Beautiful Pool at Pedernales Falls

History:
Pedernales Falls State Park – over 5,000 acres, east of Johnson City – was acquired from private owners in 1970 and opened to the public in 1971. Formerly the Circle Bar Ranch, the park is located on the banks of scenic Pedernales River, and typifies the Edwards Plateau terrain.

The Falls:
Pedernales Falls is the park's main attraction and may be viewed from a scenic overlook at the north end of the park. In this area, the elevation of the river drops about 50 feet over a distance of 3000 feet, and the cascading falls are formed by the flow of water over the tilted, stair-step effect of layered limestone. These river limestones belong to the 300-million-year-old Marble Falls formation and are part of the southwestern flank of the Llano uplift. The layers of limestone were tilted by the uplift, then eroded long before early Cretaceous seas of the 100-to-120 million years ago covered this part of Texas and deposited sands, gravels, younger limestones, and marine fossils.

Activities:
Activities include camping; picnicking; hiking; river swimming; tubing; wading; mountain biking; fishing; bird watching (checklist available); and horseback riding.

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