Finding Fall Colors in Texas

Summer is finally in the rear view mirror, fall seemed to last about two days, and now cold fronts have blown in from the north. And that means fall colors in Texas are on the way. In early October, I spent a week in Colorado shooting the changing leaves in the Rockies, covering 1700 miles over 7 days and enjoying the amazing display of color across the state. While Texas can’t match Colorado’s Autumn colors and the sheer coverage of changing leaves, the Lone Star State can still offer some pretty stunning areas to take in the red maples and oak and the orange cypress.
Around this time of year – October and November – I’m often asked where the best fall colors can be found. A few years ago, I added an online gallery dedicated to fall colors in Texas. And in this short blog, I’d like to share a few of my favorite places in no particular order.

Lost Maples
Located off Highway 187 near Vanderpool, Lost Maples State Natural Area is arguably the most popular location for fall colors in the Hill Country. And that means it is the most crowded, as well. In good years when the rain and temperatures cooperate, maples and oak turn red and orange during the early part of November. Paths through colorful leaves and overhanging branches lead through small groves of the Uvalde Bigtooth Maple trees.

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Path Through the Woods at Lost Maples 5 : Prints Available

Along the East Trail in Lost Maples State Park, you’ll enjoy views like this in mid November. This day was perfect – calm, temperatures in the 50s, and very few people (it was a weekday). In this area of the Texas Hill Country, you’ll find lots to do besides photograph the beautiful Autumn colors. Towns like Leakey, Vanderpool, and Medina, as well as Garner State Park, offer places to explore, have lunch and enjoy the country life.

The Sabinal River winds through the park, as well, presenting a few opportunities to see and photograph colorful scenes with a peaceful stream flowing through the area. But be warned… this place is packed on the weekends with locals and tourists who drive hours to take in the beauty. So plan ahead, book an entrance ticket early, or better yet – arrive early on a weekday. When you finish hiking, there are even a few good wineries in the area!

Garner State Park
Just 28 miles southwest of Lost Maples near the town of Concan sits Garner State Park – home to the clear Frio River and Old Baldy. In the fall, cypress and oak along the Frio turn red, gold, and orange in a beautiful display of fall color. Here is one image taken while standing in the Frio on a cold late afternoon that shows the river with the Autumn trees lining the banks. This image also appeared on the cover of Texas Highways Magazine in October, 2019.

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Autumn in Garner State Park 2 : Prints Available

* This image from Garner State Park appeared on the cover of Texas Highways Magazine in the October 2019 edition.*

On a serene evening deep in the Texas Hill Country, fall colors of red and gold shine in the evening sun along the Frio River in Garner State Park. Standing in knee deep water to capture this image, and with Mount Baldy in the background, I had to pause at the beauty and mirror-like reflections of this amazing scene.

Photographic opportunities abound in this area. Walks along the river provide various angles full of pristine water and colorful cypress trees. A short hike up Old Baldy, the highest point in the park, affords views overlooking the river valley and the summit makes a nice place for a snack or picnic. But like Lost Maples to the north, the parking lots usually fill up by late morning on weekends. When I shoot here, I bring my wide-angle lenses and I arrive early on a weekday.

After Garner State Park, heck out some of the surrounding drives and towns. The loop from Vanderpool and Lost Maples west to Leakey, south to Garner State Park, west to Utopia, and back north to Vanderpool makes from some amazing views. Try some of the side roads, as well, exploring the smaller streams and creeks that run in the area. Hidden gems are just around the corner.

Guadalupe Mountains

Located about an hour north of Van Horn and seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Guadalupe Mountains rise out of the Chihuahuan Desert, reaching their highest point at the summit of Guadalupe Peak (also the highest point in Texas). The mountain range is the fossilized remnant of the Capitan Reef and is now composed of almost entirely of Limestone. But hidden in one of its canyons is an ancient stand of bigtooth maple. A hike into McKittrick Canyon in early October reveals secrets of this lost grove of trees, and the trail can often be ablaze in the red fall colors of the changing leaves. The image below was taken a few years ago along the McKittrick Canyon trail and was used by Texas Highways Magazine.

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McKittrick Canyon Glory, Guadalupe Mountains 1 : Prints Available

Following the trail through McKittrick Canyon, there are places of dense maple trees. At one point, you are nearly surrounded by the beautiful leaves, and in Autumn the forest can turn orange and red with some of the most beautiful fall colors in Texas. The main hike is around 4 miles each way, but you can continue up to ‘the Notch,” a climb of about 1500 vertical feet over another mile or so at which point you can look down into a canyon on each side of you. The hike up is a grunt, but the views are incredible. You can look back down and see the colorful maples as they follow the path of the river.


