Wherever you are in the world, come along with us for a quick visit to a few of our favorite Texas Hill Country destinations.
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It’s an analogy that works: August in Texas is like January in Illinois. Cabin fever, anyone? Yup, odds are good that the weather in both places at those times of year will make life indoors far more attractive than usual. And while we can argue at length about who has it worse—us Texans who suffer under a scalding sun versus those who must bundle up just to step out on their porch, the reality is that a little bit of virtual wandering can make it a little more bearable for everyone.
Wherever you hang your hat come August, we invite you to pour yourself a tall, cool glass of lemonade, find a spot on your favorite easy chair and come along with us for a Hill Country adventure through some interesting, must-see destinations. These are places you may or may not have heard of before today, but they’re all worth exploring. We’ve provided links to each destination’s website, so you can poke around the Internet and discover all sorts of additional wonders.
Who knows? You might decide to visit them in person later in the year, when temperatures finally drop in the Hill Country and the prospect of travel in the region seems less… well, hot and sticky.
Remember: If you do decide to venture out, as always we encourage readers to check websites for cancellations, closures and possible inclement weather—especially near water sources and on weekends.
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm (Boerne)
We’re more than a little partial to this small gem of a nature preserve, seeing as it’s just a few minutes from our HQ. For over 30 years, area residents led by Carolyn Chipman Evans have sought to cultivate appreciation for and stewardship of land near Cibolo Creek in historic Boerne. The property was once owned by a prominent, pioneering nineteenth-century physician, Dr. Ferdinand Herff, and his family. Today the land showcases walking trails, a nature center, a preschool, a weekly farmer’s market and a variety of noteworthy educational programs. But most people tend to favor the creek itself, especially when the flowing water and wind in the tree branches drown out distant noises. In a word? Gorgeous.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (Fredericksburg)
European explorers to the area were drawn to the massive pink granite dome, but Native Americans regarded it as significant for generations before the newcomers arrived. Situated just north of Fredericksburg and on the border of Gillespie and Llano counties, the park today hosts hikers, backpackers, birdwatchers and other nature lovers. For those who may not be able to visit in person, the website is incredibly informative, especially the section dedicated to the giant rock’s geology.
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment (San Marcos)
This innovative non-profit’s mission is to inspire “research, innovation and leadership that ensures clean, abundant water for the environment and all humanity.” And while many native Texans over 45 or so recall the property on which the center now sits as an erstwhile a travel destination featuring underwater mermaids and a legendary swimming pig named “Ralph,” today’s The Meadows Center is at the forefront of finding practical, forward-thinking and scientifically sound approaches to preserving one of our state’s most precious resources: water. That said, we’re keen on scrolling through their Instagram page to take in the cool, refreshing views of life in and around Spring Lake.
Pedernales State Park (Johnson City)
Did you know that the Hill Country region is especially noteworthy for being a karst landscape? This means that underlying the often thin soil is a limestone foundation eroded by climatory forces. Nowhere are those big slabs of limestone more visible than in the Pedernales River Basin. Visitors to the park can swim, hike, walk, camp, bike or even ride horseback. (Just use an abundance of caution as sudden rain storms can bring dangerous conditions!)
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (San Antonio)
Although most people are more familiar with the Alamo, in truth there is a cluster of missions—and one noteworthy aqueduct—located in the Alamo City. Technically they sit outside the confines of the Hill Country region per se, but given that San Antonio is the largest, most-frequented tourist destination in the area, we felt we’d be remiss not to include them. Plus, they’re simply beautiful.
Five of the missions—San José, Concepción, Espada, Valero and San Juan—together with Rancho de las Cabras collectively form one of only 23 official Unesco World Heritage Sites nationwide. According to Unesco, “The complexes were built in the early eighteenth century and as a group they illustrate the Spanish Crown’s efforts to colonize, evangelize and defend the northern frontier of New Spain.
In addition to evangelizing the area’s indigenous population into converts loyal to the Catholic Church, the missions also included all the components required to establish self-sustaining, socio-economic communities loyal to the Spanish Crown.” The properties contain more than just the historic church buildings. There are farm lands, kilns, granaries, residences and more. Working to preserve, protect, maintain and interpret the missions’ stories is a non-profit, Mission Heritage Partners, which is also worth a closer look for anyone concerned about historic preservation.
This article was last updated in December 2023.
