Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site is a state park located along the Pedernales River in Gillespie County, Texas, United States west of Johnson City and east of Fredericksburg. The state created the park with donated land to honor Lyndon B. Johnson as a "national and world leader." The park opened to the public in 1970 and is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
History
Friends of Johnson raised the money to buy the land across the Pedernales River from Johnson's Ranch for the park and donated the land to the State of Texas in 1965. The master plan for the park was developed by Austin-area architect J. Roy White, a personal friend of the Johnson family who had worked extensively on the Johnson Ranch. White also designed the park's visitor center. The park was officially dedicated in August, 1970, in a ceremony attended by the Johnson family and a host of dignitaries. Since the dedication, the park has been expanded to approximately.Features
The park has a large visitor center complex with an interpretive center about Johnson's life. Tours of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park are by permit only and are by self-guided driving tour departing from the state park's visitor center.The park offers recreational facilities for swimming, tennis and baseball. Fishing is allowed in the Pedernales River and there is a nature trail for hiking. The park maintains small herds of Texas Longhorn cattle and American bison.