at several). 30 amp Water and Electric no sewer connection (would sure be great if upgrading to 50 & adding sewer). Campsites are surrounded by trees on three sides (albeit not tall trees, low-growing ones in these hills). Trees could present a problem for big rigs but most sites had pad in the middle (full sun). Some sites smaller look more like for small units or tents.

The trail to the nice stone Falls observation area (great views) is wide and well-tended, gently sloping downward. The trip up not quite so gentle but benches for rest. Wished we’d taken our waters.
Then rock steps & steep, rocky trail down to the Falls area. If you go down to the wide expanse of river bed, you get a close-up view of how cascading water wears the huge stones smooth and creates holes and crevices. There were pools of water all around when we went down and an underground river or spring fed a rushing, narrow river ribbon winding through the boulders.
We saw a species of lizard we’d never before seen - with a striped tail that raises & flashes when they skitter around. Fascinating! Absolutely worth the hike!

Impressed with how well this park is being managed and maintained. It has gotten better over the 10+ years I have been visiting. The park has a new access gate with time controlled codes to limit traffic. Parkland is being responsibly managed to thin out cedar, and using controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk. There is ample wildlife - we saw deer, fox, squirrel, roadrunner, and armadillo during our stay. The RV/electric hookup campsites have a new bathroom/shower house that is fantastic and very clean. We stayed in site 11. It was very deep, had lots of space between neighbors, and well set back from the road. Site 13 looked just as good. The campsites vary widely by their options for tent space, shade, and visual separation from one another. Most have very nice, sturdy 4x6 rough cut cedar construction shade structures with metal roofs over a picnic table. But some sites have very limited options for pitching a tent, and some are completely exposed to weather, the road, and neighbors. Consult the park map and site photos to assess them beforehand. They are booked out 5 months in advance! There are more miles of broad trails to hike than most visitors could possibly complete in a single visit. This would be an excellent destination for mountain biking. Mostly the trails look like old ranch roads turned into park roads, but some reduce to footpaths. In warmer months, Pedernales is also a nice day trip option to go swimming or floating.

Be sure to visit all Pedernales has to offer. Perhaps start with the "bird blind"; even if you are not a "birder" the wonder of the birds you will see is awe inspiring. Be sure to walk the trails. There are trail types for all skill levels. The "power" of the falls is quite something to behold.

With the water being down it was great to explore all around the rocks above the actual falls. The "swimming" spot wasn't so good of course but the exploring more than made up for it.

Had a great time at Pedernales Falls. Beautiful scenery and a great place to get away from civilization without having to go too far. Half mile hike from the parking area but well worth it. Be sure to visit both areas to see the falls and the cliffs. Good hiking shoes are a must and a hiking stick if you have one. Go early to beat the crowd and don't forget the camera.

