Austin. Mom. Blog.

Going to Pedernales State Park was all by chance for us this summer. We were visiting Krause Springs and didn’t have an enjoyable time so we travelled a little further and went to Pedernales State Park. I probably need to start off with why we didn’t enjoy Krause Springs. When we first arrived at Krause Springs the parking lot was full so I thought the area might be crowded. We were not allowed to see the springs or how crowded it was until after we paid the fee to enter. There also were NO REFUNDS. Since I had a good friend recommend the place, I was excited for us to go in. The fee was $5 for each adult and $4 for children ages 4-11. Under 4, the kids were free. We had to sign a release of liability. Having to sign a release should have raised red flags for us. Cautiously we walked down a steep hill to arrive at the springs. We went on a Friday afternoon and the place was definitely crowded. We were trying to manuever through people, tip-toe around people, and we tried not to step on anyone. First my husband slipped leaving his elbow bloody. Then the father of the friends that came with us fell. Both men were trying very hard to keep the kids from falling, but ended up being the ones who fell. My husband ended up being fine, but the father of our friends couldn’t move his arm. They wanted to leave immediately. Our friend couldn’t drive home because he was in so much pain. He ended up going to minor emergency, got put on pain pills, and now has to go to an orthopedic surgeon. Krause Springs was a beautiful site to see, but I honestly believe it’s not a place for small children. From what we saw, it didn’t look like there were many spots young children could wade in or stand in without the water going over their head. Our experience just wasn’t pleasant this time around.