Waterfalls in Texas

Texas waterfalls, from Hill Country springs to Big Bend canyons

Waterfalls in Texas form where a river crosses a fault line, the edge of a limestone plateau or old volcanic rock. The state carries 71 named falls across 30 counties, clustered mainly in the spring-fed Hill Country, the desert Trans-Pecos around Big Bend, and the Panhandle's river canyons.

Where the waterfalls are

The Balcones Escarpment, where the Edwards Plateau steps down toward the plains, feeds most of the state's falls with limestone springs. Around Austin, Travis County has falls on Barton, Onion and Hamilton creeks; Burnet County has Krause Springs and the site of the original Marble Falls, submerged behind a dam since 1951. San Saba County holds Gorman Falls, and Blanco County has Pedernales Falls; Comal County and Kerr County have several low falls on the Guadalupe River.

The volcanic Trans-Pecos holds the state's biggest, most remote falls. Brewster County has Cattail Falls in Big Bend National Park; Presidio County has Madrid Falls in Big Bend Ranch State Park and, on the private Sierra Vieja ranchland, Capote Falls, closed to the public. Val Verde County has Dolan Falls on the Devils River.

The rest are scattered: Panhandle canyon falls in Randall and Crosby counties, and small creek and dam falls in Parker and Karnes counties.

Waterfalls worth the trip

• Gorman Falls, 78 feet over a travertine terrace in Colorado Bend State Park, is a rocky 3-mile round trip ending in a steep, slippery descent.
• Pedernales Falls, 30 feet of limestone steps, is an easy walk from the parking lot; swimming at the falls themselves is not allowed.
• Hamilton Pool Falls drops 46 feet into a collapsed limestone grotto; the trail down is a steep 0.25 mile, and a reservation plus vehicle fee are required.
• Upper and Lower McKinney Falls, both about 8 feet on Onion Creek, sit along a paved 2.8-mile trail where swimming is allowed.
• Krause Springs Falls, a 20-foot spring-fed cascade on private grounds, feeds a swimming pool and charges its own admission.
• Dolan Falls, a 7-foot ledge on the Devils River, is reached only by canoe or kayak, 16.4 miles below Baker's Crossing through a Class IV drop most paddlers portage.
• Cattail Falls in Big Bend National Park drops 195 feet in three tiers on a creek that usually runs as a trickle; the hike is 1.6 miles one way over boulders and slabs.
• Madrid Falls, 100 feet down a lava-rock canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park, sits on the Chorro Vista Loop, 4.6 miles round trip on a route needing a high-clearance vehicle.

When to go

Spring-fed falls — Gorman, Hamilton Pool and Krause Springs among them — run most of the year but thin out in drought, while rain-fed creeks like Barton and Onion Creek flood fast after a storm and dry to a trickle within weeks. Cattail and Madrid Falls usually trickle and surge after storms; summer temperatures at Big Bend Ranch can pass 100°F by late morning, so spring and fall suit the hike better. The Devils River is best floated in spring and fall, when flow suits the paddling trip to Dolan Falls.

Fees, permits and closures

State parks charge $5 a person at Colorado Bend, Big Bend Ranch and Devils River, and $6 at Pedernales Falls and McKinney Falls; children 12 and under are free, and a Texas State Parks Pass covers entry. Big Bend National Park charges $30 a vehicle for seven days. Hamilton Pool Preserve takes a reservation and a $12 vehicle fee on top of admission; only limited beach-area swimming is allowed as of September 2026, and the cliffside trail stays closed for rockfall. Dolan Falls also needs a $10 permit for the last stretch of state land, and its gates open only Friday through Monday. Colorado Bend's Gorman Springs Trail has been closed for tree work since September 2026, and Pedernales Falls' campground is closed for construction through October.

Safety

Flash flooding is the state's biggest hazard. In July 2025, a flood on the Guadalupe River killed at least 136 people in the Hill Country, most in Kerr County, where several low falls sit; the river flooded again in July 2026. At Pedernales Falls, rising or muddy water means leaving the riverbed right away. A teenager drowned at Hamilton Pool in 2016 after being pulled unresponsive from the water, and Dolan Falls, rated Class IV, is one paddlers are told to portage rather than run.