Year 2000 Events

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park:  Annual special events for the year 2000 include the following activities, and more:  

~Cowboy Songs and Poetry at the Johnson Settlement in Johnson City on April 8th.  

~National Park Week in both districts on April 17-23.  

~Mother's Day at the LBJ Boyhood Home in Johnson City on May 14th.  

~Father's Day at the LBJ Boyhood Home on June 18th.  

~Founder's Day on August 25th.

~LBJ Birthday Commemoration in Johnson City on August 26th. 

~LBJ's Birthday Celebration at the Ranch with Free Ranch Tours and a Wreath-Laying Service on August 27th.  

~Heritage Crafts Day at the Johnson Settlement in Johnson City on October 14th.  

~A Timeless Christmas in Johnson City on December 9th.

~The Christmas Tree Lighting and Evening Ranch Tours on December 17th.  

~The Park also has Night Sky astronomical evenings in the spring and fall. 

For more information on these and other recurring events, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Web site at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us or contact the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, P.O. Box 329, Johnson City, Texas 78636; phone 830-868-7128.

State Parks: The Texas Hill Country has 20 state parks and recreational areas. They are scattered through the region, with most of them in the eastern half, nearest Austin, Kerrville, and San Saba. The recreational areas include:  

~Blanco State Park  

~Colorado Bend State Park  

~Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area  

~Enchanted Rock State Natural Area  

~Fort McKavett State Historical Park  

~Garner State Park  

~Guadalupe River State Park  

~Hill Country (Louise Merrick Unit) State Natural Area  

~Honey Creek State Natural Area  

~Inks Lake State Park  

~Kerrville-Schreiner State Park  

~Kickapoo Cavern State Park  

~Landmark Inn State Historical Park  

~Longhorn Cavern State Park  

~Lost Maples State Natural Area  

~Lyndon B. Johnson State Historical Park

~McKinney Falls State Park  

~Pedernales Falls State Park 

~South Llano River State Park.  

For more information, contact Texas Parks and Wildlife, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744. You can also get more information from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Web site at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us. Links will also lead you to information for each of the listed parks.  

Hill Country of Texas

Texas trivia, Texans say, has nothing trivial about it. Things aren't just bigger in the Lone Star State, they're a lot bigger. Though not an opinion shared by everyone, there are almost 19 million Texans who feel that way.

The largest state in the lower 48, with 262,105 square miles, Texas has over 5,000 square miles of water and about 11,200 streams. Add to that about 755,000 acres in four national forests and five national grasslands, and Texas clearly ranks high as an outdoor playground. Further, 13 sites in the state are administered by the National Park Service; the number includes national monuments, parks, historical parks, and scenic rivers.

While the geography of the state ranges from near-bayou conditions east at Louisiana to the intense aridity of west Texas, the most appealing to many visitors is the west central section known as Hill Country. Hill Country is roughly marked by Interstate 35 on its eastern edge, US Highway 90 on the southern boundary, US Highway 83 on the western edge, and Texas Highway 29 on the north. A number of smaller towns dot the Hill Country area--such as San Saba, Midland, Junction, and Kerrville--but the major cities are San Antonio on the south and Austin on its eastern edge.

Within its hilly, forested terrain Texas Hill Country is an ideal outdoors setting for parks and touring areas. It has one national park, the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, and 20 state parks, natural areas, and historical centers.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park 

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park was authorized on December 2, 1969 and redesignated from a historic site to a national historical park on December 28, 1980. The park encompasses approximately 1,572 acres.

Approximately 140,000 visitors come to the park each year. The park has two visitor areas separated by about 14 miles: the Johnson Settlement/Visitor Center/Park Headquarters in Johnson City and the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall. The Park Visitor Center in Johnson City is 50 miles west of Austin and 60 miles north of San Antonio.

The park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Various guided tours of the LBJ Boyhood Home in Johnson City are offered seven days a week.

The Visitor Center in Johnson City contains a permanent exhibit gallery that showcases Lyndon Johnson's life and accomplishments. It includes a world events timeline, a display depicting the highlights of LBJ's Great Society programs, and a tribute to Mrs. "Lady Bird" Johnson. Also offered are two video presentations, both 30 minutes in length. One is about the Johnson Administration, the other about Mrs. Johnson's life and achievements.

Lyndon Johnson's grandfather and great-uncle established a cattle droving headquarters at Johnson Settlement in the 1860s. Their log cabin and subsequent barns, cooler house, and windmill are still here. There is also a modern exhibit center focusing on the cattle business, early Johnson family and settlement history, and Hill Country survival. A chuckwagon and longhorn cattle round out the "cowboy" atmosphere.