The park gets its name from the large sloping waterfall that cuts through the park.
Getting there: From Austin head west on Highway 290. After near 30 miles
turn north on RM 3232. Continue north until 3232 dead ends into a T-section in the road.
The entrance to Pedernales Falls State Park is to the right off of FM 2766. The ranger station
for paying park entrance fees is a bit less than 3 miles north of the park entrance.
The Hikes: Pedernales Falls is one of the largest and interesting
parks to be found in the Central Texas area. With over 5,000 acres it includes a
reported 20 miles of trails, scenic views, camping areas and a dramatic waterfall.
The remains of a homestead and rock fences can be be found along the park's trails.
The land that makes up Pedernales Falls State Park once played host to ranchers
and signs of their presence remain in the park to this day. One can find the
remains of ranch houses, rock walls and even a settler cemetery.
The park features one of the larger camping areas in central Texas. The primitive
camping area can only be accessed by hiking a couple of miles from the Wolf
Mountain Trailhead, so you won't find yourself camping next to someone's motor home
outfitted with air conditioning and satellite TV.
Trails in Pedernales Falls State Park include numerous river and creek valley views.
Most people visit the park for the waterfall that gives the park its name. Large
crowds of people may be found walking up and down the shore of the Pedernales
River exploring the various rivulets and crannies of the waterfall system.
The trails in the park range from the short Falls Trail to get to Pedernales Falls
to the challenging Wolf Mountain Trail that draws many hikers to the park. The
4-Mile Loop trail crosses the Pedernales River to the seldom visited east bank
portion of the park and provides some of the best solitude to be found in
Central Texas.