THIS CAN BE THE WAY YOU LIVE,
NOT THE PLACE YOU VISIT

6 state parks covering thousands of acres welcoming visitors with sparkling lakes, streams and miles of shoreline for a true outdoor playground.

• Avalon State Park
• Blanco State Park
• Garner State Park
• Inks Lake State Park
• Kerrville State Park

Twenty-one additional parks, lakes and preserve areas, including Johnson Park in Downtown Marble Falls (recently named a Lone Star Legacy Park), Lake Buchanan, Lake Travis, Lake Marble Falls and Lake LBJ.

Throughout the area’s plentiful parks and wildlife refuges, the landscape presents a panorama of tree species, rock formations and canyons. Beautiful geologic paintings within intriguing terrain are where winding roads attract hikers and mountain bikers. Lush habitats run rich with white tail deer, doves, racoons, fox, squirrels, armadillo, turkey and many other species.

For thrill seekers, a number of local parks feature specialized tours for rock climbing, spelunking (underground caving), geocaching, and hunting expeditions. Ziplining at Lake Travis provides a higher level of excitement with Hill Country views that spans for miles.

Rich culture leads to great food— whether Tex-Mex, brats and kraut, or kolaches and coffee. It’s local, fresh and from the heart. Good eatin’ is alive and well in this part of the region, so if you’re craving a taste of nature, look to the many local fresh marketplaces or pick your own strawberries at Froberg’s Farm in Alvin on over 100 acres with a variety of goods.

In Hill Country, live music is coveted, plentiful and always at the front-and-center of any great gathering. While lively concerts at the Marble Falls Brass Hall are a must, you’ll also find live music virtually everywhere – legendary dance halls, coffee shops, even your favorite local roadhouse, pub, or grill. From big names to home-grown favorites unique to the region, there is no short age of brewhouse bands, solo artists and exceptional talents mixing up their own style of soul, Southern rock, jazz, and other genres for visitors far and wide.

Hill Country weather, social scene and outdoor recreation bring out the best conditions for enjoying local breweries, tap houses and outstanding regional beer and craft brew festivals. Try Double Horn Brewing Company on Highway 281, Save the World Brewing Company, America's first 100% philanthropic production brewery, and Marble Falls newest addition – family-owned Bear King Brewing Company.

Local wineries take full advantage of the rich soil, breezy lake weather and lush microclimate — the perfect combination that produce award-winning red, white and blends. Look for Perissos Vineyard & Winery, Spicewood Vineyards, Stone House Vineyard, Fall Creek Vineyards, Torr Na Lochs Vineyard & Winery and Flat Creek Vineyards just to name a few.

Texas is home to over 50 distilleries, where aficionados and novices alike will enjoy touring and sampling the local portfolios of area gin, whisky and bourbons. Learn about the distilling process at some of the areas select facilities, spend the afternoon tasting samples and bring home your favorites. Spicewood (Crystal Creek Distillers), Austin (Genius Distillery) and Dripping Springs (Treaty Oak Distilling) are among the nearby hot spots.

There’s always a reason to celebrate our heritage. Great weather pairs perfect with festival season — let your hair down and join in the Southern-Style fun. Locals and visitors from across the globe gather to celebrate the best in multicultural, culinary, and specialty events– from blues to bluebonnets, cocktails to coffee, fiddles to films, and countless musical and food-based festivals. The rich diversity of the area lends itself to a number of gatherings such as classic cars and barbecue, and other cultures such as Latino, Chinese, Irish, and Alsatian. A number of these high-spirited local events have been widely showcased on The Food Network and The Travel Channel.

Don’t miss the Llano River Fiddle Fest, Chuck-Wagon Cook-Off, and annual Llano Crawfish Open. Dripping Springs is known for The Texas Night Sky Festival. The Texas State Flower is celebrated each year at the Ennis Bluebonnet Festival.