Planning a Trip to the Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country offers an abundance of beautiful landscapes, well-equipped natural parks, quaint little towns with a rich cultural heritage, as well as a variety of other interesting attractions that the whole family can enjoy. If you feel like breaking away for a day or two, take a short drive out of San Antonio to these amazing sites.

Guadalupe River State Park

Now that the warmer months are coming, you may want to take the 46-minute drive from San Antonio to Guadalupe River State Park. As the park offers four miles of river frontage, you can participate in various water activities at the park. In the warm summer months, many folks visit the park to enjoy a refreshing swim or go tubing down the river. Folks also canoe and kayak on the river and make frequent use of the 5-mile Guadalupe River State Park Paddling Trail, which starts in this park.

If you’re a fisherman, the water of the Guadalupe River offers an abundance of fish, such as rainbow trout, brown trout, and Guadalupe bass. The park also offers 13 miles of hike and bike trails, as well as a few trails that allow horseback riders. Those who want to spend the night can camp at one of the park’s campsites, of which a number provide electricity and water.

Schlitterbahn Waterpark & Resort

Another great destination for the whole family on sweltering hot summer days is the Schlitterbahn Waterpark & Resort, which is located a 36-minute drive out of San Antonio in New Braunfels. This Bavarian-themed water park lies on the banks of the Comal River, which means that the tube chutes, rides, slides, and pools in the original section of the water park are fed from the waters of the river.

If you hop on a short tram ride and head to the Surfenburg and Blastenhof sections of the park, you can surf a continuous wave on the Boogie Bahn, tube on the Torrent wave river, and ride on the Sky Coaster. If you feel like spending the night, the resort offers a variety of accommodation that ranges from stylish lofts with balconies overlooking the river to large vacation homes for families.

Rodeo at Bandera

For a slightly different experience, take the hour drive from San Antonio to Bandera. Known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” this small town features many Cowboy activities that’ll keep you entertained. You can, for instance, attend a rodeo show, sign up for a ranch tour, or kick up some dust to the tunes of country music at Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar Saloon, which is one of the greatest dance halls in Texas.

If you’re into history, you can visit the Frontier Times Museum that features over 40,000 old west, pioneer, and prehistoric artifacts. Many ranches in the area offer accommodations for visitors, for instance, the Dixie Dude Ranch, where guests get to go on an overnight trail ride that includes chuck wagon meals and hearing about the history of the place around a campfire.

These are only three of the must-see sites near San Antonio. Whether you’re into water sports, hiking in beautiful landscapes, or surfing a massive wave, Texas Hill County is home to a large variety of attractions that offer something of interest to everyone.

Posted in Texas Hill Country Destinations | No Comments »