The Texas Hill Country is famous for its hospitality, culture, and scenery. It runs roughly between Austin and San Antonio, west of Interstate 35, for a few hours’ worth of driving. In a state often stereotyped as mostly flat, the Hill Country proves those notions wrong, or at least not entirely right.
If you’re visiting the Hill Country or have just moved there, here are some places and things you should see and do:
Enchanted Rock
Volcanic in origin, Enchanted Rock is one of the largest batholiths in the country. A batholith is a large mass of rock formed from cooled magma. At Enchanted Rock, you can hike up the pink granite slopes to find vernal pools home to species living nowhere else on Earth.
It’s also a top rock climbing destination in the state, and you can hire a guide service to take you out if you don’t know the ropes.
Willow City Loop
This tiny town is not far from Enchanted Rock, which is renowned for its spring wildflower displays. March through May, people drive here from hours away just to see the gaudy displays of Texas bluebonnets and other flowers.
Bracken Cave
Located on private land on the northern outskirts of San Antonio, this cave is home to a colony of bats that number in the millions. At dusk, they emerge to feast on insects, and the site becomes a display of raw nature.
As the bats create a cloud-like effect due to their numbers, raptors swoop in on them, and snakes prowl the ground to strike at fallen bats and those that fly too low. Later, raccoons emerge to scavenge the scraps.
Barton Creek Greenbelt
In a city of more than a million people, the Greenbelt is a strip of wilderness. It’s popular with hikers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, and picnickers. Once or twice a year, it rains enough up the watershed for the usually dry creek bed to fill, and then it becomes a swimming hole and a whitewater kayaking run.
Balcones Canyonlands
This wildlife refuge provides critical habitat for threatened and endangered species. It’s geographically close to Austin, but it takes a long time to get to and provides a sense of remoteness in an area that’s rapidly growing.
McKinney Falls
A state park within the Austin city limits, McKinney is one of the cherished swimming holes that area residents flock to in the summer. Since it has a campground, it’s also a convenient weekend getaway destination.
Reimers Ranch
Officially, this is called Milton Reimers Ranch Park, but everyone just calls it Reimers or Reimers Ranch. It’s a beautiful tract of forest, meadows, and limestone cliffs along the Pedernales River. Popular activities include hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching, swimming, and rock climbing.
Hamilton Pool
Just down the road from Reimers is this iconic Central Texas landmark. It’s a spring-fed pool in a setting that resembles an outdoor cavern. In the warmer months, it’s a popular swimming hole, and you need reservations to get in.
Inks Lake
Inks Lake State Park is another great option for relief from the summer heat. Hiking trails and campgrounds make it a nice attraction all year long, though.
Longhorn Cavern
Longhorn Cavern State Park is close to Inks Lake, and many people visit both on the same trip. An underground river carved out this cave, and before it was a state park, it saw use by Native Americans, Confederate soldiers, and outlaws. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, locals used it as a nightclub!
Jacob’s Well
Jacob’s Well is a deep, crystal-clear spring-fed pool. It’s pretty small but still large enough to be a popular swimming hole. In the summer, you’ll need reservations to go.
Wimberley
Just south of Jacob’s Well is this charming small town known for its arts, crafts, and shops. It also hosts a big rodeo every Memorial Day Weekend. If you haven’t been to a Texas rodeo, it’s an experience you should check out!
The Salt Lick
The community of Driftwood is a short drive north of Wimberley, and its most famous resident is the Salt Lick, an iconic barbecue joint. Going to the Salt Lick is as much a cultural experience as it is a dining one. You can bring your cooler with beverages, and there’s often live music, especially on weekends.
Fredericksburg
There’s a heavy German theme here since it was German immigrants who settled in this town. It’s a hugely popular weekend getaway, and in season, it has some of the best peaches in the country.
Winery Tours
Another reason people like going to Fredericksburg is that the surrounding area has a lot of wineries. You can hop on a bus shuttle to tour a bunch of them in one day. If you can’t get to Fredericksburg, don’t worry; there are a lot of other wineries you can visit in the Hill Country.
Lost Maples
Most of Texas doesn’t get very much fall color, something that disappoints a lot of transplants. Lost Maples State Natural Area is an exception. This pretty park centered around the Sabinal River usually reaches peak color in early to mid-November.
Garner State Park
Close to Lost Maples is this popular state park. A limestone mountain dominates the skyline, and you can hike to the top of it, but the real attraction is access to the legendary Frio River. Fed by springs, this shallow river stays cool all year, even on the hottest summer days.
Aquarena Springs
You’ll find this spot on the grounds of Texas State University in San Marcos. Springs sustain a lake here, and it’s a great place to see wildlife. The best way to appreciate the clear waters of the lake is to go on a glass-bottom boat tour.
Brewpubs
A lot of breweries have opened in the Hill Country, and they’re popular gathering spots. One area that has a nice concentration of them is in Driftwood-Dripping Springs.
Buc-ee’s
Buc-ee’s is a cultural thing in Texas. A Buc-ee’s store is a gigantic gas station with a shop where you can get beef jerky, candy (a huge collection of bins), freshly cooked barbecue, and more. In the Hill Country, you can find a Buc-ee’s off Interstate 35 near New Braunfels.
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Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border makes a lot of lists of the most beautiful places in America. There’s also a lot to do there, with a wide range of outdoor recreation, great dining, resorts, nightlife, and more. If it’s your first time going or if you’re going back, consider adding some of the following places to your itinerary.
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