Pedernales Falls State Park is one of the most RV-friendly parks within an hour of Austin — with a catch or two you should know before booking. The park’s 69 water-and-electric sites accommodate everything from teardrops to larger rigs, but hookups are 30-amp only, there’s no sewer at the sites, and the most scenic corners of the park are a drive from the campground.
Here’s the full picture for RVers.
The Hookup Situation
Every one of the 69 campsites in the main loop includes:
- 30-amp electric hookup — note: 30-amp, not 50. If you run a 50-amp rig, bring your 50-to-30 dogbone adapter and plan your power budget (one AC unit at a time, mind the microwave).
- Water hookup at the site
- No sewer hookups at sites — but the park has a dump station, so plan tanks accordingly for stays up to the 14-night limit
- Picnic table, fire ring with grill, and lantern post
- Restrooms with hot showers in the loop — handy for stretching your gray tank
Cost is $20/night plus the park entry fee of $6/person/day (ages 13+). A Texas State Parks Pass waives the daily entry fees, which adds up fast for RV couples and families on multi-night stays.
Site Selection for RVs
The camping loop is wooded — Ashe juniper and oak — which means genuine shade (a blessing in summer) but also tree cover to watch on approach with a taller rig.
What to check when booking on the reservation map:
- Pad length. Site lengths vary; the reservation system lists max vehicle length per site. Measure your total length (rig + tow/toad) honestly before filtering.
- Slide clearance. The wooded sites that offer the best shade can be tighter for slides. The site photos on the TPWD reservation pages are worth studying.
- Levelness. Most pads are reasonably level, but this is Hill Country — bring your blocks.
What campers say about specific sites: in aggregated reviews, sites 7, 8, 9, and 11 come up repeatedly for shade and privacy, and reviewers also highlight sites 39, 42, and 51 for their Ashe juniper cover and buffer from neighbors. Shadier sites tend to be tighter for big rigs and slides, so cross-check the site photos on the reservation pages against your length before committing.
Booking reality: the same 5-month window and weekend scramble applies to RV sites as tent sites — they’re the same 69 sites. Book the morning your window opens for spring and fall weekends. Full booking walkthrough in our camping guide.
Getting There: Roads and Approach
The park entrance is off US-290 via FM 3232 / Park Road 6026 — paved, well-signed, and easy for any rig. No tight switchbacks, no low bridges on the main approach. The interior park roads to the falls parking and trailheads are also paved.
Two practical notes:
- The office closes at 4:30pm. Arriving later means calling ahead for the gate code — do it before you leave cell coverage, which brings us to:
- Cell service in the park is famously poor. Download offline maps, your reservation confirmation, and anything else you need before the Johnson City stretch of 290.
Provisioning: What’s Nearby
There’s a small park store at headquarters (ice, firewood, basics) and camp hosts sell firewood and ice in the loop, but no real grocery in or near the gate.
- Johnson City (15 minutes west): groceries, gas, hardware store, restaurants. This is your last real provisioning stop.
- Dripping Springs (30 minutes east): larger grocery options and a bigger restaurant scene if you’re coming from Austin.
- Propane: fill before you arrive; Johnson City has options.
See our where to eat guide for the good stops in both towns.
Life at the Campground With an RV
The campground is a drive from the falls. The park’s namesake falls overlook is a few miles from the camping loop by park road — you’ll drive, not stroll. The river access nearest the campground is a shorter walk. Plan the falls and the main swimming area as outings, not backyard amenities.
Generators: with 30-amp at every site, you shouldn’t need one — and quiet hours (10pm–6am) are enforced.
Summer power management on 30 amps: in 100°F August heat, a single roof AC will run nearly continuously. Park in the shadiest site you can get, use reflective window covers, and run high-draw appliances one at a time.
Burn bans: common in summer. When active, no wood or charcoal fires — propane fire pits and stoves remain fine. Check the alert status on the official park page before you haul firewood.
Is Pedernales Falls Worth It for RVers?
Honestly: yes, with the right expectations. You’re trading full-hookup resort amenities for a genuinely beautiful, well-spaced, wooded state park loop at a $20 state-park price — 45 minutes from Austin. The 30-amp ceiling and no-sewer sites are the only real compromises, and the dump station covers the second one.
If you need 50-amp full hookups, pull-throughs, and wifi, private RV parks along the 290 corridor will serve you better — and you can still day-trip into the park (buy day passes in advance; the park caps entries on busy days).
Quick RV Checklist for This Park
30-amp adapter (if you’re 50-amp), leveling blocks, fresh water full or filled at the site, tanks empty on arrival, offline maps downloaded, reservation + gate code saved, propane full, groceries from Johnson City, shade strategy for summer, and your family trip checklist if the crew is along.
Related Reading
- The Complete Camping Guide
- Park Fees, Hours & Directions
- Where to Stay Near the Park — for the nights you can’t get a site
Site details verified against TPWD as of July 2026. Confirm current fees and alerts on the official park page before your trip.
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