Hill Country, TX – Ah, the fabled Texas Hill Country. Mentioned to us numerous times as a must visit region including Austin and San Antonio Texas, we figured we’d enjoy it. But, exactly what would it look like? Well, it’s obviously not the Rocky Mountains we’re used to from Colorado. Nor is it as tall or imposing as the Appalachian Mountains I’m used to from growing up in Virginia. It’s more than a chain of mountains occupying a narrow strip of land. Rather, it’s a very large area (~1000 mi²) of hills that rise 400-500 feet above the surrounding terrain. The hills are covered in exposed rocks and boulders with vegetation consisting mainly of juniper, yucca, cactus and live oak tress. It looks very much like the American Southwest.
And it makes for fantastic hiking. We used the book, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of San Antonio and Austin: Including the Hill Country, to pick most of these hikes. We will definitely return in the future for more hiking adventures. During our drives to the hikes we enjoyed spotting exotic wildlife being raised on numerous ranches across the region. In the spirit of one of our favorite hiking guides “Boots and Burgers: An Arizona Hiking Guide for Hungry Hikers“, we decided to make some Boots and BBQ pairings for Texas Hill Country. We’ve described our BBQ restaurant experiences separately in our BBQ, Texas Style post and list our pairings below. We also enjoyed hiking and camping in our RV at McKinney Falls State Park which can be paired with Terry Black’s BBQ, both located in Austin.
We spotted exotic wildlife such as gembok, gazelles and fallow deer being raised on Hill Country ranches
Castroville Regional Park
I have a soft spot for regional parks such as this one. Without the benefit of federal or state funds, they rely on local citizens to create and maintain the park. The evidence of community efforts are quite visible here, from a number of publicly signed Eagle Scout projects to numerous clean-your-park days, when residents come and pick up litter, cut back brush and clean off graffiti. At only 126 acres this is a fairly small park, but they’ve managed to use the contours of the landscape to good effect and create over a dozen hiking trails that each seem isolated from the next. There are also muti-use fields, fishing opportunities on the Medina River, a swimming pool and even an RV park. This park is located in Castroville, about 20 miles west of San Antonio, TX. Admission is free. We did not have a BBQ pairing for this hike.
Website: Castroville Regional Park
Castroville Trailhead from the day use parking area
Well this sounds inviting
The trails at Castroville trails wind through a variety of landscapes
Overview of the Castroville Regional Park from above
The junctions are clearly marked
The canal trail parallels a canal
The Medina River runs along the Castroville Regional Park
We spotted numerous birds along the trails including this cardinal
We spotted airplants growing in numerous trees
Mike couldn’t resist the Determination Trail which was steep, muddy, and relentless
Kerrville-Schreiner Regional Park
If this park seem larger and more elaborate than most regional parks, there is a good reason: it started life as a state park. From their website, “Kerrville-Schreiner Park began as a city park built by the C.C.C. in the 1930’s then deeded to the State of Texas and became a State Park. On February 13, 2004, Kerrville-Schreiner Park was transferred back to the City of Kerrville”. So that explains why 517 acres have been turned into an urban oasis, replete with miles of hiking trails, dozens of cabin rentals, a large RV park, river access with kayak rentals, and many other activities. Admission is a reasonable $4/person.
We hiked about 5 miles of trails here and spent some time scouting the RV park for a future trip in the motorhome. A word for owners of big rigs, I would opt for the 50 AMP sites, which have far fewer ill-placed trees to contend with than the 30 AMP sites. I wish I taken a picture of just how tight these 30 AMP sites are. We are not one to shy away from tight sites, but at some point a big rig just won’t fit. We paired this hike with Buzzie’s Bar-B-Q in Kerrville.
Website: Kerrville-Schreiner Regional Park
Along the Yellow Trail
Trails and junctions are well marked
The trails wind through wooded areas
Some of the 50 amp pull through RV sites at Kerrville Schreiner can accommodate big rigs
Hill Country State Natural Area
A large park located in rural Texas Hill Country, the aptly named Hill Country State Natural Area is a gem of a public space that should not be missed. Approximately 40 miles of multi-use trails crisscross the rugged terrain, from flat creek bottoms to steep, rocky canyons. We hiked about 4.5 miles of trails starting from the park headquarters and making a clockwise loop in the southern portion of the park. We started on the flat and easy walking Heritage Loop before transitioning to the steeper and rugged Medina Loop, then opting for the views from the Comanche Bluff Overlook Trail and finally connecting back to the Herritage Loop via the wetter creek bottoms of the Chaquita Falls Trail. Only a very short stretch of this loop (perhaps 0.1 miles) is on the road. Most, if not all, of the trails can also be used by mountain bikes and horses. A number of primitive campsites are dispersed throughout the park to facilitate backpacking or front country car camping. Admission is $6/person. No BBQ pairing.
