1. The Willow City Loop
- Where
- Northeast of Fredericksburg, off TX-16
- Length
- About 13 miles
- From Austin
- About 100 minutes to the start
- Best time
- The second and third weeks of April
The most famous wildflower drive in Texas. Thirteen miles of narrow ranch road dropping through a valley, with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush blanketing the roadsides in April. It is entirely private land on both sides — stay in the car or on the shoulder, and do not climb fences. Traffic in peak bloom is slow, which is fine, because so is the drive.
2. The Devil's Backbone
- Where
- RR-32, between Wimberley and Canyon Lake
- Length
- About 15 miles
- From Austin
- About 60 minutes to the start
A limestone ridge with the road running along the crest and views dropping away on both sides. There is an overlook partway along that is one of the best viewpoints in the Hill Country. Pairs naturally with a Wimberley day, and it is spectacular at sunset.
3. The 290 wine corridor
- Where
- US-290, Johnson City to Fredericksburg
- Length
- About 25 miles
- From Austin
- 60 minutes to the start
Not the most dramatic drive on this list, but the most rewarding to stop along. Rolling country, vines visible from the road, peach stands in summer, and the highest concentration of wineries in Texas. The drive is the destination here in a way none of the others are.
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Three wineries on the 290 corridor, door-to-door from Austin. You get the view without the wheel.
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4. Ranch Road 337 and the Twisted Sisters
- Where
- RR-335, RR-336 and RR-337, around Leakey and Vanderpool
- Length
- About 100 miles as a loop
- From Austin
- About 3 hours to the start
The best driving road in Texas and a genuine motorcycling destination. Three ranch roads that climb, drop, and switchback through the western Hill Country with almost no traffic. It is a full day from Austin and it is worth it. Lost Maples sits on RR-187 nearby, which makes November the ideal month.
5. Ranch Road 1431 to Marble Falls
- Where
- RR-1431, Cedar Park to Marble Falls
- Length
- About 35 miles
- From Austin
- 40 minutes to the start
The northwest route into lake country, with long climbs, granite outcrops, and glimpses of Lake Travis. A good afternoon drive that ends somewhere worth stopping.
6. Hamilton Pool Road
- Where
- FM-3238, west of Bee Cave
- Length
- About 14 miles
- From Austin
- 30 minutes to the start
The shortest genuinely scenic drive near Austin. A winding two-lane road out through ranch country to Hamilton Pool and Reimers Ranch, with the Pedernales beyond. Twenty minutes of good driving very close to the city.
7. FM-2766 and the Pedernales
- Where
- Johnson City to Pedernales Falls State Park
- Length
- About 10 miles
- From Austin
- 60 minutes to the start
A short, pretty run through ranch land down to one of the best state parks in the region. Easy to add to a 290 day.
8. Ranch Road 12: Dripping Springs to Wimberley to San Marcos
- Where
- RR-12
- Length
- About 30 miles
- From Austin
- 35 minutes to the start
The connector through the heart of the near Hill Country, past wineries, breweries, and swimming holes. Not dramatic, but consistently pleasant and lined with places worth stopping.
9. The Willow City to Llano run
- Where
- TX-16 north from Fredericksburg to Llano
- Length
- About 30 miles
- From Austin
- 100 minutes to the start
Granite country, with Enchanted Rock off to the west and Cooper's BBQ waiting in Llano at the end. A good pairing with a Fredericksburg trip if you want to go home the long way.
Practical notes
- Low water crossings flood fast and are genuinely dangerous. Turn around; do not drive through moving water.
- Cell service is patchy on almost every drive on this list. Download the map.
- Deer at dawn and dusk are the main hazard, particularly on the ranch roads.
- Most of these roads have no shoulder, so pulling over for a photo means finding a gate turnout.
- Wildflower season means slow traffic and people stopping abruptly. Assume it.
- Gas up before you start. Several of these routes have nothing for thirty miles.