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TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:33 pm
by Java Jack
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Pedernales Falls:
Located between Dripping Springs and Johnson City in central Texas, Pedernales Falls is a great place for the outdoor enthusiast and family camper. From south Austin area, it took us about 35 mins to get to the campground. The Campground is clean, most sites have plenty of tress and shade and there are plenty of hiking trails for all levels. There is wood and ice available for purchase if needed but no local store for grocery items if you forgot anything. The nearest store is either in Dripping Springs (about 8+ miles) or Johnson City (not sure exact distance)

Sites:
The sites are single car wide but most are deep enough for an RV or Travel Trailer. Some sites are more wide open with sparse tree coverage while others are more secluded with lots of trees. There are about 70 sites total for the campground but it can fill up quickly so call before you haul and make reservations in advance!
Developed sites have power and water.
Sites also have fire rings (assuming no burn ban) with a grill box as part of the fire ring
Sites have pole for lanterns and picnic table
Spots for tent(s)

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The low areas near the river are subject to flash flooding so be careful is rain is in the forecast.

Restrooms:
The restrooms are cleaned daily and have shower stalls with hot water. They are within walking distance for most sites but they do have a few parking spaces by each bathroom in case you don't want to walk to them.

Activities:
The park has a number of nature activities for the outdoor enthusiast. There are plenty of hiking trails for all age ranges. Some trails may be physically demanding while others are easy. The walk to the falls is fairly easy with stone steps down to the river front. Though the steps can be a bit steep for the less mobile but no more challenging that your typical stairway in a residential home. However, there are no handrails on those steps. The falls are one of the highlight features of the park and are quite beautiful but this is obviously subject to drought conditions.

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There are equestrian trails for those that have horses.
There is also a bird blind for those that enjoy bird watching. We saw a number of cardinals and several other species though we are far from experts on the subject.
There is a swimming area but we did not make it down there to check it out.

Fredericksburg is nearby and is a quaint historic Germanesque town with antiques, Museum of the Pacific (WWII), birth place of Chester Nimitz.

Internet Connectivity at the park:
Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your perspective but expect to unplug during your visit there as cell reception was challenging at best in the campsite. We did manage to get 1 bar if we stood in the street in front of our campsite and could get emails/texts as well as make calls but surfing the web is not really an option. So it can be good in that it forces you to enjoy the park more and your electronics less but if you need good connectivity for some reason, you will be challenged to get anything at this park.

Note: Alcohol not permitted.

Overall, this was a very nice park and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to camp and enjoy nature.

Re: TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:03 pm
by 2bits
Just a caveat about alcohol. It is permitted but standard state park rules apply: "No open display or consumption is allowed". AKA pour it in a cup!

From the Texas Parks and Wildlife State Park Operational Rules:

Sec. 59.134 Rules of Conduct: Alcoholic beverages. It is an offense for any person to consume or display an alcoholic beverage in a public place; or sell alcoholic beverages within a state park.

Sec. 59.131 Definitions. Public place: Any place to which the public or a substantial group of the public has access. The interior spaces of the following are not considered public places:
(A) department cabins, screened shelters, recreation halls, group barracks, and lodges; and
(B) tents, campers, trailers, motor homes, or any enclosed vehicle(s) that are used as camping equipment.

Re: TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:35 pm
by capnTelescope
2bits wrote:(A) department cabins, screened shelters, recreation halls, group barracks, and lodges; and
(B) tents, campers, trailers, motor homes, or any enclosed vehicle(s) that are used as camping equipment.

That sounds a lot like indoors only. :thinking: But wait! Screened shelters... If we set up Easy-ups with screened sides around the campfire, would that count? :scratchthinking:

What do the Powers That Be think people do around the campfire when they go camping? :apoplexy:

Re: TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:17 pm
by 2bits
It was probably a bit silly of me to post the "code"... park staff keep it pretty casual typically. Palo Duro not withstanding!

Re: TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:48 pm
by capnTelescope
Actually not silly at all, but a public service. :thumbsup: Ignorance is no excuse, blah blah.

I was the one being a bit silly with the Easy Ups. :) Or is Easy Ups a brand of training pants? :NC That would be really silly. :D

Re: TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 10:07 pm
by 2bits
Don't be silly! ! LOL!! :lol:

Re: TX - Pedernales Falls State Park Review

PostPosted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:52 am
by rockinrobin
Awesome review! :applause: Ronnie