Time the color
TPWD posts a weekly fall foliage report from mid-October. The show varies wildly with rain and cold snaps — some years peak lands the first week of November, some years Thanksgiving. Read the report, then go midweek.
Bandera & Real Counties
Lost Maples & the Sabinal Canyon
Uvalde bigtooth maples left behind by the last ice age, turning red and gold in a limestone canyon most Texans don’t believe exists.
The place
Lost Maples State Natural Area protects an isolated stand of Uvalde bigtooth maple — a relict population stranded in the cool, damp canyons of the Sabinal River when the climate warmed after the last glaciation. Nothing else in Texas looks like it in November.
The rest of the year it is simply one of the best hiking parks in the state: 11 miles of trail, a genuinely steep climb up to the East Trail overlook, clear pools on the Sabinal, and some of the region’s best birding — the golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo both nest here in spring.
Don't miss
- Peak maple color, usually late October to late November
- The East Trail loop and its 2,200-foot overlook
- Ponds and clear pools on the Sabinal
- Golden-cheeked warblers in spring
Things to do
How to spend your time
Hike the East Trail
The signature loop: about 4.6 miles through the maple bottoms, up a punishing grade to a canyon-rim overlook, and back along the ponds. Steep and rocky in places — real shoes.
Come in spring instead
April and May bring nesting golden-cheeked warblers, cool canyon water, and a park with parking spaces in it. Many locals prefer it.
Add Garner State Park
Forty-five minutes south on the Frio, with its own cypress-lined swimming and a summer jukebox dance that has run since 1941.
Plan it properly
Official sources for Lost Maples & the Sabinal Canyon
Hours, fees, and closures change. These are the people who set them.
- Lost Maples State Natural Area (TPWD)
Day passes, trail map, and park alerts.
- Fall foliage reports
Weekly color updates from park staff, mid-October onward.
- Garner State Park
The Frio River park 45 minutes south.
Pair it with
Experiences here
Trips through here
Ready-made itineraries
Nearby
More destinations close by
Bandera
29.726°N 99.074°WBandera County
The self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the World — dude ranches, honky-tonks, and trail rides along the Medina River.
Kerrville & the Upper Guadalupe
30.047°N 99.140°WKerr County
The river town at the top of the Guadalupe — a mile-long riverside park, a Western art museum, and a community rebuilding after two hard summers.
Don't be a stranger —
Get the Hill Country in your inbox
Seasonal trip ideas, wildflower reports, festival picks, and the swimming holes worth the drive — about twice a month. No spam, just back roads.
★ You're on the list. Check your inbox to confirm.
Something went wrong on our end — email hello@txhillcountrytravel.com and we'll add you by hand.
Not ready to subscribe? See what's on this season →