I will definitely have to come back and explore this park more thoroughly in the future. For this trip, my friend and I decided to primitive camp (for the first time). We made several mistakes along the way which made for a pretty comical trip overall, after we got through the pain, or course. Hopefully you can learn from our mistakes! We went Memorial Day weekend (mistake # 1). (Be sure and book early to avoid having to primitive campy by default like us!) It was so crowded, the rangers told us there wasn't any parking available at the swimming hole, so we wouldn't be able to go there. Well, no worries, the ranger tells us! From the primitive sites, you can access the river nearby and swim. Yay! They tell us it's a 2 mile hike in to primitive. No big deal, we think (mistake #2). We're strong women, we can be minimalists for one night and carry what we need! Well, we hiked in with normal gear (you really need primitive light-weight gear for primitive camping here) (mistake #3) and had blisters on our feet by the time we arrived at camp. Just for frame of reference, it took us about 1.5 hours to hike in! We set up our tent and make a bee line for the water. The water was in part our motivation for getting there. We make the short hike to the river and it's literally a trickle! No way can we swim in it, it's about 2 inches deep and there are mosquitoes hovering all over it! So any steam we had left after the hike and set up completely deflated in that moment. Then the hunger set in! We'd only brought in trail type foods, thinking we were doing awesome at minimalism (mistake #4), which was NOT enough for the amount of energy we were exerting from the hike with all the extra weight. We debate for a bit and decide to hike BACK out, drive to Johnson City and eat a proper dinner. The hike out only took about 30 minutes. We drive out, have dinner, and a massive thunderstorm rolls in! We have another debate (because all of our stuff is at the park (mistake #5), but we know it's going to be a nightmare to sleep out there). We decide to book a room at a hotel in Johnson City (best decision we made). So we weather the storm peacefully inside of a hotel room (the front desk lady says this happens all the time, she could tell by the way we were dressed that we'd come from the park), watching cable television, and eating a ton of food. We enjoy the free breakfast the following morning before hiking back out to the park to retrieve our things. It was totally muddy, making it a little more difficult this time around. We broke down camp and hiked out. I had a blister the size of a half dollar covering my entire big toe by the time all was said and done. We were so exhausted and sore that we didn't even continue our journey (we'd planned to hit McKinney Falls State Park). We instead opted to meet up with some family and have a leisurely lunch in Austin. So, if you primitive camp, be smart. Don't do what we did. Come prepared and know what you're getting yourself into! Some day I'll go back and actually enjoy the falls and river. You won't ever see me hiking Wolf Mountain Trail though, that's for sure!

Took 17 and 21 year old grandkids and all ages loved it. Hiked several miles and found many points of interest. Not too many people even on the weekend when we were there.

Here's the quick-and-dirty:

1. The namesake geologic feature is impressive. I was taken aback when we reached it, surprised by its magnitude. Take time to explore what you can, depending on the water levels.

2. The river is everything a Central Texas waterway should be: Cool and relatively shallow, providing an excellent opportunity to laze the day away. Be prepared to hike to it, though -- even the designated swimming area has a long stairway and trail leading to it.

3. The campgrounds are some of the nicest at a Texas state park, thanks to a revamp a few years ago. The sites have sheltered picnic tables and fire rings (buy wood from the camp host). The sites are near each other, but most of them are at least somewhat wooded so you still get a sense of seclusion and privacy. The bathrooms are well-lit and kept clean.

4. The facilities crew does a really good job keeping up the maintenance. Nothing seemed dirty or broken.

5. The sky out there is DARK. You can see the Milky Way on a clear night. That's hard to find less than an hour from a large city.

6. One final note: I hope you can appreciate being serenaded by the smooth howl from a chorus of coyotes. Their brays echo through the canyons, providing an eerie ambience during the dead of night.

We saw the sign for this state park while staying in Johnson City. On a whim we drove out there and we are super happy we did. We spent about three hours walking around the Pedernales Falls. It’s fun to explore taking different twists and turns along the River. As you venture away from the water be mindful of the varying vegetation. Some with large thorns. We saw earless lizards and some cool small butterflies. The walk to the Twin Falls was pretty but the ultimate journey was a disappointment. Overall my husband and I had a great time exploring this beautiful park. Park rangers were friendly and helpful. Bathrooms in one of the camping areas we strolled by were state of the art with Elkay dog and people water fountains as well as an Elway bottle refill station.

We loved the winding road into the park. Saw areas where the park had burned. The day we went to the park it was not busy at all. Especially considering that you may have to wait to enter the park on certain days. We hiked down to the falls and it wasn't terribly difficult, however once you get down to the rocky area you have to be more careful. We're not young so taking your time and finding your footing is a must. Well worth the hike. Bring, water, food, and swimming essentials. We will definitely do this again. We weren't quite prepared but will be next time.

Only downside for me is that people bring their dogs and on our hike all I could smell was dog poop. All the way down the trail. The hotter it gets the stronger the smell will get. If you bring a dog please do the rest of us a favor and pick it up.

