The 10 Best Scenic Drives in Texas, From Wildflower Fields to Cajun Country

This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on July 8, 2026, with current information.

It would take about the same time to drive through four European countries as it would to drive across the state of Texas. It doesn’t really need to be said, but Texas is big, diverse, and beautiful, and it’s calling to road-trippers looking for adventure.

Texas cities may have originally sprouted near waterways and railroad stops, but the state has evolved over the past century to serve the automobile. The state’s highways crisscross and meander through mountains in the desert, up and over hills, deep into forests, around marshes and bayous, across flat plains, down into canyons, and alongside the Gulf of Mexico. With 10 distinct eco-regions, Texas is one of the most environmentally diverse states in the country, offering a feast for the eyes every season of the year.

Between the jaw-droppingly gorgeous natural landmarks are quirky roadside attractions and hole-in-the-wall restaurants serving bites that speak to the state’s diverse Mexican, German, and Southern roots. Best yet, you can make stops in big cities and small towns to shop in antique stores and art galleries, explore museums and historical sites, or make a base camp for outdoor excursions.

To help you narrow your options, we’ve gathered Texas’s 10 best scenic drives. So pack your bag, grab your license, and hit the road to experience the Lone Star State.

Lajitas to Presidio

In the far reaches of West Texas, in the desolate-yet-beautiful borderlands between Mexico and the U.S., is Highway 170, arguably one of the most gorgeous drives in the whole country. Don’t take our word for it—in 2008, National Geographic Traveler named it one of the nation’s most scenic highways, along with classics like California’s Highway 1.

You could begin this journey in either direction, but the canyons are most spectacular if the drive starts in the small town of Lajitas (home to a high-end golf resort, hiking trails, hot springs, and a zip line) and ends in the slightly bigger town of Presidio. There are no tourist traps or cultural stops along the way; this is a drive purely for enjoying the ruggedness and solitude of the West Texas desert landscape. There are plenty of places to pull off the road to enjoy a scenic meal, so bring snacks or enough food for a roadside picnic; we also recommend pulling over for a short hike in Closed Canyon.

For fans of Lonesome Dove, consider a detour to see the casita that was Maria’s Ojinaga home in the miniseries Streets of Laredo, located in the ghost town of Contrabando within Big Bend Ranch State Park. And if you happen to be driving from Presidio to Lajitas, make the extra 13 miles to Terlingua, right outside Big Bend National Park. There, you can refill on fuel and refill your belly at the legendary Starlight Theatre Restaurant and Saloon, where the margaritas are chilly and strong.

Davis Mountains Scenic Loop

The Davis Mountains of West Texas are classified as a “sky island,” and their green slopes certainly strike a sharp contrast to the brown scrub brush of the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. Encompassing a scenic 75-mile stretch of Texas State Highway 118 and Texas 166, the Davis Mountains Scenic Loop is the most elevated highway in the state as well as one of the least crowded and most scenic.

Along the way, travelers can admire historic ranches, rolling golden grasslands, and mountaintops teeming with flora and fauna found nowhere else in the state. There are several picturesque places to stop for a picnic, including the fancifully named Dead Man’s Canyon, which, as legend has it, got its moniker when the body of young Horace Powe was found propped up next to a boulder in the 1880s—he had been shot 11 times.

The route also passes through 33,000 acres of wild mountain land that’s stewarded by the Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve as well as the University of Texas’s famous McDonald Observatory. The McDonald is a working observatory; academics travel from all over the world for the dark sky reserve that encompasses much of the Big Bend region of West Texas. However, there’s also a museum on campus where visitors can learn about the research facility’s history and current functions.

Because the loop begins and ends in Fort Davis, spend some time in the small mountain town that still does not have a single traffic light. Rock N Raul’s Smokehouse is a cash-only favorite known for its mouthwatering barbecue.

Related: 4 Days in Dallas: Stetsons, Samurai Armor, and Seriously Good Tex-Mex

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails

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Every spring, travelers in Texas head to the small town of Ennis to see fields covered with deep indigo-colored flowers known as bluebonnets (the state flower) on the Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail. From March to late May, you’ll see a variety of wildflowers alongside I-45 on the 35-minute drive south of Dallas, but the real show begins in Ennis. Forty miles of driving trails take you throughout the small town where every green space seems to be covered in bluebonnets.

You can stop at public parks to take photos with the wildflowers; just avoid stepping on the flowers so they can bloom next year! On your way back to Dallas, make a 10-minute detour to Lancaster’s historic town square to shop at the Local Exchange or grab a Japanese cold brew or matcha from Kyotobrew and a brisket-covered baked potato at Hug BBQ.

