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Texas bluebonnets
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Where to see bluebonnets in Austin and the Texas Hill Country

Our guide to their brief, spectacular bloom

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Texas bluebonnets
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Note: This map was originally published in 2016 and has been updated.

What constitutes "spring" in Central Texas is usually a heady mix of thunderstorms, cold fronts, warm fronts, and rampant humidity. Those things can be exciting or annoying (or both), depending on your mood and disposition. But only some kind of monster wouldn't be charmed by the one natural event we can count on: the blooming of fields and fields of bluebonnets and other wildflowers.

Perhaps the showiest and certainly the most identifiable of Texas'a wildflowers, they are the real legacy of the Lady of Lady Bird Lake (Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, first lady and wife of LBJ), who made planting their seeds on Texas highways her special, successful project (the Texas Highway Department also plants thousands of the seeds each year, which it has been doing since the 1930s).

Bluebonnet season usually peaks in early April, but we're already seeing clusters of them all over town, as well as a variety of local wildflowers, fragrant mountain laurels, wisteria, and other early spring flora.

Which means it's time for a road trip, of course—although you can see lots of flower fields in the city right now, too. Here's a handy map of some of the best places in and around town to do that.

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Teravista Community

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There are wildflower patches throughout the Georgetown/Round Rock subdivision now, and word is that one of the most beautiful patches is on Westinghouse Road, near the east part of the back entrance.

Marble Falls, TX

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Any Texas town that has a Blue Bonnet Cafe is bound to have some glorious blooms on the way. Marble Falls is no exception. But that’s just the beginning. The Marble Falls visitor center maintains a large bluebonnet map that’s updated daily—meaning you can get spot recommendations from the locals. It’s also the location of the famed bluebonnet house, seen in many a photo and painting. Word is they’re in showy abundance right now—both on the way and in town.

Brushy Creek Lake Park

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Not only does Brushy Creek Lake Park feature a kid- and pet-friendly walking trail through its bluebonnet field; it also has a playscape and lake full of ducks.

Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area

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Not to be confused with Muleshoe, Texas (much farther from Austin), Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area in Spicewood is 654-acre park with 9.8 miles of trails and a scenic lake—all made more beautiful by its fields and fields of spring wildflowers.

Pace Bend Park

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The popular recreation spot on Lake Travis is currently abloom, according to recreating types.

Balcones District Park

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Check out the trails along Walnut Creek at the back of the park: wildflowers everywhere.

Willow City Loop

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The Willow City Loop winds through 13 miles of Hill Country back roads between Fredericksburg and Llano, and might be the definitive Central Texas wildflower drive.

UT Facilities Services J. J. Pickle Research Campus

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A Curbed Austin reader tipped us off to the "whole seas of blue" you can see right now at the Pickle Research Campus. Bluebonnet hunters can see such seas by driving past on BUrnet Road or driving through the campus—enter from the east gate.

Murchison Middle School

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Word has it that the hill below the Murchison track has a bounty of blue beauties during blooming season. Who knew?

Capital of Texas Highway (Hwy 360)

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There’s a plethora of beautiful bluebonnets and other wildflowers along Highway 360; just don't get so excited that you pull over willy-nilly to snap photos. Many of the spectacular stretches are best viewed via drive-by.

Bus Stop 1871 - Bull Creek & 45th

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The Bull Creek area around 45th Street in general is a good place for flower-spotting, but word is that the bluebonnets are providing riders with an especially nice view while they wait for the bus this year.

Montopolis Drive across from Roy G. Guerrero Park

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A field of blue along Montopolis Drive is best (and most safely) seen from Roy G. Guerrero Park, just across the way (the park is pretty fun, too).

St. Edward's University

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The South Austin hilltop university is both convenient and a great place to view fields of blooms. Check out the downtown skyline while you're there!

Wildseed Farms

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The spring show at this farm exceeds even its name's expectations, and the drive to Fredericksburg is pretty sweet this time of year, too.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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The Wildflower Center is perhaps the most obvious choice, but it's also one of the best. Operating year round, it has a large variety of flowers, not just bluebonnets—but the latter bloom in especially intense masses during the season.

McKinney Falls State Park

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McKinney Falls is one of the best hiking spots in town, and the masses of spring blooms just make it sweeter.

Everywhere!

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Okay, maybe not everywhere. But chances are that a jaunt around most neighborhoods will reveal pockets of wildflowers right now.

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Teravista Community

There are wildflower patches throughout the Georgetown/Round Rock subdivision now, and word is that one of the most beautiful patches is on Westinghouse Road, near the east part of the back entrance.

Marble Falls, TX

Any Texas town that has a Blue Bonnet Cafe is bound to have some glorious blooms on the way. Marble Falls is no exception. But that’s just the beginning. The Marble Falls visitor center maintains a large bluebonnet map that’s updated daily—meaning you can get spot recommendations from the locals. It’s also the location of the famed bluebonnet house, seen in many a photo and painting. Word is they’re in showy abundance right now—both on the way and in town.

Brushy Creek Lake Park

Not only does Brushy Creek Lake Park feature a kid- and pet-friendly walking trail through its bluebonnet field; it also has a playscape and lake full of ducks.

Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area

Not to be confused with Muleshoe, Texas (much farther from Austin), Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area in Spicewood is 654-acre park with 9.8 miles of trails and a scenic lake—all made more beautiful by its fields and fields of spring wildflowers.

Pace Bend Park

The popular recreation spot on Lake Travis is currently abloom, according to recreating types.

Balcones District Park

Check out the trails along Walnut Creek at the back of the park: wildflowers everywhere.

Willow City Loop

The Willow City Loop winds through 13 miles of Hill Country back roads between Fredericksburg and Llano, and might be the definitive Central Texas wildflower drive.

UT Facilities Services J. J. Pickle Research Campus

A Curbed Austin reader tipped us off to the "whole seas of blue" you can see right now at the Pickle Research Campus. Bluebonnet hunters can see such seas by driving past on BUrnet Road or driving through the campus—enter from the east gate.

Murchison Middle School

Word has it that the hill below the Murchison track has a bounty of blue beauties during blooming season. Who knew?

Capital of Texas Highway (Hwy 360)

There’s a plethora of beautiful bluebonnets and other wildflowers along Highway 360; just don't get so excited that you pull over willy-nilly to snap photos. Many of the spectacular stretches are best viewed via drive-by.

Bus Stop 1871 - Bull Creek & 45th

The Bull Creek area around 45th Street in general is a good place for flower-spotting, but word is that the bluebonnets are providing riders with an especially nice view while they wait for the bus this year.

Montopolis Drive across from Roy G. Guerrero Park

A field of blue along Montopolis Drive is best (and most safely) seen from Roy G. Guerrero Park, just across the way (the park is pretty fun, too).

St. Edward's University

The South Austin hilltop university is both convenient and a great place to view fields of blooms. Check out the downtown skyline while you're there!

Wildseed Farms

The spring show at this farm exceeds even its name's expectations, and the drive to Fredericksburg is pretty sweet this time of year, too.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Wildflower Center is perhaps the most obvious choice, but it's also one of the best. Operating year round, it has a large variety of flowers, not just bluebonnets—but the latter bloom in especially intense masses during the season.

McKinney Falls State Park

McKinney Falls is one of the best hiking spots in town, and the masses of spring blooms just make it sweeter.

Everywhere!

Okay, maybe not everywhere. But chances are that a jaunt around most neighborhoods will reveal pockets of wildflowers right now.