Best Places To See Fall Color Near Abilene – Jones’ Top 5 [VIDEO]

Fall color abounds in the Abilene area, and within easy driving distance of our home in the Big Country. One of the great things about living here is our central Texas location. You can experience a lot of Texas within an easy road trip of three hours or less. My picks for Fall color include stops close to home and farther afield, but all are worth the gas and time to visit with a good camera and your family or friends in the car. I've always been proud to be a native Texan, because I feel that our state offers so many different opportunities for sightseeing, history, and culture.

1. Buffalo Gap

Buffalo Gap is just 5 miles south of Abilene, but the terrain and vegetation change dramatically in that short distance.  The hills around Buffalo Gap are covered in beautiful oaks, cedars, and of course mesquites.  If you take the short drive in late September through the end of October, the trees put on quite a color show.  For photo opportunity, there's no better stop than the Buffalo Gap Historic Village.  The 'Village' is a collection of historic buildings from the region which have  been moved on to the location downtown.  There's a picturesque victorian era church where many weddings are held, along with a vintage one-room schoolhouse, farm house, and more.  The site is rich with mature oaks that provide the perfect settting for Fall photographs as seen is this photo of the Knight-Sayles home within the village.  Buffalo Gap Historic Village is in downtown Buffalo Gap at 133 North William Street For visitor information you can go to the Abilene Convention And Vistors website at AbileneVisitors.com.

2. Lost Maples State Natural Area

The Lost Maples State Natural Area is literally a treasure.  It's by far the most popular spot in Texas to see Fall color.  Although it's a fairly long drive of a little over four hours, the trip is more than worth it.  Travelers visit Lost Maples from all over the United States to take photos of its legendary bigtooth maple trees.  These trees are considered almost rare, and are very particular as to where they can flourish as far as climate and soil requirements.  The Lost Maples area has more of these trees than you'll find anywhere else.  The park covers over 2,000 acres, and there's not an inch of it that is not stunningly beautiful.  It's deep in the Texas Hill Country south of Fredericksburg in Vanderpool, Texas.  If you're planning to go, the exact address of the park is 37221 FM 187; Vanderpool, TX.  The park phone number is 830-966-3413.  Be sure to check out the video of Lost Maples at the bottom of this page, and visit their website at TPWD.state.tx.us.

3. Abilene State Park

Closer to home, a visit to Abilene State Park is always a Fall treat.  The park has hiking trails which wind through heavily wooded areas featuring tall oak trees.  It's an easy stroll of just over a mile, and you can take a lot of photos as you enjoy the beautiful hues of the trees in October.  Abilene State Park is a short 10-minute drive south of Abilene at 150 Park Road 32 in Tuscola.  Just drive straight through Buffalo Gap on FM 89 and continue south.  The park website is at TPWD.state.tx.us, and you can call the park at 325-572-3204.

4. Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country is noted for its scenic driving experience just about year round.  In the Spring, it's a prime destination to view Texas wildflowers as they put on a show.  And in the fall, the oaks, maples, and cedars create a color palette that's hard to beat.  A photo excursion is as easy as pointing your car south on Highway 84 and driving through Coleman onward to Brady, Mason, and Fredericksburg.  The scenery just gets better with each town you drive through.  And the colors range from rust, to yellow, to  golden, to the vivid red you see in this photo along highway 84 near Fredericksburg.  If you want to stay the night, Fredericksburg boasts over 100 Bed & Breakfast establishments that are located in historic homes and buildings.  The innkeepers will feed you the best homemade breads and pastries you've ever experienced as part of your stay.  To book a Bed & Breakfast, go to Fredericksburg-Lodging.com.  You can see photos of many of the inns, cabins, and historic cottages on the site, and there's a detailed map of the region too.

5. Sayles Boulevard

If you want Fall color right here in the Abilene city limits, it's as close as Sayles Boulevard.  You can turn on to Sayles from South First street and head south down 14 blocks of tall, mature oaks and maples.  The color is beautiful as you drive under the shade of these trees lining both sides of the boulevard, and right down the center median from South First to South 14th and beyond.  As you cross 14th, McMurry College on your right boasts a beautifully landscaped campus with more big, colorful trees.  The image here shows the endless row of trees lining the boulevard.

No matter where you travel around the Abilene area, you can enjoy the colors of Fall from late September well in to November. And our temperatures are mild enough to stop your car, get out, and take some pictures. We sometimes take for granted the beauty of our part of Texas because of the expanse of flat terrain we are known for. But it's there for the enjoying if we just take a couple of weekend hours to experience it. Check out a video of the Lost Maples State Natural Area posted on YouTube by the Texas Parks And Wildlife Department: