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1,200-acre nature preserve opening in Hill Country thanks to land donation

Pecan Springs Karst Preserve will include guided hikes, cave talks, bird-watching

A 1,205-acre nature preserve with hiking and bird-watching opportunities is opening in the Hill Country.

The Hill Country Conservancy announced Tuesday that an anonymous landowner donated the land to the nonprofit. It will be used for conservation, recreation, research and education.

The land is located about five miles west of Jarrell in Williamson County, north of Austin along Interstate 35.

A 1,205-acre nature preserve with hiking and bird-watching opportunities is opening five miles west of Jarrell in Williamson County, the Hill Country Conservancy announced. (Courtesy, Rich Kostecke via Buie & Co.)

The preserve, which will be called the Pecan Springs Karst Preserve, will open to the public on Sept. 23. It will be open on a limited basis for guided hikes, cave talks, bird-watching and other events.

“Pecan Springs Karst Preserve is by far the largest land donation that Hill Country Conservancy has ever received, and the property is well-suited to our mission to protect the water, wildlands and wonder of the Texas Hill Country,” Hill Country Conservancy CEO Kathy Miller said in a news release. “The generosity of the previous landowners and the trust they have placed in Hill Country Conservancy is truly awe inspiring. We also look forward to creating numerous opportunities for the community to enjoy the unique landscape that makes the Hill Country such a magical place.”

The land, which was used for cattle ranching, is located on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. It includes limestone caves and sinkholes that naturally filter rainwater as it flows into the aquifer.

A 1,205-acre nature preserve with hiking and bird-watching opportunities is opening five miles west of Jarrell in Williamson County, the Hill Country Conservancy announced. (Courtesy, Rich Kostecke via Buie & Co.)

It is also home to endangered species like the Salado Salamanders, Golden-Cheeked Warblers and Tricolored Bats and includes the headwaters for three tributaries of Salado Creek.

For more information about the HCC, click here.

A 1,205-acre nature preserve with hiking and bird-watching opportunities is opening five miles west of Jarrell in Williamson County, the Hill Country Conservancy announced. (Courtesy, Rachael Lindsey via Buie & Co.)

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About the Author
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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