Staying on a nearby ranch, and this was the choice for our group of 12. Six of us were from other states (two couples had lived in Houston many years ago) while the rest of us were from the Houston area. Some were definitely not hikers and at least one was ready to see how easy this was going to be. We did the main trail down to the falls and then headed up river to see the sights. About 1/2 decided that this was enough; only three of us made it to the top of the falls (one of us was a non-hiker, but really enjoyed the beauty if the falls). We all met back at the lookout and everyone agreed that this was a special place. I shared with them some of the stories from "Farmers, Ranchers, The Land and the Falls: A History of the Pedernales Falls Area 1850-1970", by John J. Leffler (Texas Parks and Wildlife). It's available online and is a great read to learn about this area. Don't forget to check out the birds and butterflies at the Ranger Station. Monarchs were migrating through at this time. Definitely a must for every Texas to visit!

We made a quick trip here on our way to see friends in the area. Saw a few interesting birds and beautiful vistas. The rangers were helpful and had a good park map. Will definitely go back to hike some trails.

Beautiful scenery, we walked by the river with clear water, so we could spot the fish. I should have brought my fishing rod.

My friend had been here several times in the past, but because we were here in the hottest/dryest part of the year, we were able to walk over to a tree at the falls that she had never made it to. The falls are a beautiful setting for much exploring. After that, we did the twin falls trail - not much to the falls, but a cute trail. After that, we cooled off in the very shallow swimming area. It didn't seem crowded, but the water wasn't that spectacular, so I understand. The best part of being in the swimming area was when the minnows came to give us a "pedicure".

The experience of the falls is based on when you arrive. When we were here the water was very still and hardly flowing. Since, it was this way, we were able to skirt over the rocks and explore various water holes. We tried to hike the Penernales Falls Trail and it was barely marked. When we came in, the rangers were at a meeting so it was quite the experience to try and pay. The two credit systems at the park were not working. We were one of the lucky ones who had cash and placed the fee in an envelope. Others decided to take the chance and get caught for not paying since the credit card machines were not working, You can buy your ticket on line prior to arrival.

This is paradise for a hiker. After a short walk to the falls, you will have endless flat rocks to hike on. The water is beautiful but dangerous in a flash flood. It’s beautiful here! We loved it!

Over spring break, many places fill and they won't let any more cars in, but Pedernales has lots of space and was open for visiting. The hiking options are cool because you can do an easy scroll, scramble over fairly easy rocks, or climb all the way up to a cave that overlooks the water. It's also just a pretty place to sit and take in some cool scenery for awhile, so everyone from my daughter who only wanted to sit and read her book to our hiking enthusiast friend enjoyed a couple of hours here.

My husband and I took a hiking vacation. The first visit we played on the rocks and visited the falls. We had so much fun and there was so much to do we went for a second visit. The Wolf Trail was a wonderful hike with great views and excellent variation in terrain.

Reservations to enter this State Park can be easily made online. The cost is $12 per vehicle.
This was our last stop for the day. We started with Hamilton Pool Preserve, then on to WestCave Discovery Center and finally Pedernales Falls State Park. Loved the park. Walked around to explore and then sat down to enjoy the view. We also did the Twin Waterfalls trail but I wish we had spent the time at the pools instead. The pools are definitely a sight to behold! An enjoyable afternoon!

We went to this park on a Monday, no problem with crowds. Entrance fee is $6pp, but if you have a state park pass, it is free. Camping is $20/night not including entrance fee. The park visitors center has a good trail map. We wanted to see the falls and go on a moderate hike, the ranger told us to park at the duck pond/bird blind area and take the trail to the falls. This trail is easy, passes a small pond and leads to the falls where it is a bit rocky. You can walk along the falls and take great pictures. We walked back to our car on the road, probably not wise if the park is crowded. In total it was 3miles. Make sure to take water. The bird watching blinds are great. We saw lesser goldfinch, loggerhead woodpecker, orange crowned warbler, cedar waxwing, cardinals. They have identification cards that are helpful. We will definitely return.

There are not too many hiking places that we found in Texas, but this was a nice area to explore and would recommend a visit. Awesome spot for photography.Close to a couple of wineries also.

