Texas Travel Bucket List can cover a great deal of ground.

Literally and figuratively. All of them have one thing in common: spring wildflower drive.

Wildflowers are a welcome sight along Texas’ roadside as winter turns to spring. This is largely due to the government’s seeding program and to judicious mowing that allows them to reseed.

The highways of Texas pass through hillsides covered in bluebonnets, in the Hill Country and on the coast plains. In West Texas, cactus flowers are in full bloom. South Texas prairies are blanketed with flame-like flower fields. East Texas pine forests have delicate colours.

We’ve put together 12 wildflower drives that cover diverse areas in the state. Each has its unique collection of blooms. You can also find recommendations for delicious restaurants and other interesting diversion options when you want to take a break. Do not forget to stop and smell the flowers.

Llano area, Burnet and Marble Falls

The Colorado River flows through a series of reservoirs and inland lakes in the Hill Country. Lupinus Texasensis is one of the six official state flowers in Texas. It thrives on its sandy soil and limestone.

Park Road 4 passes Longhorn Cavern State Park and Inks Lake State Park. Ranch Road 2341 leads to the Canyon of the Eagles Nature Park. Inks Lake State Park, the hiking trails go through goldeneye phlox and Hudson Flax.

Wildflowers line State Highway 16 between Llano, Texas, and Cherokee. Baby Head Cemetery, located about nine miles north of Llano, is a great place to stop and take photos.

Ranch Road 152, between Llano & Castell, and State Highway 16 from Llano southwards to the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area Turnoff on Ranch Road 965 are all treats for drivers.

Try Badu 1891 in Llano. This historic restaurant offers brunch, lunch, and dinner, featuring local seasonal ingredients. Dishes include chicken-fried antelopes, venison beef loaf, and biscuit sliders. Live music is also provided.

Blackland Prairie Beauty

Washington County is famous for its bluebonnets. It lies at the edge of Blackland Prairie, a grassland dominated by diverse annual and perennial grasses that grow in some of the richest soils in the world.

The county is covered in a sea of blue flowers. Those reliably lined with them include State Highway 105, Farm-to-Market 50 to Independence, FM 390 to Old Baylor Park, and FM 1155’s dog legs between Chappell Hill Historic District and Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Walking trails wind through flower fields near the site where Texians drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Indian paintbrushes, blue-eyed Grass, and blanket flowers are also common wildflowers in this area.

The ’50s-style diner Southern Flyer in Brenham looks out onto the local runway. Wildflowers bloom there as well during spring. Rumours say that pilots travel hundreds of miles to enjoy the Southern Flyer milkshakes made with Blue Bell ice cream.

Fredericksburg area, Enchanted Rock and Johnson City

The landscapes of the Texas Hill Country are varied, ranging from rolling hills and rocky canyons to grasslands, woodlands and savannas. Each is adorned with a colourful palette of wildflowers.

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site is located between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. It boasts over 400 species, including bluebonnets and evening primrose.

The Willow City Loop–a famous route for wildflowers–includes stretches of US 281, US 290, and Ranch Roads 1323, 1631, 2721, and 1320. Vintage-style vehicles like the Fredericksburg Trolley are a great option for wildflower scouting. If you want a more adventurous trip, consider a guided bike tour with Texas Bike Tours.

Flowers are also abundant along State Highway 16 to the north of Fredericksburg and RR 965 towards Enchanted Rock. The eponymous granite dome is the main attraction, but there are also a number of wildflowers, such as prickly pear, widow’s tears, and prickly pears. 11 miles of hiking paths allow for close-up and personal views.

Leakey area, Bandera area, Utopia area

The Edwards Plateau’s western edge contains Hill Country, with its higher elevations, rugged landscape, and unique flora.

Scenic Ranch Road 333, between Leakey & Vanderpool, passes through rocky hillsides with mountain laurel and mealy blue sage. This area is also home to Featherleaf Desertpeony, Lindheimer Daisy and Larkspur.

On the RR 337, heading east along the Medina River, you will see perfumeballs and agarita. The cardinal flower, chatterbox orchids and other water-loving plants are blooming along the river and creek banks.

