Perdenales Falls State Park

11-3-06 Pedernales Waterfall State Park, TX	Blanco, Pedernales Falls
Trailhead: NAD27 302003.11 981508.88 +-13

Then I drove to Pedernales Waterfall State Park. I really liked it. A short hike down a gravel road led to the limestone-floored Pedernales River. A sign near the trailhead, showed a warning picture of raging whitewater during flood but today the water was low. I photographed and explored the downstream section of rock trying to determine the type of rock. I found a brief through trip and a few small, smooth canyons and holes near the river channel.

I hopped across the moving water and hiked upstream to the falls. I crossed to the private side of the river and found a shelter cave but couldn’t immediately determine how to access without wet feet or jumping off an 8’ cliff. I saw a hole in the limestone wall ahead but the walkway ended in a bluff wall. I discovered a hole into the shelter cave on my way back downstream and explored that.

I crossed back over below the falls and continued upstream. Seeing fossils in the rock, I finally knew it was limestone. I crossed back over the stream above a small cascade and climbed up to a rock bluff finding an entrance to a 30’ long cave through the bluff. Near the entrance I saw the mud nest of several swallows. After Pedernales, I tried to find the West Cave Preserve and eventually learned it was closed. I GPSed the entrance, GPS: 302008.68 980828.53 +-16. Then I went to Guadalupe State Park.

Back to Texas

Perdenales Falls State Park Gallery

Perdenales Falls SP

Back to Texas