Texas has tons of springtime wildflowers to see and enjoy, throughout various parts of the state. As such, celebrating this time of year with a road trip which has the sole purpose of allowing you to enjoy them makes perfect sense! A Texas wildflower road trip can take you through all regions of this great state, but for the purposes of planning, and in the interest of time, we’ll focus on three. With these excellent choices, you can do either quick day-trips or plan an all-out vacation, incorporating a number of stops, stays, and great sights along the way. Although the weather is an integral component of planning such a trip (rainfall is important), Texas has a variety of wildflower blooms you can experience in each of these great locales:
Things to Do
3 Great Destinations for Taking a Texas Wildflower Road Trip
1. Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country features some of the prettiest wildflower fields and paths you could find anywhere! Amazing color blends that only nature could produce will find you flitting about from town to town, seeing outcroppings of not only bluebonnets, but beautiful primrose, Indian paintbrush, and coreopsis to name a few. A great place to visit on your Texas wildflower road trip would be Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site in Johnson City. Another great touring spot would be the Willow City Loop. Similarly, if you visit the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce visitor center, they have an entire wildflower map that helps tour-goers sort out exactly where to find the picturesque places throughout the area.
2. Texas Panhandle
An extension of the North American High Plains, the Texas Panhandle offers plenty to see on a Lone Star State wildflower road trip. Palo Duro Canyon State Park has beautiful blooms of sand lilies, fleabane daisies, and American basketflower, coupled with yucca and prickly pear in the canyon areas. Further to the north, at Caprock Canyons State Park, you’ll have the opportunity to gaze on yucca, gayfeather, and daisies. Meredith National Recreation Area also features asters and prairie zinnias as well as various species of daisies.
3. Eastern Texas Coastal Tour
Photo: Pixabay
A great stop on your Texas wildflower road trip along the east Texas coastline would be in Brenham. Fields of bluebonnets can often be found in and around this great town (home of the Blue Bell Creameries), not to mention a winery or two. Wildflowers are best enjoyed after a trip to the tasting room! Beaumont Botanical Gardens is also a wonderful spot to visit, including a natural garden with plants species which are native to Texas. The Katy Prairie Conservancy is also a unique road trip destination, which helps to protect over 20,000 acres west of the city of Houston that includes Indian paintbrush, firewheel, bluebonnets, and blue sage, among others. Finally, Brazos Bend State Park rounds out your Texas wildflower road trip quite nicely with a mixture of Carolina buttercups, wild indigo, lemon beebalm, and prairie coneflower.
