Pedernales Falls - 5.5 Mile Loop

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. Upon entering the park continue, drive approximately 3 miles and take the second right turn after the park headquarters building. Take the second left turn in the camper parking area and continue to the T-section at the back of the camper area where there are a few parking spaces for hikers.

The Hike: If Pedernales Falls State Park has a wild side, the 4 Mile Loop trail is it. While not particularly rugged or remote by backcountry standards, the trail's position on the opposite, unbridged river bank from the rest of the park serves as a filter for the vast majority of park visitors. Considering how easy it is to get across the river this says much more about the people who visit the park rather than the trail itself.

The day's hike begins at the waypoint "Trailhead". Our first surprise of the day occurred literally within feet of the beginning of the hike. As we passed by a Cedar tree we startled, and were startled by the presence of, five deer feeding on a patch of grass that had been mowed recently by the park. Once the initial shock subsided the deer went back to their grazing about 50 feet from us. We stood there silently for a couple of minutes until the child of a camper noticed the deer, but not us, and promptly charged after them on his bicycle while bellowing the less than endearing chant, "kill the deer!" The river crossing could not come soon enough for us.

Rivers are often differentiated from creeks by whether there are tributaries that run into them. By this definition the Pedernales River is indeed a river. By the standards of how much water flows between its banks the Pedernales on our the day of our trip might better be termed a large creek. Don't be fooled for a minute that this unassuming body of water can not pack a punch when conditions are right. The condition of the river banks provide ample proof of that.

I had hiked the 4 Mile Loop several years ago. On this trip, when I got toward the banks nothing looked familiar. Nothing at all. When we approached the actual river crossing I recognized the place immediately and saw the signs of momentous change. Areas that had been heavily covered were now sandy and grassy. Huge trees that towered over the area were knocked over or gone. Those trees that remained bore markers to show just how big the little Pedernales could be. Above our heads log and brush debris marking the highpoint of a flood that must have crested 20 feet or more above the current water line and well above our heads. The Pedernales is typically small, but she can pack a punch after heavy rains.

The river crossing requires wading in the cool and moderately rapid waters as they rush over a smooth rock surface. Rather than a chore to be dreaded, the crossing is a refreshing treat and will be again on the return journey.

Once on the far side of the river, the hiking begins in earnest. The trail leaves the rocky river bed and climbs immediately upwards. After about 50 feet of ascent the trail levels off somewhat and continues east.

One of the reasons why the 4 Mile Loop may not be as popular a hike is the trail condition. It's usually easy to follow, but is typically not marked, save for a few trees with painted while blazes. After a summer growing season a good portion of the trail was overgrown with grasses that swiped at legs and feet. This situation is ideal for catching chiggers, so bug spray is recommended when such conditions exist.

The trail forks at the first "Y-L" waypoint on the topo map. We chose to hike the loop in a clockwise manner.

At the waypoint "Y-R" there is a small open prairie with what appear to be numerous trail options. The main trail continues to the immediate right. A short side trail continues straight here and is shown on the topo map in blue. This detour provide several towering views of the western side of the park below before it runs into barbed wire fence.

A word needs to be said about the track on the topo map. Due to precision errors in receiving the GPS satellite signals it looks like we crossed over the dashed line that marks the northern park boundary here. We never crossed the fence line here nor anywhere else in the park and of course no one else should either.

The trail was strangely soggy for some distance along the park's top boundary. We were more than happy when we turned at the far corner and headed south down the steep, but rocky and dry, slope headed south.

The cemetery found at the back edge of the park serves as a reminder of the people who lived and worked this land before the park was established. This particular cemetery is also quite mysterious for it offers no clues concerning who is buried here or how long they have been at rest. There are no headstones that are legible. The iron fences that surround some of the plots are the only obvious indication that people are buried here.

The trail on the second half of the hike tends to be somewhat easier to follow since it's based on an old jeep trail that has been heavily used in the past. At this point the hike is also slightly less hilly, with most of the elevation change going down, back to the Pedernales River.

We recorded a hike of about 5 miles, one mile longer than that reported by the park. Wading through a river was refreshing, wading through grass and weeds was not. Overall though, the 4 Mile Loop trail did what it promised to do. It sheltered us from the crowds for a few hours and for that we are grateful.