Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX

Last weekend we drove out into the Hill Country to visit the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is about an hour's drive northwest of Austin and is one of the few nearby places to go hiking outside of the city limits that we have discovered so far. Given such a grand name- CANYON LANDS!, I was hoping for something dramatic, like the real canyons we saw at Big Bend National Park last year, but what we found instead was mostly small rolling hills of dry prairie landscape. We spent most of the afternoon hiking and driving around the refuge and didn't see a single animal. The park is revered for its bird watching opportunities, but I can't even say we saw any birds of particular interest. Maybe we will bring our binoculars next time?


We started off by driving along Cow Creek Road. This was the recommended scenic route to get to the Doeskin Ranch and the refuge booklet promised views of 750 foot limestone cliffs. Along the road we passed private ranches and went through land set aside for the refuge. At one point we drove along an emerald colored creek that ran below limestone walls, but at most I would say those walls were 150 feet tall.

Views off of the Cow Creek Rd.

Cow Creek at the Balcones Canyonlands Ntl' Wildlife Refuge 

Doeskin Ranch offered up a collection of hiking trails, and we ended up hiking four miles by combining several trails together. We started on the Rimrock trail and then made our way to the Indiangrass trail by way of Shinoak trail. The hike climbed steeply at first and then leveled out, allowing for views of the nearby rolling hills. We hiked through fields of tall grass, cactus groves and through several wooded sections. It is believed that several ice ages ago the sea levels rose and left behind the limestone floor littered with shellfish and coral fossils here in the Hill Country, and we saw plenty of evidence of that on our hike. The sand was littered with perfect spiral shells and remnants of oyster shells. That was probably the neatest aspect of the refuge.

Doeskin Ranch entrance

Hiking the Rimrock trail

Green vegetation on the dry prairie landscape 

Trail markers

Me on the Rimrock trail

Views off of the Rimrock trail

A 30 point deer we spotted on the Rimrock trail! 

Sea fossils on the Rimrock trail

After our hike we drove to the Shin Oak Observation Deck to view the avian wildlife. We saw several brightly colored cardinals and a few other birds we couldn't identify. Again, it probably would have helped if we'd had our binoculars and a guide book on birds. We finished out our visit by driving up to the Warbler Vista. There was another collection of trails to be found there, but by then we were all hiked out. Instead we enjoyed the beautiful view of Lake Travis on the Sunset Deck.

Shin Oak Observation Deck

Views of Lake Travis from the Sunset Deck at Warbler Vista 

It looks like the Black-Capped Vireos arrive at the refuge between the middle of March and April. Then the birds settle in for nesting activities and can be viewed from the Shin Oak Observation Deck. Also around the middle of March is when the Golden-Cheecked Warblers start arriving from Mexico. Right around then is also when the wildflowers start to bloom around the Hill Country, so mid-March and on is probably the best time to visit the refuge if you are in the Austin area. Too bad we didn't get to see it during the best season!

To see more pictures of the Balcones Canyonlands, click here.

Happy Hill Country Canyoning,

M.