Hill Country State Natural Area is covered with Indian blankets, daisies and prairie spiderwort. Prairie verbena, scrambled egg, and Texas skeleton plants bloom along RR 470, west of Bandera. These same wildflowers are also found along the winding roads in Utopia.

Mac and Ernie’s Roadside Eatery, Tarpley, serves a variety of Texas favorites and inventive dishes, such as ancho-chile honey-basted quail.

Ennis, Athens region

This area is located in the Blackland Prairie, a rich band of grassland that stretches from the Red River to San Antonio. Wild petunias, golden puccoons, and rose vervain are among its wildflowers.

You can also find blooms along State Highway 31 between Corsicana and Athens, near US 287 (only open from April to May), in Meadow View Nature Area in Ennis and Ennis’s Meadow View Nature Area. Wild indigo, pink evening primrose (commonly called buttercups), and coneflowers are also common suspects.

The Ennis Garden Club maintains 40 miles of bluebonnet trails along area roads. The Texas Legislature designated these the “Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail” in 1997. Around the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival, the flowers are at their peak in the second or third weeks of April.

You can download it or call the Ennis Visitor Center to get a map of the Bluebonnet trail.

Double features are shown every night until the dark at Ennis Galaxy Drive-In Theatre.

Nacogdoches and Caddo Lake area

East Texas is known for its hardwood forests and towering pines, but it also has bottomlands with diverse ecosystems. These pockets are home to a variety of wildflowers.

The 42-acre Pineywoods Native Plant Center at Stephen F. Austin State University houses rare and endangered native species such as the Neches River rosemallow, Texas trailing phlox and Texas rosemallow. It also cultivates flowers in its Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Demonstration Garden.

The sides of FM 227 are usually covered with flowers, while State Highway 21 between Alto and Nacogdoches is awash in dogwoods and redbuds.

US 59, between Atlanta and Linden, is a great place to find spiderwort, phlox and milkweed. FM 2198, near Uncertain, has bluebonnets and a Mexican hat.

In summer, American lotus can be seen by paddlers in Caddo State Park.

Hungry? Try Auntie Pasta in Nacogdoches. It is known for its 10-layer Lasagna and other Italian desserts and dishes.

Stephenville area, Hico and Comanche

North-central Texas is a mixture of savannas, woodlands, and prairies collectively known as the Western Cross Timbers. US 377, which runs from Comanche to Granbury, passes through pastures where horses graze amid Indian paintbrush and bluebonnets.

Dinosaur Valley State Park is home to antelope-horns, Texas skeleton plants and antelope-horns. Dinosaur tracks are also found in the Paluxy River bed.

State Highway 16 between San Saba, Texas, and Comanche, Texas, is known for its spectacular displays. Round Top Hill, the first hill west of Comanche, on US 377, is where locals go to see wildflowers like bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush. Brennan Vineyards, located in Comanche, allows visitors to see the flowers on their tasting patio or vineyards.

If you want a sweet treat to complement the beautiful views, visit the Koffee Kup Family Restaurant. It is known for its chicken-fried steaks, tacos, and specialty burgers.

Amarillo area, Lake Meredith region, Palo Duro Canyons, Caprock Canyons area

The Texas Panhandle Plains are a mostly flat plateau at the southernmost tip of the Great Plains. Their elevation ranges from 2,000 to 4,500 ft. Spanish explorers called this area Llano Estacado (Spanish for “staked flats”).

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, home to the second-largest canyon in the United States, also has paperflower, blackfoot daisy, and sand sage blooms. These blooms can be seen on 50 miles of hiking and cycling trails.

Caprock Canyons State Park gets its name and beauty from the rugged gashes created by streams in the Caprock Escarpment. Lemon horsemint and white and pink prickly poppies grow on a 700-acre prairie located near the park’s headquarters. Here, the Texas State Bison Herd roams, descendants of animals that ranchers Charles Goodnight and Mary Ann Goodnight saved in 1878.

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is a series of breaks in the High Plains cut by the Canadian River. Tahokas, chocolates, and Engelmann daisies are all blooming. The park’s Plum Creek area will burst into yellow when conditions are just right, with prairie zinnias, green thread, and other varieties.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument consists of a mesa with quarries that indigenous tribes have used for over 13,000 years. The winding road is dotted with sunflowers, prairie clover, and tansy mustard.

