A nearly deserted town an hour north of Fredericksburg in Mason County, Pontotoc was on the brink of becoming a boom town before a series of misfortunes. Settled in 1859, there was an established...
Central Texas
Central Texas is characterized by prairies and lakes, two lane roads that twist and climb, green valleys and limestone cliffs. It's rich in German heritage, wineries, abundant wildflowers, crystal clear rivers lined with cypress and oak, music, cafes offering ample country cooking, and history.
It's also a great outdoor destination for hiking, tubing, swimming, and camping.
Map of Central Texas Points
Things to See & Do in Central Texas
Luckenbach
Luckenbach maintains a ghost town feel with its small population and strong western roots. The post office closed April 30, 1971 and its zip code retired.
Lawrence Chapel, Williamson County
Lawrence Chapel is off Farm Road 112 eleven miles southeast of Taylor in southeastern Williamson County. It was named for Adam Lawrence, a pioneer rancher and farmer and a veteran of the Texas...
St. James Episcopal in La Grange
In 1885, St James Episcopal Church was built in La Grange on a lot donated by the Shropshire family for a parish formed in 1855.
Driftwood
Driftwood, seventeen miles northwest of San Marcos in central Hays County, grew up in the 1880s as a supply center for neighboring ranches and farms. Pioneers settled in the area, then known as...
New Braunfels
New Braunfels is situated in Comal and Guadalupe counties. Braunfels means “brown rock” in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city’s population was 57,740 as...
Bluff Dale
Bluff Dale, on U.S. Highway 377 and the North Paluxy River in northeastern Erath County, was originally called Bluff Spring by the pioneers who settled near the site’s artesian wells. Bluff...
Lady Bird Lake in Austin
Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Downtown Austin. It was created in 1960 by the construction of Longhorn Dam and is owned and operated by the City of Austin...
Hill Country Sunrise
A Spring sunrise in the Hill Country. Photo by Adam Barker
St. Olaf Kirke
St. Olaf Kirke, commonly referred to as The Rock Church, is a small Lutheran church located outside of Cranfills Gap in an unincorporated rural community known as Norse. St. Olaf Kirke is situated on...
Old Barn in Weimar
The barn was old when I was young – as far as I know it was built before the war. Its really showing its age these days, but I dare say it is aging quite gracefully. As for the rusty implements...
Historic Migl House in La Grange
The Migl House was constructed in 1890 by the family of František Migl. Most of the construction materials were 1 x 12 long-leaf pine boards for the outside walls, beaded tongue-in-grove internal...
Salado
The Village of Salado is the best small town in Texas! With several bed and breakfasts and only a short drive up I35, between Waco and Austin.
Sunset in McKinney Falls
Sunset in McKinney Falls State Park, located at the southeastern edge of Austin around the confluence of Onion and Williamson Creeks and is administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department...
Brenham
Brenham, the county seat of Washington County, is on U.S. Highway 290 seventy-two miles northwest of Houston. The Hickory Grove community changed its name in 1843 to Brenham in honor of Republic of...
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers (translated as “The River of the Arms of God”), is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river...
Old barn in New Bielau
Photo Rob Sneed
Colorful Tour of the Hill Country Painted Churches
When immigrants from Moravia found passage into Galveston, the Ellis Island of the South, many headed for the Texas Hill Country bringing a piece of their homeland with them.