Skip to Content

Where to Find the Top Spots for Wildflowers in Texas

Looking for an Instagram-worthy wildflower photo op? Make a day-trip to see bluebonnets, dogwood trees and more

Spring is here, which means warmer temperatures and blankets of eye-catching bluebonnets in fields across the state. Texas’ highly anticipated wildflower season is heralded by vibrant blooms, from the renowned indigo bluebonnet and eye-catching Indian paintbrush, to the pink evening primrose and the yellow and red Indian blanket.

MORE: Austin City Guides: The Best Neighborhood Parks in Austin

Home to over 2,500 wildflower species unfolding across greenspace and lining roadways, Texas’ bright springtime flowerscapes are worthy of a scenic road trip to experience them firsthand. Below are the top five must-visit wildflower destinations in — or a car ride away from — the Texas Hill Country.

Wildseed Farms photo courtesy of Travel Texas

Winding roads between Marble Falls, Burnet, Lampasas, San Saba, Mason, Llano, Fredericksburg and Johnson City are some of the most time-tested Texas Hill Country trails offering delightful glimpses at bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, pink evening primroses, daisies, winecups, prairie verbena and goldeneye phlox. Travelers won’t want to miss Fredericksburg’s Wildseed Farms, the nation’s largest working wildflower farm bursting with fields of vibrant blooms this time of year.

Brenham photo courtesy of Travel Texas

Washington and Grimes Counties boast bountiful bouquets of wildflowers along two popular routes. On the 80-mile round-trip circuit from Brenham to Burton, Independence, Washington and Chappell Hill, travelers may spot blankets of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, thistles, purple coneflower, verbena, beardtongue, skullcaps, prairie parsley, yellow wild indigo, blue-eyed grass, rattlesnake master, blanket flower and rosinweed. For those looking for a longer stretch, the 105-mile loop from Brenham through Navasota, Plantersville, Magnolia, Hempstead and back to Brenham, will offer eye-catching natural color against the oak and pine forest backdrops along F.M. 1774.

Photo courtesy of the City of Hughes Springs

Wildflower spotters can meander along rural sections of Highways 49, 155 and 11, through small northeast Texas towns of Linden, Avinger and Hughes Springs, for brilliant pops of floral color.

MORE: Visit the Hill Country for a Nature-filled Glamping Getaway

Ennis photo courtesy of Travel Texas

Go straight to the source with a tour down the Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail in Ennis. The area’s expansive grassy plains provide idyllic landscapes overtaken by a sea of bluebonnets. Every April, the small town hosts a bluebonnet festival to celebrate the more than 40 miles of scenic wildflower routes in the area. This year, the festival will be held the weekend of April 8.

Photo courtesy of Visit Palestine

The distinct white and pink blooms of the Texas Dogwood Trails in East Texas are worthy of a drive. Palestine’s Davey Dogwood Park offers 254 acres of public grounds, five miles of roads and eight miles of trails, all overflowing with beautiful dogwood trees.

MORE: Volunteer Through Texas with These 10 Road Trip Destinations

Though the blooms’ sizes and locations vary annually, these tried-and-true destinations will offer Texas road trippers picturesque views during peak bloom time, now through the end of April.