About 30 miles west of Austin sits a geological gem of a state park. Within the park, the Pedernales River cuts through quite a few layers of geological history before crashing, tumbling and swirling its way down over a section of fossiliferous marble and limestone that exhibit something geologists call “angular unconformity” (basically that means it isn’t behaving, silly naughty rocks). This creates the Pedernales Falls.
Let’s Talk Falls
The actual elevation change from above the falls to below is rather minimal, as far as falls go. However, the falls themselves cover quite a large area which makes them even more geologically unusual.
Like most waterfalls they have eroded a Pool below at their base.
The River
The river is flanked by Bald Cypress trees, whose gnarled roots and knees make the banks a surreal and yet extremely peaceful scene to behold. The gentle babbling of the water over rocks in the rapids is contrasted by the more placid portions where the water is deep.
Bald Cypress trees of central Texas can get quite large. If you haven’t been up close and personal with, say, the giant redwoods in California you may not believe they are real. Especially for children who live in certain areas of Texas, where most of the trees are cedar, mesquite, or pine oak, and don’t get more than about 40 feet tall by 2 or 3 feet at the base, a tree that stands a 100 feet plus and has a base that can reach 12-15 feet across is quite a shock. I didn’t see any quite that big in the park but I did in nearby Krauss Springs which I will be writing about in the near future.
There is a fairly large variety of landscapes in the park. From dense tree cover, to grasslands (like what’s pictured above), to arid rocky parts.
Hitting the Trails
The park has ample trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and backpacking. If the Wikipedia page is anything to go by it claims it has 44 miles of trails, but some of those are multi-use so most likely more like 20-30 miles. Though if you don’t fancy that kind thing and still wish to see the falls, the trail to the falls is only .5 miles from the closest parking lot. No matter how you calculate the trails, though, with over 5,200 acres of park land, you could say that they have some room to play here.
Some of the trails have a lot of stairs. Like, a lot a lot.
In one area there are supposed to be over 100. Anyone need a calf/leg workout?
Meanwhile, the stairs to the overlook are quite picturesque, and workout or not, are totally worth it.
Some of the paths are well-worn grooves indicating they get a lot of action as bike trails. However I encountered no one there, hiking or biking.
Many of the smaller trails are marked only with ribbons, but they’re still marked.
There are some decently-sized cliffs along the river. I don’t believe repelling or rock climbing is a thing, though, as the rock here is comprised of a loosely compacted cretaceous-era sandy limestone material with cobbles of chert, limestone, and fossils occasionally interspersed, called Sycamore Conglomerate.
Some of the trails are really wide, and also nicely shaded and level. So, if you’re looking for a casual stroll or bike ride, they got you covered too.
This Rocks!… geology puns are my schist
Here (see above) is a moss-covered chunk of Sycamore Conglomerate. The conspicuous shape on the bottom edge appeared to be a badly desiccated fossil clam. Probably due to re-fossilization and transport. (Meaning it was already a fossil when it mixed with the other rocks in the layer to form cobbles in a conglomerate).
Here Lizard Lizard Lizard
There were Earless Lizards everywhere there was sand, which made for some fun picture opportunities.
Sunfish and Central Texas Cichlids (aka Rio Grande Perch) were plentiful in the shallows and were guarding their nests fiercely.
Butterfly Garden and Bird Blind
The butterfly garden and bird blind is very nice and somewhat unexpected feature.
It is shady and tranquil with flowers and butterflies everywhere.
The bird blind was cool and quiet, despite the heat outside. A slight breeze blew around the room, so it must have some form of cooling, apart from the box fan sitting on the floor that wasn’t on. There are also benches.
They scattered bird seed everywhere, the cheaters. Still, in the 45 seconds I was in the room I saw about 5 different birds. Not an ornithologist at all, I only recognized the male Cardinal.
Finally, near the park headquarters is a nice viewing platform that looks out over the Texas hill country. It makes a good spot to take photos, with a rather picturesque background and the rock platform for framing.