It is a state park so $15/person or $70 for 1 year park pass. You can park at the falls and short walk in. If you want to explore more at the falls there is a bit of climbing and steps. Excellent place for a picnic. If we lived closer to Austin, we would visit often. Lots of dogs on leashes. There is no swimming here but nearby there is a swimming spot. There is lots of camping nearby too if that is an option you would like.

Just got back from the park,had 2 friends from Germany who wanted to see TEXAS,we took them to the falls and walked upstream to see the all the little falls/water holes and all the neat rocks in the river bed.
Also took them swimming in the swim area,water cold but worth it!,only 10 people in the water.
Tons of WILDFLOWERS in and around the park.

Taking a scenic route thru the Texas Hill Country from Austin to San Antonio we made a stop at Pedernales to see the falls. With normal water flow you'll be able to see the water flowing down the smooth rocks and when viewed from above you'll appreciate this place as much of a geological feature as much as a water feature. We were glad we stopped for a good leg stretching and some beautiful views! Well worth the time to get there,and rewarded with nice Hill Country views along the way as well!

My family rented a camper and affordably stayed at the park for two nights. The site provided plenty of space for the camper and our two tents. There were clean restrooms with toilets and showers a short walk away (no soap, though!). Since there were young children in our group, it was wonderful to have several small hiking trails from which to choose. Every trail offered so much beauty. We saw a fox, mountain goats, a hawk and a crane throughout the day and all on different trails. We hope to go back to hike the longer trails.

This place was great for our kids age 2.5 & 6. They enjoyed hiking and climbing! The Falls were beautiful and everything was so green! I highly recommend getting there early in the day!

The granddaughters had a week off from school so I took them camping here. We did a lot of hiking and exploring and also swam in the river down at the beach area.

Be sure to wear good shoes when you hike to the beach as it is a rough trail, take water as you get thirsty.

We had a deer come right into our campsite and lots of racoons at night.

Fun hike with 2 kids (3 and 6 yr) jumping on the rocks and playing with sand for few hours but we got lost for few minutes coming back from the upper pools, path was not well marked. Water fountain available by the bathrooms in the parking lot.

This is a good place to come and hike for a good price of $6. It is nothing too special, but there is some good scenery and places to relax in the shade on the rocks.

Pretty cool place. The falls are very nice and it's a great scenic view. It's cool to be able to walk all the way down onto the falls. It can be a little challenging over the rocks. We had a ruff time finding the trail back up. It was also fun taking a swim in the river.

This is a beautiful Texas state park just west of Dripping Springs. It has great boulder waterfalls and also a hidden gem, the Twin Falls, when the water is running! hike, bike, camp, swim, horseback ride. you name it. I highly recommend visiting!

I was in Austin and this was recommended by a friend. It was a very nice excursion and very interesting from a geological/hydrological standpoint. It was cool seeing the various artesian springs with the water percolating up from underground. Lots of bird activity, but I forgot my binoculars. The ranger station wasn't staffed when I got there, so I have to leave a $20 bill. It was still worth it and goes to a good cause. Bring some sturdy shoes with good traction if you go out on the rocks. Nice overall place!

After many friends pictures of this place recently, we were in the area and wanted to see the Falls. This is a beautiful place, but be prepared to do alot of walking as well as some physical activity. The scenery heading to the Park is typical of the Texas Hill Country in at the end of winter...nothing really blooming, but it has a beauty of it's own. We spent the afternoon going from outlook to outlook, until we found each of the overlooks to see the Falls. Really pretty and well worth the treks getting to them, but getting there takes some walking and some navigating the narrow paths and walkways. The weather was pleasant, and it made it really nice to get around. The employees are most helpful and will provide information when needed. Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared to walk...LOTS!

I've been visiting this park for many years, because its falls are unique and overall it is one of the best state parks in Texas. If you can visit during the week (instead of a weekend), you're going to really enjoy it. We like to avoid the heat and visit during the fall, winter, or spring.