Website: Hill Country State Natural Area
The Hill Country State Natural Area is located off of a dirt road
Along the trail
Another view of the trail in the Hill Country State Natural Area
Cactus dotted the landscape
The Medina Trail wound up and down over rocky hills
View from Comanche Bluffs Trail
Along the Chaquita Falls trail
Pedernales Falls State Park
This scenic state park typifies the Texas Hill Country: rolling hills with beautiful views into distant drainages. The landscape here is dominated by mesquite, juniper and cactus, with stands of live oak and pecan, elm, sycamore, walnut and hackberry near sources of water. This 5000 acre park is only 30 miles west of Austin and is a great option to escape the busy city on a hot weekend. We hiked a 5 mile lollipop on the Wolf Mountain Trail and would love to return someday for more. Listen to the description of the Wolf Mountain Trail from the state park website and tell me your hiking DNA isn’t piqued for exploration: “This challenging trail wraps around Tobacco and Wolf mountains and winds along the small canyons created by Mescal and Tobacco creeks. Along the way, cool your heels at Arrowhead Pool, where Bee Creek spills into stair-stepped pools”. Admission is $6/person. We paired this hike with Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas.
Website: Pedernales Falls State Park
The landscape at Pedernales Falls State Park
Along the Wolf Mountain Trail
Creek along the trail
Wolf Mountain Trail is very wide and easy to follow
View of the Pedernales River from Wolf Mountain Trail
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
This is the crown jewel of Texas Hill Country natural areas, with sweeping vistas that can’t be beat. Seriously, if you only have one day to spend hiking in central Texas, do so here. The main focus is the steep walk up Enchanted Rock, a 425’ dome of exposed pink granite called a batholith. From the top you’ll enjoy 360 degree views of the surrounding landscape, and walking up and down the steep but high-traction granite is half the fun. I think it’s quite reminiscent of hiking slick rock in Utah canyon country. Admission is $7/person.
We started at the Loop Trail Trailhead
View along Loop Trail
We opted to start on the Loop Trail that encircles Enchanted Rock, offering multiple views of the monolith you’ll climb towards the end of your hike. About halfway through the Loop Trail we hopped on Echo Canyon Trail, which bisects two domes (Enchanted Rock and Little Rock). Then we joined the in-progress Summit Trail for the steep march to the top. We finished our loop by descending the entire length of the Summit Trail to the parking lot and walking the final 0.25 miles on the road back to the start of the Loop Trail. Our total loop was about 5 miles and our fitbit claims 72 floors of elevation change. We paired this hike with a trip to Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Llano, Texas.
Website: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Loop Trail heads across granite rock
View of Enchanted Rock from the Loop Trail
Trails are well marked at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Enchanted Rock behind Moss Lake from Loop Trail
This section of Enchanted Canyon Trail climbs up rocks (center of photo) on the way to the Summit Trail
Mike nears the top of Enchanted Rock
Pools and plant islands dot the top of Enchanted Rock
View from Enchanted Rock
Lost Maples State Natural Area
Lost Maples State Natural Area is a long drive from anywhere, but it’s relatively close to Hill Country State Natural Area, so combining those two makes sense if you have the time and energy. This is a fairly small park, but the ruggedness of the land, steep canyon walls and scenic river make for an ideal outing. We just did a short day hike, but camping sites are available, both backcountry (i.e., backpacking) and drive-to sites with electric and water hookups.
The East Trail has numerous stream crossings on conveniently placed rocks
Some early season flowers were beginning to bloom during our mid March visit
Starting from the day use/picnic area, we hiked the East Trail Loop, which is about 4.6 miles. The trail starts out mellow, meandering along and occasionally across the scenic Sabinal River (numerous large rocks strategically placed across the river facilitate crossings). I couldn’t help but notice on the paper trail map a note that says “steep” about 1 mile from the beginning of this trail. Well, they mean it. No switchbacks here, just straight up a rocky slope. I’m guessing you gain 400′ in about 0.5 miles. The views at the top are outstanding, and on a busy Sunday in spring, the day we went, you’ll be sharing them with dozens of people. After enjoying the views you drop straight back down the other side of the hill and back to river level. There are some particularly nice camping areas here, labelled “Primitive Campsite C” on the map. A quick 1 mile walk on the East-West Trail takes you back to the parking lot. No BBQ pairing.
Website: Lost Maples State Natural Area
The water was very clear at Lost Maples State Natural Area
East Trail includes an extremely steep and rocky climb to reach the ridge top
View along a ridge top portion of East Trail
View of the Sabinal River from the ridge top
While in the San Antonio region, we stayed in our RV at the Alsatian RV Resort. We went on a quest to find the best Texas Style BBQ in the region and spent a half day visiting the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch for an “African Safari -Texas Style”. We visited the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the spent time at the Alamo and exploring the fabulous San Antonio River Walk.
