Hill Country

Hill Country sits in central Texas, the rolling limestone-and-cedar plateau that breaks the line between the coastal plain to the east and the open western desert. It’s defined by spring-fed rivers — the Frio, Guadalupe, Pedernales, and Llano — wildflower roadsides in spring, and a string of small towns spaced an easy drive apart. Gillespie, Kerr, Blanco, Llano, Comal, Hays, and Bandera anchor the region, with Fredericksburg, Boerne, Wimberley, Bandera, and Marble Falls handling most of the visitor traffic. Austin sits at the eastern edge and San Antonio at the south, so the region is rarely more than a short drive from a major city. Trips here are usually unhurried — wineries and breweries near Fredericksburg, swimming holes in Hays and Comal counties, dance halls in Gruene and Luckenbach, and slow scenic loops on Ranch-to-Market roads. Most loops can be done in a long weekend out of Austin or San Antonio; longer trips earn the smaller dance halls and the back-road wineries.