Our primary purpose for going was birding, and the park didn’t let us down, as we found 5-6 great birds at the visitor center alone. There’s a lovely bird blind, although not many birds there. The swimming area looked very fun, but we were there on a cold day, so didn’t swim. Trails were nice, but signage was poor—we tried following the very confusing park map to a duck pond, described as full of water and ducks, and eventually found a waterless, duck less place where it must have been. We would have appreciated that information upon arrival. Still, a very nice park. Texas does parks well!

This state park is very scenic, with a lot of trails along water, waterfalls and other scenic attractions. There are even interpretive hikes seasonally on the weekends that are both enjoyable and informative. Highly recommended.

We love hiking here! Rock scrambling and trails make it a great place to bring the kids and spend a day outdoors.

What a stunning park. I had no idea it was going to be this beautiful. The Pedernales Falls are very unique with exposed rock as the water level was down. Park Ranger told us we came on a good day (High 60’s, very overcast) as the sun can radiate a lot of heat off the rocks at the falls. After viewing/walking the rocks at the falls we hiked. Walked the Hackenberg Loop Trail. It had a few very steep areas & some very narrow paths with lots of rocks that parallel the riverside for those concerned with accessibility issues. We had a member of our party with limited vision & he was able to make it, although it did take longer than it would with someone with full sight.

This is a good park to visit. There are some viewpoints over the falls and several trails. You can also walk down to the water when it's not that full and walk around the area. Nice place to relax.

I've never been to a state park like this before! There were so many different rocks and no rhyme or reason to the way the water flows. It was fun to hike over the rock formations and feel the cool water. Didn't swim, but it was cool to be near the water. Definitely pack a lot of water, and they warn you about flash flooding!

We were not sure what we would see, so when we went to the ranger station to pay the entry fee we got information on what we could do in one day. It was after lunch, so the temperature had begun to climb. We decided to make the short walk to the falls. So glad we did. Very restfull and quiet. Not too many people where there mid week. I was physically unable to climb the 66 stairs down to the falls but hubby did and really enjoyed the walk. I could see the falls very well from the viewing point. If I was better prepared, I could of made the climb down and back up, but didn't have my cane with me. Steps are steep.

Water is perfect but current can get a little rough. My pup absolutely loves this place. Pack a cooler with drinks and sandwiches and enjoy the day😃

This review is NOT for the beauty of the park itself but for the disgusting, crude, callous and unprofessional behavior of the park ranger who murdered and shot an innocent injured raccoon and dumped the body in the field.

On June 22, 2024, I had a very bad experience at Pedernales Falls State Park and there was NO PARK RANGER in sight for over 1 hour when I needed help. I drove around for over 30 minutes trying to find a park ranger in the evening before they closed. I am from Fort Worth and when I was driving on the main road inside Pedernales Falls State Park to exit the park, I noticed that some subhuman hit a poor raccoon and left her there. The raccoon legs were broken, and she was sitting up on the road staring at me for help. This was close to the crosswalk where they put cones at for a marathon event.

The raccoon was in pain and suffering. I drove to the front building where there is a kiosk and called the park phone number (that I got online) and 911 twice. At first, they had to transfer me to Austin Police, then Travis County and finally Blanco County.

Finally, when 911 connected me to someone who could get a park ranger, he said to wait by the front entrance ranger station (where they have the kiosk and where people enter to buy tickets). I was VERY SPECIFIC and described to him where I was.

The male on the phone said a park ranger would meet me there but he NEVER came. I waited over ONE HOUR in the dark with no park ranger. I drove to check up on the raccoon and the raccoon was still there. I called 911 again and spoke to the same male who claimed the park ranger met me when he did NOT.

Finally, drove to check up on the raccoon and the raccoon was gone. I drove back up to the front where a park ranger was there and other park rangers in a second vehicle. I thought they were going to help the raccoon and save her, but this park ranger told me, “He took care of it (the raccoon).” I asked what do you mean you “took care of it?”

