Central Texas Fall Foliage

continued from Texas Fall Foliage

Above: Autumn trails at Lost Maples State Natural Area
Photo courtesy Texas Tourism

Lost Maples State Natural Area, Vanderpool
830/966-3413
Location: 86 miles northwest of San Antonio
The maples, located so far from other specimens of the beautiful tree, may seem lost but there's no doubt that the park itself has been found. This state park is one of the most heavily visited sites in Texas during October and November when the bigtooth maples provide some of the best color in Texas. Weekend visits during this time can be very crowded and note that the parking here is limited to only 250 cars. The best time to visit is during mid-week when you can enjoy a walk into the park without crowds. The park has its own fall foliage report so you can keep up with the changing colors.

RR 1050
Location: Utopia to US 83
West of Utopia, RR 1050 winds its way through the Hill Country, crossing the Frio River before eventually intersecting with US 83 north of Concan. During late fall, the drive is dotted with blazing sumacs, sycamores, chinaberries, and cottonwoods.

Devil's Backbone Scenic Drive
Location: Wimberley to Blanco
This stretch of RR 32, better known as the Devil's Backbone, stretches from the intersection of RR 12 south of Wimberley all the way west to near Blanco. For over 20 miles, this drive snakes along a ridge that offers some of the best fall views of the Hill Country.

RR 337
Location: Camp Wood to Leakey
This scenic drive from Camp Wood to Leakey (pronounced LA-key) is often termed the most scenic drive in Texas and is an excellent spot for fall color. The road climbs to some of the highest elevations in the Hill Country at over 2,300 feet and roadside lookouts offer great vistas of reds, greens, and golds.

Also in this article: Fall foliage in:

• East Texas
• North Texas, West TX, and the Panhandle