Willow City Loop, Willow City, Texas – Texas Wildflowers

Things to Know:

• No admission fee. State road.
• A 13-mile drive through some of the most scenic areas of the Texas Hill Country.
• Two lane, winding road with numerous cattle grates and several unguarded bridges.
• Incredible spring views of Texas wildflowers, particularly the famous Texas bluebonnets.
• Adjoining land is privately owned. Pull-out areas are narrow and should be carefully navigated.
• Dogs could be taken from the car on a leash, but owners should be very careful, as shoulders are narrow or non-existent, and traffic is heavy during the spring.

Roughly 50 miles west of Austin lies a quiet country road known as the Willow City Loop. For 11 plus months of the year, it’s a fairly typical Texas Hill County route: a bit narrow, somewhat winding, and sprinkled with its share of cattle grates and iconic cement bridges that’ll take you safely over the creek so long as the weather’s dry.

However, for several weeks each spring, the fields and pastures along both sides of the loop burst forth in blankets of dazzling blue and eye-catching red-orange, with a handful of well placed ivory white and yellow-gold mixed in for good measure. Those few weeks are the Texas Wildflower season, and with the flowers come scores of camera-toting enthusiasts inching their way along each and every one of the loop’s 13 miles.

We made the drive in early April, and a visit to Texas Hill Country.com will tell you that late March through early April is typically the peak period for wildflower viewing.

If you make the trip, which is well worth the ride from whatever more populated area you may be starting from, there are few things you should know:

• The Willow City Loop is not that easy to find. We advise Googling and following GPS directions, rather than trying to locate it on a map.
• Upon entering the roadway, you’ll see signs advising that all properties along the route are privately owned, and stopping or venturing onto adjacent land is prohibited. That said, if you visit during wildflower season, you’ll quickly notice the abundance of vehicles parked on either side of the road, and you may see a few folks venturing into fields to snap pictures.
• Venturing into the flower fields is not advisable. First of all, the property is privately owned, fenced in most areas, and posted in some spots with no trespassing signs. Secondly, wading out into a thick wildflower field on a warm spring day is a good way to experience something else for which Texas is well known: rattlesnakes. Locals will tell you that snake bites in the middle of wildflower fields are unfortunately not uncommon.

In addition to wildflowers, the road is also known for it’s “western boot fence-line”, a quarter-mile stretch where each fencepost post is adorned with a Texas cowboy or cowgirl boot. The picture below, from Texas Hill Country.com, shows a section of the boot-covered fence.

The Texas Hill Country is a rugged but beautiful part of the state, filled with rolling hills and rocky buttes such as the one below, visible from the Willow City Loop. The region is considered the border between the American Southwest and Southeast, with hills composed primarily of limestone and granite. The scenery definitely has an “old-west” feel to it, and we could easily imagine John Wayne or Clint Eastwood bounding across the hills on horseback.

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The bottom picture was taken in nearby Fredericksburg, Texas at Wildseed Farms, a sprawling 200 acre nursery that is the nation’s largest working wildflower farm. Visitors can purchase seeds and enjoy strolling amidst rows of bluebonnets and other indigenous wildflowers. The facility also includes a beer and wine bar, which allows flower watchers to take in the sights while sipping a cool cup of their favorite adult beverage.

Recommendation: We highly recommend a drive on the Willow City Loop if you’re looking for things to do in the Austin area in late March or early April. If you are in the area during that time, ask around at your hotel or local eating/retail establishments to be sure the wildflowers are in bloom. Wildflower viewing is similar to leaf watching, in that peak periods vary from one year to the next. The loop would be a scenic and interesting drive without the wildflowers, but it becomes spectacular with them.

As noted, the loop is not easy to find – it’s very much “in the middle of nowhere”. Make sure you have a good idea where you’re going before you set out to find it.

If you are there during wildflower season, be advised that the road is very congested on weekends. We toured the area on a Friday, and even then the route was filled with slow traveling cars and vehicles at roadside around nearly every bend. Be prepared to drive very slowly due to the number of passengers on the road. With a few picture stops along way, the 13-mile trip can easily take over an hour.

If you have a dog, you may want to consider keeping it in the car while you’re on the loop. As noted, there is very little roadside space on which to stand or walk, traffic is heavy, and drivers may be distracted by off-road views.