He told me he SHOT the raccoon and left in the field. He murdered the poor raccoon which was suffering. Then I asked if he buried it and he said they don’t do that. He was apathetic. NO compassion, NO empathy, and CALLOUS behavior of this park ranger disturbed me. This raccoon had a chance to live, and they could have saved the poor soul, but instead the park ranger shot and murdered her.

I felt guilty for even trying to call for help. Had I known he was going to murder the poor raccoon, I would have stayed with her and let her die naturally and buried her. I told him that I waited for over 1 hour at the front of the building and he never came. He said he “saw me “but he never bothered to stop and talk to me even though I was desperate to show him where the raccoon was and tried to get help. If this park ranger saw me and knew I called 911, and his boss told him to meet me there, then WHY DIDN’T HE STOP TO TALK TO ME?

This makes no sense, and it shows how poor their customer service is and lack of any empathy he had towards me and the raccoon.

• I felt sick and disgusted that the Texas State Park rangers have no compassion and no respect for wildlife. I feel sick that when I tried to get help there were no emergency numbers or contact information posted on the doors for afterhours help at Pedernales Falls State Park.

• I felt sick and disgusted that the park ranger had no empathy and no compassion towards the raccoon or me and just nonchalantly told me he shot the raccoon and disposed of it in the field as if it were nothing.

• The raccoon’s life was valuable. It was a life that God created and should have given a chance to live. The raccoon’s life was precious and valued. When the park ranger told me nonchalantly, he shot it and disposed of “it” made me sick.

Overall, I stayed over 1 hour and 45 minutes to get help for the raccoon and instead the park ranger murdered the raccoon and left it in the field. He was disgusting, crude, callous and unprofessional. I like Pedernales Falls State Park, but this experience made me never want to visit again and gave me a horrible impression of park rangers. What a stain on Texas State Parks.

This is a very nice park with a number of hiking trails. If you go in summer be prepared as it does get hot but then again you can always jump into the Pedernales River to cool off. We have actually visited a number of times. If the water is up the Falls are kind of fun. Then again if the water is down you can do some rock scrambling to cross the River. There are many other hiking paths as well We would recommend many of them. A lot of picnic tables and places to have a place to stop rest and eat.

The visit was really nice. Water was nice and low enough for us to walk on the rocks for quite a distance. Park guides were very nice.

Pedernales Falls State Park has a beautiful trail, amazing blue holes, and is just a great place to check out if you're looking for something outdoors in the Austin area. You can't swim in certain areas, but overall it's a beautiful sight to see if you haven't had to chance to see it for yourself.

I'm not a big fan of hiking & my family is not birders. They drop me of at the best bird blinds I've ever been to & they go hiking. I've never been disappointed here.

I can't really comment on the falls or the swimming here, but for hikers Pedernales Falls State Park is a great place to visit. It's only $6 entry per person or free for your whole car if you have an annual Texas State Park Pass. I hiked the 6 mile Wolf Mountain trail and it was very challenging. The trail doesn't offer a lot of shade, so bring a hat, wear sunscreen, and bring plenty of water with you or you're gonna have a bad time. It's a pretty rugged path in some places, so sturdy shoes or hiking boots are a must. I'll definitely be back to explore the other trails.

For 12,000 years, people have called Pedernales Falls home. The River has meant life, commerce and now tubing tourists. Easy to reach and near Johnson City (named for one of the late-President’s ancestors), the State Park offers great hiking trails, birding and - on the day we visited - a chance to see what a bone-dry riverbed looks like.

The winding road to the Park Station reminds us we’re in Hill Country. Nice vistas. The Park Rangers were friendly, suggesting trails and noting the lack of water in the Falls.

We hiked the Pedernales Falls Trail System which includes a slippery stairway to what would be a raging Pedernales, if not for a drought. LBJ grew up on the River (aka “per-de-nal”); he probably hung out right here. Families climb over rock formations and gaze into standing pools of turquoise water. Photographers set-up tripods by signs warning of flash floods. A watery trickle can be heard at Cypress Pool, but otherwise the closest water is the vending machine in the parking lot.