Route 66

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The Lone Star State is home to the shortest stretch of Route 66, a little under 165 miles (not everything is bigger in Texas), and it cuts almost straight across the Panhandle. As elsewhere in the USA, most of the road has been demolished or is not in service, but the old Route 66 mostly follows the modern path of Interstate 40.

There are several Route 66–themed attractions to stop by during this drive, including the iconic art deco–style U-Drop Inn Café and the public art installation of Cadillac Ranch. One of the most famous stops is the Big Texan Steak Ranch, which serves 72-ounce steaks for free—if diners can eat the entire hunk of meat (as well as a shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, and a roll with butter) in less than an hour with no assistance. Have extra time? Take a 40-minute detour south of Route 66 for a 16-mile scenic drive that descends 800 feet into the country’s second-largest canyon at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Related: The Ultimate Texas Hill Country Road Trip Includes Tree Houses, Tubing, and Tacos

Tyler to Port Arthur

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If you’re craving a forested drive through charming small towns, head south on Highway 69 from East Texas’s biggest city of Tyler to Port Arthur, also known as the Cajun Capital of Texas. First, though, stop in Jacksonville, home of the Tomato Fest, for an Ayurvedic spa retreat at Hotel Ritual and the best-kept omakase secret in the state at Food and Table. When you leave Jacksonville, you’ll travel through parts of the Texas Forest Trail, full of lush woods, lakes, and recreation areas. Near Zavalla, you can hike in Angelina National Forest, swim in creek waterfalls at Boykin Springs Recreation Area, and bass fish at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas, located near Woodville, welcomes visitors to stay at the tribe’s campground at Lake Tombigbee.

By the time you hit Beaumont, the landscape will have shifted from pine forests to bayous and marshes. See migratory birds at Cattail Marsh and gators while kayaking on the Neches River. Beaumont offers bigger-city activities, such as a meal at the Black-owned Patillo’s, the oldest family-owned barbecue restaurant in Texas, and rotating regional art exhibits at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. End your journey in Port Arthur, home of Janis Joplin and outdoor activities like paddling, fishing, and airboat marsh tours. When you’re not swimming at McFaddin Beach, delve into Cajun culture with live music at the Boudain Hut, crawfish boils at Touch of Cajun Cafe, and gumbo at the Schooner Restaurant.

Galveston to Port Aransas

There’s often a debate between whether the East Coast or West Coast is best, but how about the third coast? Texas has 367 miles of shoreline, making it the sixth-longest coastline in the country. Unlike the former two, where some of the most expensive property in the world comes with an ocean view, the beach communities of Texas are, for the most part, composed of working-class folks.

This road trip begins in the island city of Galveston, 50 miles from Houston. Thanks to its proximity to Houston, Galveston is one of the most popular beach towns in the state and features attractions like the Moody Gardens and the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. The best beaches in the state are a little farther south—thankfully, the road south along State Highway 35 is a beautiful one. Winding through marshlands, the route provides peekaboo views of the Gulf Coast and meanders through cute towns like West Columbia (capital of the Republic of Texas for eight months in 1836) and the fish-crazy city of Rockport.

Finally, the journey will end in Port Aransas, one of the prettiest beach towns in Texas. There you’ll find 18 miles of white-sand beaches and fresh Gulf Coast seafood. In the colder months, detour to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the last wild flock of endangered whooping cranes likes to winter. Between April and August, baby sea turtles hatch and make their big journey to the ocean.

Mineral Wells to Marble Falls

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This is a Texas road trip best suited for summer thanks to its watery itinerary—there are several places to swim along this route.

The journey begins in the small North Texas town of Mineral Wells, once a bustling, premier spa destination known for its hot springs that lured the likes of Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Will Rogers, and even Bonnie and Clyde to its alkaline, mineral-rich waters. Sadly, the Baker Hotel, the place that put the town on the map, shut down in 1972. However, a group of investors bought the hotel in 2019 and are restoring the Grand Old Lady (placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982) to its former glory. (Keep up with their progress and expected opening date of 2028 on their popular TikTok account.)

But you don’t need to stay at the Baker to enjoy the water: Mosey on over to Lake Mineral Wells State Park, if the urge to splash strikes you. Better yet, float down the Brazos River in an inner tube. Mineral Wells also has a cute downtown with shops and restaurants; try the burgers and fries at Dairy Mart, touted as one of the best rural restaurants in Texas.