Cuero, Goliad, Victoria, Refugio area

The coastal plains, with their grasslands and brush, were the setting for many important events in Texas’ early history. Wildflowers bloom in abundance on remnants of historic sites.

Huisache daisies in golden blooms cover the roadside of US 183, just past the San Antonio River and in front of the historic Presidio la Bahia. This complex was built in 1749 as a Mexican Military compound. It has been restored to its original 1836 condition. Also, phlox, rose prickly poppies, coreopsis and phlox bloom in this area.

The unpaved Cheapside Road, off US 87 at Westhoff, is ablaze with flowers. 87 from Cuero goes through fields of rattlesnake, lazy daisy and wild onion.

The Cuero Visitors Center offers a driving map of the wildflower-adorned routes in and around the town. Hawthorn, Texas sensitive pea and evening primrose are in bloom along US 183 between Cuero and Goliad.

A wildflower meadow with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush is located near Goliad State Park.

The Quarters, formerly the lodging of Mexican officers and Catholic Priests, is available for overnight guests to enjoy Presidio la Bahia exclusively.

Brazos Bend, Beaumont area, Brazoria, Sandyland area

Wildflowers thrive in a variety of landscapes, from the flat prairies to the rolling Piney Woods.

The Brazoria Wildlife Refuge is a self-driving park where you can see coreopsis, rain lilies, and prairie nymphs. The Discovery Center offers a walk to get a closer look at blanket flowers.

Spring wildflowers at Brazos Bend State Park include yellow star grass, blue stars, and more. In the wet areas, spider lilies bloom.

The Nature Conservancy’s Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary has more than 340 species of wildflowers, including Texas Trailing Phlox, Wild Azalea, and Fringe Tree (aka Old Man’s Beard). The 6-mile trail system is open to visitors, who can rent kayaks and canoes at local vendors.

Rao’s Bakery in Beaumont produces cakes, pastries and other sweet treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. They also offer hot and frozen drinks, paninis and lunch.

Dinner is served.

Big Bend National Park – Fort Davis, Marfa and Alpine Areas

Big Bend & Davis Mountains

Big Bend National Park is located on the southernmost edge of Trans-Pecos. It’s home to the iconic Big Bend Bluebonnets. They bloom in late winter and early spring and are typically taller than those from other states. The park road, west of Panther Junction, is dotted with wildflowers. Showy cactus blooms dominate the mid-to-late spring.

FM 170, which runs west of the park, is home to Big Bend bluebonnets and yellow desert marigolds. The Hoodoos Trailhead, Contrabando Multiuse Trail, located within Big Bend Ranch State Park, and The Teepee Picnic Area are all good viewing areas.

The scenic loop of 75 miles from Fort Davis includes the Davis Mountains State Park, with its scarlet Bouvardias, Silverleaf nightshades, and Apache plumes. The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve also hosts rare plants on this loop, such as fringed paintbrushes, multiflowered unicorn plants, and Livermore Sandwort. Along State Highway 118, from Fort Davis up to Alpine, you’ll find bladderpod, purple sand verbena, mountain laurel, and other blooms.

The Prickly Pear’ita is a twist on the classic margarita that uses the juice of the cactus.

Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Guadalupe Mountains area

Trans-Pecos is the most complex ecoregion in Texas. It occupies the area of Texas, generally west of the Pecos River. The Trans-Pecos ecoregion is characterized by a diverse range of habitats, from the Chihuahuan Desert plateaus and valleys to the wooded mountain slopes.

Franklin Mountains State Park, located at the westernmost tip of the state, contains a variety of cacti, including the Southwestern bar cactus (also known as the Southwestern fishhook cactus) and the Chihuahuan barrel cactus. You can find them along the Transmountain Drive, which runs through the park.

The El Paso Museum of Archaeology hosts a festival every year in late March to celebrate the natives that have been growing here for centuries.

The four highest peaks of Texas are located in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It is the largest ancient barrier reef exposed from the Permian Period. The dry climate and high elevation of the park favour succulents and cacti such as chollas and ocotillo. Honey mesquite, Mexican Buckeye, Texas madrone and Mexican Buckeye trees also produce fragrant flowers. Wildflowers can be created by rain.