On the way back, we stopped at the Star Theater Bird Blind. “Beware of Snakes” signs everywhere, suggesting they like to hide in this dark bird blind and enjoy chomping on birds. A cardinal was flapping furiously inside one of the two windowed blinds; maybe it saw the same signs. We spotted two Downy Woodpeckers, several doves, a kingfisher and hawk. Lots of wildlife and history here. We hope to visit again when there’s water.

It was sad. We drove an hour to find out they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. We are visiting on a Tuesday. This was not on the trip advisor. Very sad we were looking forward to it. It is a pretty drive to get to it

Back in September we rented an RV to see if we would like it and possibly purchase one later. Pedernales was our choice and it was worth it. There was plenty to see in the area. The wildlife was abundant. We saw deer wandering through through the park. There was also a herd of wild hogs that ran through our campsite at dusk. I'm glad they weren't closer because they're mean. The park was clean, the campsites excellent. The Rangers helpful. We had water and electric. It was great ad we would recommend it, especially if you're into hiking.

Don't try with a wagon or stroller. It was a distance from parking and with many steps. Had a great time with family and friends. Beautiful clear water. Would recommend water shoes if walking much or too far. A few in our group that didn't have were complaining by the end of day that their feet were raw. Much to explore.

The pictures do it no justice!!! Such a gorgeous place! We would come back anytime. Worth the trip we made out of our way.

We visited the State Park with friends and did an entire day of hiking. We also visited the swimming area and it was amazing. The water was cold and was brown due to the recent floods in Houston but many people were still swimming and having a good time. I even saw a few people float down on the currents. It was a blast to get out of the city and enjoy nature at its best! Lovely views and breathing fresh air makes a big difference. We also took our friend's 2 dogs and they had a blast! Amazing Natural Wonders of Texas!

Because the river level is so low, the Pedernales Falls Trail provided an amazing day experience for our g-kids to explore the hidden crevices and caves generally hidden beneath the river. It was like an outdoor jungle gym. We even played hide 'n seek!! What an absolute blast had by all.

Pedernales Falls State Park is easy to get to in Johnson City and with a short 10-minute hike downhill you have river access to cool off.
We packed a picnic, brought some shade and beach blanket to hang out for the day. During the busy summertime and/or pandemic regulations we did need to make an online reservation well ahead of our visit. We usually have an annual Texas state parks pass, but they have reasonable daily entry fees regardless of your pass. Tip: Stay on trails and always carry plenty of drinking water in and take your trash with you as you leave the park.

We just spent 5 days camped at Pedernales Falls, the campsites were great. Our site was fairly private, wildlife came right up behind our site. We were able to see a fox and several deer without even leaving our site. The hiking was fantastic, the trails are left more natural than other parks I have seen which made for some beautiful scenery. We were there with our 16 month old, it's definitely a family friendly place. There are a lot of places to swim in the river, from what we could tell it was safe for all ages. There were small shallow areas for younger kids where the current wasn't strong. Overall, we highly recommend this park.

First...the park rangers and staff were exceptional...they were johnny on the spot cleaning up campsites when people left. The bicycle trails were a blast. Get a mountain bike and ride them...it was fun. Everyone out enjoying the pleasant weather: walking, riding bikes, jogging.It was so peaceful and quiet and then the peace went away. Two ladies with two dogs moved into campsite 43 and the dogs went bezerk on everyone passing by. They simply loved the sound of their barking dogs.

To get to the waterfall you have to walk a steep gravel trail.
Going is easy, return back you have to walk steep slope. The park has a wonderful scenery. Also check the weather forecast before you go.
Be prepared.

We hiked all day, mostly on the newish Juniper Trail (black on the map, not sure of the name). It was single file trail and through the park, it was beautiful. After the hiking ended, we relaxed in the river for a while to cool off. The little fish were nibbling on our legs it was great.

great campground new showers very quiet walked down to the boulders walked up river had a great time.will go back next christmas.