Highway 281, which will take you from Mineral Wells to Marble Falls, is full of Hill Country charms and views. Stop in Hico for its Billy the Kid Museum (and an Old West conspiracy theory that says Billy wasn’t killed by Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner but instead ran away to Hico in some kind of “Elvis Presley is still alive” plot twist). Lampasas is home to the oldest spring-fed swimming pool in the state if you’re ready for another dip.

Finally, the journey ends in the small town of Marble Falls, set along the Colorado River, where retirees flock; you can get in one last swim here at the lake. Marble Falls is also home to the Blue Bonnet Cafe, a cozy diner famous for its homemade-style pies.

Related: The Ultimate Texas Hill Country Road Trip Includes Tree Houses, Tubing, and Tacos

Houston to Sam Houston National Forest

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The metropolitan crown jewel of East Texas is Houston (with its incredibly delicious and diverse culinary scene), but to get a taste of what the surrounding countryside is like, venture outside city limits to the Pineywoods. The Pineywoods of East Texas is a large area of woodlands that’s part of a bigger forest system that extends into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Here, travelers will find swamps as well as heavily forested areas peppered with oak, mesquite, ash, elm, and, of course, pine trees. Hundreds of different bird, mammal, amphibian, and reptile species call the Pineywoods home, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, the southern short-tailed shrew, and the Rafinesque big-eared bat. Keep a careful eye out for venomous water moccasin (aka cottonmouth) snakes as well as the fearsome American alligator.

One of the best and most convenient places to explore the Piney Woods from Houston is Sam Houston National Forest, just under an hour’s drive from the city. Day hikes like the Lone Star Hiking Trail or Double Lake Trail make it easy to get a sense of the area in a few hours, but there are overnight camping options in the park as well. Try visiting in the spring or fall to avoid those broiling Texas summer temperatures. If you’re looking for a place to cool off, head to the Blue Lagoon, an old limestone quarry that’s been turned into a swimming hole. Though it primarily caters to scuba divers, casual swimmers are also welcome.

Huntsville is only a 10-minute drive from Sam Houston National Forest. The town is infamously the home of the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, which houses the Death Row unit of the state. In Huntsville, travelers can visit the Texas Prison Museum, which is dedicated to “preserving the history and the culture of the Texas prison system.” Inside, there are exhibits that cover Bonnie and Clyde, the history of how the state’s penitentiary system grew, plus a display dedicated to those who were proven innocent after being wrongly executed by the state—it’s an intense but sobering experience.

Gruene to Fredericksburg

Options for convenient day trips are scarce in Central Texas, but Gruene and Fredericksburg are tried and true, and the drive between them is gorgeous.

Gruene (pronounced “green”) is a little German Texan town on the banks of the Guadalupe River; it is most famous for Gruene Hall, the state’s oldest continuously operating dance hall. Gruene Hall is something of a Texas legend and is worth visiting all on its own—musicians like Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, and George Strait have played at the famed venue. Gruene was initially established by German immigrants interested in cotton farming; a giant cotton gin facility in town has been converted into the Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar, which has a fine view of the Guadalupe (its rushing waters once powered the gin).

The jaunt up to Fredericksburg, about 78 miles west of Austin, takes drivers through the picturesque and rolling Hill Country landscapes and vineyards. Much like Gruene, Fredericksburg was also settled by German immigrants and is famous for its German-style fare—consider stopping by the Old German Bakery and Restaurant on Main Street for schnitzel and potato pancakes. When you’re not chowing down on German cuisine or shopping on Main Street, check out the more than 75 wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms in and around the town. After all, Fredericksburg is the heart of Texas’ wine country.

Twisted Sisters Motorcycle Route

Comprising three Farm to Market roads—FM 335, FM 336, and FM 337—the Twisted Sisters Motorcycle Route is known as the most challenging motorcycle loop in the state. It also happens to be one of the nicest drives in Texas. Located northwest of San Antonio, the Twisted Sisters cuts through the heart of the Hill Country. Expect gentle, rolling hills, lush live oaks, and limestone outcroppings.

But for motorcyclists, the road can also be dangerous—a sign off of FM 336 warns that 13 bikers have lost their lives on the Twisted Sisters since 2006. However, for experienced motorcycle enthusiasts, the twists, turns, and occasionally bumpy pavement of the famed loop are a delight.

The Twisted Sisters ends and begins in the same place: Leakey, Texas, population 555. After the Twisted Sisters, consider relaxing by the banks of the Frio River, lined with bald cypress trees that turn a gorgeous shade of umber in the fall.

Related: 7 Unforgettable U.S. Cross-Country Road Trips