TEXAS ROAD TRIP JEWEL: Wildflowers on Willow City Loop

by Ann Marie Kennon

For decades, wildflowers have been the #1 roadside attraction in Texas the only place in the world where bluebonnets grow naturally. Every year, these floral rainbows stretch across Central Texas, enthralling many a visitor in the Hill Country and Willow City in particular. If they are not already, the beautiful blankets of bluebonnet blooms will soon appear on the Willow City Loop near Fredericksburg.

Just 90 minutes from Liberty Hill, visitors describe this 13-mile byway as nature’s eye candy thanks to the abundance of flowers, but the views are also rich with granite, red sand, cliffs, valleys, creeks, springs, and mesquite trees, and wildlife like deer, cattle, and wild turkey.

When To Go

Be sure to visit during peak wildflower season March to May when the loop is lush with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, sunflowers, and poppies. Now is the time to plan your trip to a Fredericksburg vineyard or nearby Wildseed Farm, the nation’s largest working wildflower farm.

With more than 1,000 cultivated acres and 200-plus acres of wildflower fields, locals say as Wildseed fields begin to bloom, they know it is time for a sojourn across the countryside to see nature at its best. The farm also has a Market Center featuring gifts, home decor, Texas native plants, and pottery.

While spring is the most popular time to visit, the drive is delightful all year; in summer, the rocky hillsides offer beautiful views and long shadows create great photo ops in wintertime.

For a quieter, more relaxed outing, plan a mid-week road trip as the loop can be extremely busy, especially on peak wildflower weekends. Trip advisors recommend photographers visit in the early morning and late afternoon for the best light.

How To Enjoy The Trip

While driving is the easiest and most common way to enjoy the floral display, Willow City Loop is also extremely popular with bikers and cyclists. Both groups enjoy the slower pace and, due to its low elevations, the route is fun for cyclists of all levels. For runners, the 13-mile distance allows for perfect half-marathon practice.

For those non-motorized outings, visitors may park in the Willow City School parking lot before heading out on two wheels or on foot, making sure to exercise caution as the roads do not have shoulders.

DRIVE AND PHOTOGRAPH AT YOUR OWN PACE. BE AWARE THE LAND ALONG THE ROAD IS PRIVATELY OWNED ; VISITORS ARE DISCOURAGED FROM STOPPING, PARKING, AND EXPLORING ON FOOT WHILE ON THE LOOP.

2023 Blooms

The Hill Country Wildflower Report provided a teaser based on last fall's rainfall report. Bearing in mind that seeds begin germinating on cooler September days and continue until the ground is too cold at the end of November, we find October to be the most critical time for rainfall and the peak period for germination.

Yellow on the map at right (Williamson County in black) indicates below normal rainfall in October 2022

On The Loop

but unseasonably warm and wet weather in January helped make up for that reduction in germination time. Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, said the bluebonnets and other wildflowers were not fazed by the 2023 ice storm. She explained that the ice likely slowed down the blooming process but did not damage the flowers.

While either terminus provides a great starting point for the trip, the majority of the wildflowers are visible on the northern half of the route. Photographers may also want to stop along the TK Ranch (see map inset), which has a barbed wire fence adorned with upside down cowboy boots, and is one of the most photographed spots in Central Texas.