Your Ultimate Guide To Spring Attractions And Activities In Texas

Every spring, a blanket of blue covers the Texas Hill Country town of Ennis. The “Bluebonnet Capital of Texas” proudly shows off its many fields and roadsides flooded in a sea of the official state flower. For over 70 years, the town has made the entire month of April its official Bluebonnet Trails season. As the season nears, organizers release a map each year with 40 miles of the best bloom-spotting destinations. Ennis Garden Club members scout the sites to ensure the best of the best showcases of natural beauty. The season culminates with the three-day Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival the third weekend of the month.

This northeast Texas flower farm usually opens in late May, welcoming guests to pick their favorite blooms from over 100,000 flowers. You simply grab a basket and shears from the field. Then carefully select the stunners you want to bring home. Bring your bouquet to the counter for careful wrapping and cashing out. The farm grows around 20 types of lilies, so this is more of an end-of-season tradition.

Since a little after World War I in Georgetown, red poppies have been painting the town red every spring. Around 1990, townspeople figured they'd throw a big party and paint it a little more red themselves. And thus the three-day Red Poppy Festival began, drawing thousands of people the last weekend of April every year to one of the most charming small towns in Texas. The event features live music, an art show, a parade, and more. We doubt U.S. Army Corporal Henry Purl "Okra" Compton had any idea what he was starting when he brought home poppy seeds from Northern France. Thank goodness his mom planted them all those years ago! They quickly spread to earn the city its title of "Red Poppy Capital." The state legislature made it official the same year as the first festival.

You can immerse yourself in every minute of spring flower season in the Dallas-Fort Worth region with Dallas Blooms, the largest annual floral festival in the Southwest. The event begins in late February and extends through the first week of April. You can follow the facility's bloom tracker on its website to see exactly which flowers are rotating out as others peak. The 66-acre urban oasis comprises almost 24 dozen named gardens and landscaped features. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

True to its name, Texas wildflowers take center stage at this botanical garden in the state capital. The center, named for late Texan and former First Lady of the U.S. Claudia Alta "Ladybird" Johnson, is dedicated to the conservation of native plants. People from all over the world visit to see the beautiful blooms and study the site's sustainable design and practices. Spring is an excellent time to watch the wildflowers begin to bloom for the warm weather seasons.

Explore a diverse collection of plants, whimsical sculptures, bird watching, and other fascinating wildlife at this 252-acre botanical garden and nature preserve in southeast Texas. This garden opened in 1946 after its founder, local philanthropist H.J. Lutcher Stark, developed it over four years. He is said to have been inspired by the utopian retreat "Shangri-La" described in the 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, by James Hilton. Lutcher's paradise closed in 1958 after a snowstorm destroyed many of his beloved plants. Fortunately, he left a foundation that helped revive the gardens, which finally reopened to the public in 2008. Today, you can experience many ecosystems at Shangri La, from formal botanical gardens and a deciduous forest to a cypress swamp and wetlands.

The gateway from spring to summer fun flings open in mid-April with the opening of the spectacular waterpark at Schlitterbahn waterparks. There's one at New Braunfels and another at Galveston on Galveston Island. The parks both feature a range of thrilling water slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools, plus tons of other family-friendly activities. A favorite at the Galveston park is the Soaring Eagle Zipline. Such great destinations for a spring break getaway. While the resorts are open year round, the waterparks are among the most popular family things to do in Texas in spring and throughout the summer.

This sprawling 400-acre city park in San Antonio includes multiple attractions for endless family fun, especially in spring when the weather is so nice. The park is home to the San Antonio Zoo, a miniature train, and the Witte Museum. There's also an open-air amphitheater, ballparks, playgrounds and wildflower-lined nature trails. With a rich cultural history dating back to 1899, the park celebrates its 125th year in 2024.

Dive into spring with a snorkeling adventure in the West Texas desert at this unique park near Fort Stockton. A 1.3-acre spring-fed swimming pool is the world's largest. The San Solomon Springs sends 15 million gallons of water through the pool daily. It maintains a temperature of 72 to 76 degrees year-round and reaches 25 feet deep in areas. While this park is a bit out of the way for many, it's worth the road trip for a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

Get some of the best views to be had at this beloved national park on the relatively easy Santa Elena Canyon Trail. The short trail leads you to the base of the canyon, where you'll be surrounded by 1,500-foot looming limestone walls. The sandy path leads you to dip your toes in the Rio Grande. Even the journey getting there is beautiful in itself along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. This is also a popular spot to kayak if that’s more your speed.

See spring wildflowers contrast against the sparkling pink granite of Enchanted Rock on the 1.3-mile moderate summit trail. While this Central Texas treasure is a favorite in all seasons, the combination of colors makes springtime extra special. Look for tiny freshwater shrimp on the vernal pools where water has collected in the rock and created microhabitats. The park calls them "fairy shrimp," because this rock is enchanted, after all. There are 11 miles total of trails to explore here. You can make a night or two of it and enjoy some spring stargazing, too. The park has a handful of walk-in campsites with water and several hike-in primitive spots.

This 445-acre municipal park is truly in the center of it all in Houston, close to downtown, the city's museum district, Rice University, and Texas Medical Center. The central location makes it perfect for friends to meet up and enjoy a picnic in the beautiful spring weather surrounded by lush grass and seasonal blooms. While Hermann Park has designated picnic spaces with BBQ grills for small groups to gather, it's doubtful anyone would bat an eye if you laid out a blanket almost anywhere you please. There are so many outdoor activities you can do here. Rent a pedal boat to glide across the 8-acre McGovern Lake, play a round on the golf course, visit the McGovern Centennial Gardens, or visit the Houston Zoo. It's a great place to enjoy a late afternoon before checking out the city's nightlife.

If you think spring, then break, then beach ... but maybe not South Padre Island, head to Malaquite Beach. There's a nice visitor center with a park store and exhibit area about the park's plants, animals, and history. Outside, you'll find a large picnic area on a deck with nice water views. A wheelchair-accessible ramp leads from the deck down to the beach, and there's a beach wheelchair available at no charge. Several picnic tables await near the water's edge, as well.