Rural Interstates, Highways, and Roads in the Hill Country Region

Of course, the big freeways are in the big cities. But any true road enthusiast also likes to take a look at the rural roads and the surrounding landscape. I'll slowly add photos to this section

The Hill Country Region includes the following counties:       Bandera Kendall Menard Blanco Kerr Mills Burnet Kimble Real Comal Kinney Reagan Crockett Lampasas San Saba Edwards Llano Schleicher Gillespie McCulloch Sutton Hays Mason Travis Irion Medina Uvalde     Williamson

Features of the Hill Country Region
Topography and Characteristics	Major Cities / Rainfall / Elevation	Common & Rare Vegetation	Common & Rare Wildlife
Size: Edwards Plateau: 31,000 sq mi Llano Uplift: 5,000 Av. Rainfall: 15-34 in./yr Characteristics: The Edwards Plateau region comprises an area of central Texas commonly known as the Texas Hill Country. It is a land of many springs, stony hills, and steep canyons. The region is home to a whole host of rare plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. Average annual rainfall ranges from 15 to 34 inches, Rainfall is highest in May or June and September. Soils of the Edwards Plateau is honeycombed with thousands of caves. Beneath the eastern edge of the Plateau lies a hidden world of underground lakes known as the Edwards Aquifer. This precious water resource also is home to a number of curious creatures, such as the blind salamander. Today, the Edwards Plateau is characterized by grasslands and savannahs were more common in pre-settlement times than they are today. Ranching is the primary agricultural industry in the region. The Llano Uplift is also known as the central mineral region. Although surrounded by the Edwards Plateau region, the Llano Uplift is distinguished by its unique geology. Home to some of the oldest rocks in Texas, the central mineral region contains unique minerals and rock formations. the region is characterized by large granite domes, such as Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg. Rainfall averages about 24-32 inches per year, peaking in May or June and September. The landscape is rolling to hilly and elevation range from 825 to 2,250 feet above sea level. Soils are predominantly coarse textured sands, produced from weathered granite over thousands of years. Native vegetation consists of oak-hickory or oak-juniper woodlands, mesquite-mixed brush savannah, and grasslands. Open grassland and savannah were once more common than they are today. Ranching is the predominant agricultural industry.	Big Lake-19.21 in / 2,678 ft Blanco-22.05 in / 1,350 ft Boerne-14.93 in / 1,450 ft Brackettville-23.55 in / 1,110 ft Brady-26.11 in / 1,670 ft Camp Wood-21.63 in / 1,450 ft Del Rio-18.24 in / 948 ft Fredericksburg-29.99 in / 1,743 ft Sonora-17.22 in / 2,120 ft San Saba-26.28 in / 1,210 ft Vanderpool-27.32 in / 1,610 ft	Switchgrass Bluestem grass Grama grass Indiangrass Wildry Curly mesquite Buffalograss Live oak Shinnery oak Juniper Mesquite Rare Plants and Habitat Texas snowbells: Limestone edges or cliff faces along perennial streams Texas wild-rice: San Marcos River; clear, constant temperature, spring-fed water Tobusch fishhook cactus: Ashe juniper/oak rangelands on rocky alkaline soils Rock quillwort: Wet weather pools on granite outcrops Basin bellflower: Gravelly or sandy soils	White-tailed deer Rio Grande turkey Raccoon Javelina Brazilian freetail bat Ringtail Nine-banded armadillo Tarantula Golden cheeked warbler Black-capped vireo Northern mockingbird Guadalupe bass Rare Animals and Habitat Black-capped vireo: Semi-open rangelands with a diversity of low growing shrubs Golden-cheeked warbler: Mature woodlands of oaks and ashe juniper Edwards Aquifer Species San Marcos salamander, Texas Blind salamander, San Marcos gambusia (fish), Fountain darter (fish): Spring fed waters of the San Marcos and Comal rivers in Central Texas
"Features" information from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.