In Bloom

The best places to see wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country

Picture of Indian blanket wildflowers at sunset

This is the year to get out and see the wildflowers.

Photo by Marshall Hinsley

The unseasonably warm spring weather and ample rainfall has yielded an early bumper crop of beautiful wildflowers — bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, coreopsis, and many more are popping up all around town.

Grab your camera and head out for the best bluebonnet photos in recent memory. The most spectacular stretches of roadway and open fields can be found in nearby Hill Country counties.

Marble Falls
Perfect for a day trip, you can check out the spectacular bluebonnet vistas at the 400-acre Turkey Bend Recreation area. One of last year’s wildflower hot spots, Muleshoe Bend, is partially underwater, however the areas that are above ground are beautiful. If you want to cruise a stretch of bluebonnet-adorned country road, drive Highway 281 through Burnet all the way to Lampasas.

Burnet
On April 7-9 Burnet hosts the 34th Annual Bluebonnet festival, which draws more than 30,000 visitors each year. With the bluebonnets carpeting the hillsides, roads leading to Burnet in all directions are perfect spots for wildflower viewing. The festival is family-friendly, and a visit to Burnet’s historic downtown square is an added bonus.

Fredericksburg
In Fredericksburg, do not miss Wildseed Farms, a family owned wildflower farm. There, you will find beautiful fields of blooms and lots of family-friendly activities, as well as the option to buy bluebonnets and wildflower seeds.

Johnson City and Llano
Leave Fredericksburg and drive north on Highway 16 toward Llano to see long stretches of wildflowers along a very pleasant and picturesque 40-minute drive. Or take 290 to Johnson City and Fredericksburg with a detour to enjoy the Willow City Loop, which is a favorite for motorcyclists.

McKinney Falls State Park
If sleeping among the wildflowers appeals to you, this is the spot. The park, an hour-and-a-half north of San Antonio, is a 726-acre preserve with cascading waterfalls, hiking and cycling trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, limestone swimming holes, and fishing in Onion Creek and a campground.

Cedar Park
Twenty miles north of downtown Austin, Brushy Creek Lake Park is a perfect spot for family picnics. The park includes a lake, nature trails, picnic areas, and, yes, plenty of wildflowers.

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For more information, photos, and reports, check out Texas Wildflower Sightings. The Texas Department of Transportation also operates a Wildflower Hotline (800-452-9292) for updated information on all locations.

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Travel Tip

San Antonio declared best place to travel in 2025 by Travel + Leisure

Photo by Robert Lerma.

Pullman Market opens April 23.

San Antonians can now say they live in a destination city. Nationally recognized magazine Travel + Leisure has declared San Antonio one of the best places to travel in 2025.

The publication's annual "Where to Go" list reviews nearly 120 notable places around the globe and chooses only 50 for its collection of best destinations. Winners are then categorized into one of seven categories: cultural immersion, nature lovers, big-city thrills, moments on the water, food and drinks, beach vibes, and adventurous travelers.

"These are places that feel of the moment, whether that’s because they offer unparalleled access to the outdoors, a cultural immersion you can’t find anywhere else, a pulse-quickening hit of excitement, or the sort of blissful luxury only a true five-star property can deliver," Travel + Leisure editors wrote.

San Antonio was lauded as a must-visit destination for 2025 "For the Food and Drinks" by T+L. The Alamo City was specifically praised for being "on the cutting edge of culinary innovation" in part thanks to the 13 outstanding local restaurants that were recognized in the first-ever Texas Michelin Guide, and the numerous James-Beard Award-nominated local chefs and eateries.

"Elsewhere, chef and restaurateur Jason Dady will be opening Mexico Ceaty in early 2025, overhauling a food court to create a dining destination that highlights Mexican cuisine," T+L said.

Mexico Ceaty will bring several concepts to the Shops at Rivercenter. Rendering courtesy of SA Partnerships

The report also gives a shoutout to the increasingly popular dining complex Pullman Market, which opened earlier in 2024.

"Our market highlights the difference and value of truly fresh and truly local," said CEO Kevin Fink in the report. "Whether it’s whole fresh fish from the Gulf of Mexico, Berkshire pigs from down the road, or butter from a herd of cows whose milk tastes of the Texas landscape."

When it comes to finding a place to stay in San Antonio, there is no shortage of comfortable and lavish accommodations. T+L names two recently opened hotels in its report: Kimpton Santo, a boutique hotel that repurposed 19th century schoolhouses, and the fully renovated InterContinental San Antonio RiverWalk.

San Antonio was the only Texas city to be recognized in Travel + Leisure's "Where to Go" list for 2025.e Fort Worth previously earned this unique recognition in the 2024 report. Earlier this year, San Antonio won national acclaim in the publication's annual "World's Best" reader's choice awards, and was named the No. 6 best U.S. city in 2024.

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