Texas Hill country spring flowers

[duranash]

I second Fredericksburg - lots of interesting homes around town too.  If you are interested in doing any macro of bluebonnets, I might suggest just walking around town and shooting flowers in peoples front yards.  The flowers are generally larger and nicer in that environment - and there's lots of places where you can shoot from the sidewalk so you're not trespassing or imposing upon others privacy.

[Murph]

Fredricksburg, Luckenbach, Comfort, Boerne and along the Guadalupe River.  Enchanted Rock is great, and I agree, watch for the rattlesnakes and cottonmouths.  Also the Bell Mountain Winery north of Fredricksburg is a great place.  Kerrville is a must see as well.  Enchanted Rock state park, take water, and spend lots of time there.  Guadalupe River State park on Hwy 46, a nice day trip.

[nobody]

This year looks to be weak on the wildflowers.  Too  much rain over the winter.

Park Road 4 (near Burnet, it connects Hwy 281 and 29) and Inks Lake State Park (pictures) have been the best places I've found so far.  Will City Loop had almost no flowers 2 weeks ago, but it looked like there were a fair number waiting to pop.  Timing is everything.

As for rattlers... it's all very ironic.  I go hiking almost every weekend and have yet to see one in the wild, so to speak.  Keep an eye out, but it's not like we're tripping on them all the time.

[nobody]

Austin has some along loop 360 and Mopac.

Scattered patches on 183 south of Austin (I drove down to Palmetto State Park south of Luling).

They're coming in better than I thought they would, but this just doesn't seem to be a year when the Hill Country will be blanketed in blue.

Other flowers seem to be doing better, though.

[larryg]

Just got  back from Hill Country.

Hwy 195  2 mi south of route 35 has some nice Bluebonnet fields (best found for week)
Also on james River Road  one large field of bluebonnets

Willow Loop road has minimal (but some here and there)
Mostly many miles and days of going to all the past performers with not much to show for.

If I had my choice (at least last week) I would have gone somewhere else and reserved a trip for next year.
Tough photography, but I did get some nice images
The Lady Bird Wild Flower center was a real bust.  Found better flowers around the area.

Hopefully others found more

[slalexander]

Planning mid April trip into Texas Hill country and would like some help about timing, location and places to stay.

After this winter I think I need the change.

I promise to reciprocate with New England fall assistance.

Thanks,

Happy snaps,
Steven

[wynpotter]

Enchanted Rock near Fredricksburg is a great spot. A great granite rock with wildflowers growing in the craveces(sp), pools of water on the top(easy walk), Great sunset shots also.
Just take a back road and enjoy, the area is wonderful.
Wyndham

[larkvi]

Will these suggestions still hold in June/July? I am planning on driving from Toronto to the Grand Canyon, and Mapquest suggests the route goes through central Texas...

[Murph]

A slight word of warning.  If you go off the roads, watch for snakes.  I'm serious, we had one Highway patrol trooper and a deputy bitten by rattlesnakes on the side of the road last year.  The Game Warden tells me because of the mild winter there should be just as many, if not more snakes this year.  

Rattlesnakes, while not generally aggressive, can be very aggressive when hungry.

[BobMcCarthy]

Usually just before the bluebonnets come out you can see the flower base and buds. They are evident a little before the flower.

I am planning a trip to the hill country this weekend (i live in the DFW area). So your saying its late or not going to happen?

I may hold off until month end!

Bob

[Sfleming]

Any change for the better since our last report?

Just got in from Houston (Sunday Apr 17th). Lots of yellow, no blue or reds yet.

Its my last free weekend for a while.

bob

Nope.

[larryg]

I am staying in Fredericksburg at the Comfort Inn around April 14th or so.

Center of the area and will do day trips from there

[Sfleming]

I've decided to take pity upon you.

Normally I don't give away my secret locations and I won't tell you the exact spots where I've set my tripod but you are not getting too much usable info here so here goes.

Get the  USGS topo maps.  Get the county maps so you can determine the names or numbers of the roads you will see on the  topo maps.  County maps can be obtained only at the best map stores or county offices.  They don't show all the roads.

SW corner of Llano county along Sandy Creek.  The dirt road runs on the S side.  Explore all side roads.

Mason, Tx.

Enchanted Rock offers a lot of possibilities but you really  need to hike to truly get to them and even in spring it can get hot.  Take water.  Watch out for Rattlesnakes.  Lots of them.

Fredericksburg is the tourist mecca.  The bluebonnets don't even compare to above suggestions.

[larkvi]

I suspected as much--I really would prefer to make this trip earlier in the year, but I am bound by examinations and a conference that I am presenting at...

Still, I think a trip through the entire Southwest, up the Oregon coast, and back the Trans-Canada highway should afford me a few photographic opportunities, wildflowers in Texas or no.

[bobby sargent]

We just came back from Fredericksburg and Kerrville.  There were not any flowers out at all.  All we saw were along the highway.  The drive to enchanted rock was nice but again no flowers.  

The hike up is nice.  But it is all up hill.  elevation gain is only 425 feet.

Everybody in the area says that the flowers will be out later in April.  bs

Flowers from Big Bend in Feb

[bob mccarthy]

Thanks for the heads up. We're just starting to get the early flowers up here (DFW area) in the last few days. I'm gonna hold off for a few weeks and re-evaluate.

Just may be a bust year.

Oh well

Bob

[larryg]

I will be there this Wed the 13th

I found some encouraging news around Mason

http://community.wildflowerhaven.com/forum...3/ShowPost.aspx

[slalexander]

Okay, I started this and I just returned from several days and many mile in Hill Country.  What I found was fair coverage around Mason, FM 368 and FM 2618 fair Bluebonnet coverage. However, the best is along the road to Enchanted Rock State Natural area but what to do with the car is the question...NO PARKING OR STOPPING all along road. Also some good spots along State 71 between Llano and Austin.  Did a great deal of shooting and am busy this up coming week but will post something soon.

Thanks for all the conversation and suggestions.

Steven

[davaglo]

Make sure you go to the Willow City Loop out of Fredricksburg. Vast amounts of wild flowers, you won't be dissappointed. Rick Smith of the San Angelo Standard Times keeps everyone appraised of the flower situation.

[Sfleming]

Correction:  South EAST corner of Llano county.