Willow Loop

On the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend, my daughter and I decided to drive the Willow City Loop.. If you have never done this before, and even if you have, I recommend you consider doing so. Directions are at the end of this article.

What is this Loop? It is an iconic slow, lingering, extremely scenic Texas Hill Country Drive on a narrow, 2 lane, curving drive that goes up and down and around for 13 miles before circling around to the originating point. The drive takes one through rugged landscapes and into deep canyons exposing jagged cliffs of some of the oldest and most unique cliffs in the hill country. Meandering streams and Coal Creek cross the drive many times.

Most people who make this drive time it for when the thousands of Bluebonnets are in bloom. Expect traffic to be bumper to bumper then, especially on weekends. It is best to plan your trip for Bluebonnets for a mid-week day. On our trip, however, we were a tad too late for the Bluebonnets, but other wildflowers were in abundance: Indian Paint Brush, Phlox, Coreopsis, Mexican Poppies, Yellow and White Daisies, and many more. Mesquite, Pecans, and Live Oaks are just a few of the trees that line the drive. On this trip, however, we were disheartened to see that many of the live oaks had been severely damaged by the hard freeze episode and the caterpillar attack. I do hope some of them make a comeback. One writer describes this trip as, “The most beautiful Texas Hill Country drive you will ever experience”.

DIRECTIONS: Take highway 281 to Johnson City and stay on it. You will cross the Pedernales River. Shortly after that, you will see a sign for 1323 on the left that points to Willow City (pop 75). Follow 1323 and it will direct you to The Loop. Remember, also, that the Loop itself winds 13.3 miles through PRIVATE PROPERTY SO PLEASE STAY ON THE ROAD. You can also get there from Fredericksburg.

Written by Martha Knies