Pedernales Falls State Park is a Texas state park on the Pedernales River east of Johnson City and west of Austin, opened in 1971 after the state acquired the former Circle Bar Ranch. Its centerpiece is a broad river crossing limestone shaped by erosion into distinctive ledges and channels. The river supports swimming, tubing, and fishing, while the park also offers picnic areas, campsites, primitive hike-in sites, and extensive trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and backpacking. Typical Hill Country wildlife lives here, including white-tailed deer, coyotes, and the endangered golden-cheeked warbler. The river’s sudden, dangerous flash floods are a defining part of the landscape.