A River Runs Through

The Pedernales River shapes the Texas Hill Country as it runs 106 miles from Harper to the Colorado River, and its banks have been traversed by cattle ranchers, American Indians, and German settlers. Lyndon Baines Johnson formed a deep childhood connection to the river and returned to it throughout his life. The LBJ Ranch sits in the middle of the river’s course, where President Johnson enjoyed driving guests over the low-water crossing and hosting barbecues along the river’s edge. The river left such a lasting impression on him that he proposed the Water Quality Act of 1965, the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.

Texas · United States