What Is The Hill Country?

The Texas Hill Country, if you haven't heard already, is known for tourism, retirement and a myriad of scenic attractions and activities. But why has it become such a popular spot and why should you think about vacation rentals in the Hill Country?

To answer that question let's start with the facts!

Landscape
Texas Hill Country is a 25-county region of Central Texas and South Texas featuring karst topography(a landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks, characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves). The Hill Country reaches into portions of the two major metropolitan areas, especially in San Antonio's northern suburbs and the western half of Travis County, ending southwest of Downtown Austin.

Because of its karst topography, the area also features a number of caverns, such as Inner Space Caverns, Natural Bridge Caverns, Bracken Cave, Longhorn Cavern State Park, Cascade Caverns, Caverns of Sonora and Cave Without a Name.


There's also a network of tributaries and rivers that originate and drain in the Hill Country. Notably, The Guadalupe, San Antonio, Frio, Medina, and Nueces rivers.

Flora & Fauna
Because of the temperatures and landscaping, The Hill Country is home to many birds, exotic animals and plants. Three rare trees you can spot around the area include the Texas Madrone, American Smoke tree and the Lacey Oak.

Places like the Y.O. Ranch and surrounding areas offer exotic hunting opportunities normally only found in Africa. Don't be surprised to spot a zebra or exotic deer.

In the spring the wildflowers grow like crazy and create various hotspots for scenic photography, a picnic or flower picking.

Culture
One aspect that makes The Hill Country unique is the culture. While there is a heavy Spanish influence there is also many large German settlements in the are that have created a fusion of German and Spanish Beer, food and even music.

Weather
The region has warm summers, particularly in July and August, but the elevation sets it about 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding area and temperatures drop at night. Winter temperatures are mild with cold nights.