Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site
State park in Gillespie County, in the Hill Country region. 765 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site is free to enter and sits across the Pedernales River from the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall. You can visit the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, where rangers in period clothing run a World War I-era Texas-German farm, see bison and longhorns from the trails, and swim in the Olympic-size pool in summer. Pick up a free permit at the visitor center to drive the LBJ Ranch.
Things to do
Sauer-Beckmann Farm
Rangers in period clothing raise crops, tend animals and cook meals. Tours are self-guided. The farm closes on the last Tuesday of every month.
LBJ Ranch driving tour
Get a map and free permit at the visitor center, then drive across the river to LBJ's birthplace, his one-room school, the family cemetery and the Texas White House. The ranch is part of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park.
Trails and historic cabins
Walk 1.2 miles of easy trails past longhorns to the bison pasture, and see the 1870s Behrens Cabin and the 1860s Danz cabin.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
Swimming is allowed in designated areas, including a pool. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring and summer
- Night sky
- Bortle 4
TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season. Wildflowers cover the park in spring, and the pool is open in summer. Buildings and the farm close on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Stonewall, TX 78671
(830) 644-2252
Open in OpenStreetMap (30.2377, -98.6263)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | 1 hr 15 min | 52 mi |
| San Antonio | 1 hr 33 min | 54 mi |
| Waco | 3 hr 4 min | 125 mi |
| Houston | 4 hr 7 min | 196 mi |
| The Woodlands | 4 hr 15 min | 186 mi |
| Fort Worth | 4 hr 22 min | 191 mi |
Nearby parks
- Old Tunnel State Park
- Blanco State Park
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
- Pedernales Falls State Park
- Guadalupe River State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.
Questions people ask
Is Lyndon B. Johnson State Park free?
Yes. There's no entrance fee.
Can you tour the LBJ Ranch from the state park?
Yes. Pick up a map and free permit at the state park visitor center for a self-guided driving tour.
Is there a pool at LBJ State Park?
Yes, an Olympic-size swimming pool that opens in summer.
Photo credits
- Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site July 2017.jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Wildflowers LBJ State Park Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Exhibits Hall LBJ State Park Texas 2023.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Lyndon B. Johnson has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026