(This article by military culture and travel writer Teresa Otto originally appeared in the June 2022 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members. Learn more about the magazine here; learn more about joining MOAA here.)

National and state parks span Texas, highlighting the state’s diverse terrain and providing outdoor enthusiasts perhaps too many options. Near Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon State Park offers hikers and bicyclists 30 miles of trails. On the Gulf Coast, Padre Island National Seashore attracts beachcombers and birders. In east Texas, largemouth bass lure anglers to the swampy, cypress-studded Caddo Lake. And in west Texas, Big Bend National Park’s mountains and yucca-dotted plains invite hikers and horseback riders to enjoy the views.

Near the middle of all this is Texas Hill Country — a destination sure to please wine, history, and nature enthusiasts. Here, country roads meander past peach orchards, vineyards, and more than 50 wineries centered around Fredericksburg, a German town in the heart of Texas Hill Country.

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“Fredericksburg is known as one of the nation’s top small towns, because of the amazing restaurants, shops, attractions, and wineries that call the area home,” Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau Director of Communications Amanda Koone said. “For military retirees, Fredericksburg’s history and museums provide a wealth of activities.”

Learn more about the town’s founding in 1846 at the Pioneer Museum or its most famous native son, Chester W. Nimitz, at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Lyndon B. Johnson, our 36th president, is another Hill Country native. You can visit the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and National Historic Landmarks such as his boyhood home (Johnson City). Wildflowers blanket the area each spring thanks to Lady Bird Johnson’s conservation efforts.

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More than a dozen Hill Country state parks capture the area’s natural beauty. Near Fredericksburg, climb Enchanted Rock State Natural Area’s 640-acre granite dome for panoramic views.

From May to October, watch Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from Old Tunnel State Park. Enjoy nature’s architecture and air conditioning inside Longhorn Cavern State Park (Burnet) where temperatures remain a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. And in Garner State Park (Concan), take a paddleboat or tube down the refreshing Frio River, fish for rainbow trout, and hike wooded trails. 

TEXAS FOODIE FACT: Chase’s Place in Fredericksburg serves farm-to-fork dinners and craft cocktails. Veteran-owned Messina Hof Hill Country Winery allows you to choose five wines to sample. Both offer patio seating. While most state parks offer camping, Garner State Park has an unbeatable combination of family-friendly activities, stunning scenery, cabin rentals, and campsites with hookups.