The hike trail will take you as far as you want to go. I usually enjoy climbing to the top of McKittrick Ridge to a point called “the Notch” – a high point in the trail that offers views of the valley in both directions. This trail is a day-use only area, so plan accordingly. I try to hit the trail as soon as the gates open and enjoy a morning and afternoon exploring the area in all its colorful beauty.

Pedernales Falls State Park

I probably know the land that borders the Pedernales River better than any other place in Texas. This little park is close to my home, and I enjoy my early morning walks here when all is quiet and serene. In the fall – usually mid-November at the earliest in this park – the cypress along the clear, cool waters of the Pedernales River turn orange and dark red.
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Texas Hill Country Fall Colors 2 : Prints Available

The Texas Hill Country comes alive with autumn colors each November. Here, the cypress lean in and cover the Pedernales River on a cool fall morning, their gnarled roots wandering their way down into the water.

Exploring both upstream and downstream leads to small cascades and cypress-lined portions of the water. This park does become crowded on the weekends, but when exploring at sunrise or sunset I’ll often find myself alone.
If planning to visit this area in the late fall, check their calendar. The last several years, the park has been closed during peak color times for planned hunts, something that has left me frustrated at missing out on such colorful opportunities. I believe the hunt-closure for 2019 is not until December (thank goodness), but check before heading out.

Other places in Texas offer fall colors as well, and some can be quite amazing. I’d love to hear from folks out there about their experiences in fall at Caddo Lake, Daingerfield State Park in east Texas, and other locations where the colors have been eye-catching.

In the meantime, it is time for me to head out to the hill country and start scouting. I plan on starting my trek for Texas fall colors in just a few days and am ready to go!

Safe Travels, Texas!
~ Rob
Images from Texas

Texas Wildflowers – Spring 2019 Part 1

After making a few trips out to Big Bend to witness the stunning bluebonnet display in the desert, it is time to turn the camera toward the Texas wildflowers of central Texas and areas closer to home. My friend, Mike, and I, were still dragging from the early mornings and late nights and driving long distances in west Texas, but he’d already done some scouting in areas south of San Antonio, so I headed that direction to join him for a few days of wildflower hunting.

We really focused on areas around Poteet, though other locations are just as colorful as I write this.
The afternoon and evening found us shooting colorful fields along Eichman and Wheeler Roads. The clouds were nice and offered contrast in the blue sky, as well.

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South Texas Wildflower Afternoon 317-4 : Prints Available

Just north of Poteet, Texas, and south of San Antonio, wildflowers of red, blue, gold, and purple fill a field on a cool spring afternoon. This colorful landscape is made up of groundsel (gold), bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, and phlox (the small purple blooms). A windmill rises in the distance to complete a beautiful spread of vibrant color.

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South Texas Wildflower Afternoon 317-1 : Prints Available

The wildflowers south of San Antonio around Poteet in Atascosa County created a colorful palette in the fields this spring. Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, White Prickly Poppies, and other varieties seemed to be blooming at every corner. This wildflower photo is from the late afternoon in mid-March. The bllue sky with a few high clouds was just about the perfect complement to the colorful explosion of blooms going on in the field.


We were also searching for a nice sunset spot. Unfortunately, the best areas we found all faced east – good for sunrise, but not so much for sunset. Still, we settled for a field of bluebonnets around a large oak tree.
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South Texas Bluebonnet Sunset 318-1 : Prints Available

Sunset south of San Antonio brough beautiful orange and blue to a bluebonnets landscape on this warm March evening. All was quiet as daylight waned. In this photograph taken near Poteet, hints of red paintbursh, violet phlox, and white prickly poppies can be seen mixing in with the carpet of bluebonnets.


The sunset did offer a little color, but nothing like we’d see the next morning.
And so when the sun arose a few hours later, we found ourselves in the middle of a beautiful wildflower field (with permission from the owner). Surrounded by reds (paintbrush), golds (groundsel) and blue (bluebonnets), the soft colors of the sky brought beautiful light. A windmill added a nice touch to the landscape as the sun peeked over the horizon.
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South Texas Bluebonnet Sunrise 318-1 : Prints Available

Morning light streams through an old oak tree as a vibrant field of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush awaken to a new spring morning. A windmill completes this beautfiul Texas wildflower landscape taken south of San Antonio near Poteet, Texas. In the distance, the calls of wild turkey and peacocks coudl be heard. It was a great morning to enjoy the wildflowers.

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Poteet Wildflowers at Sunrise 319-2 : Prints Available

A windmill reaches into the morning sky as a field of bluebonnets comes to life on a cold spring morning. This colorful landscape was taken south of San Antonio in Atascosa County. Sprinked in among the bluebonnets are red Indian Paintbrush and golden grounsel.

This photograph was taken on private land with permission from the owner.


A little later, I moved closer to an old oak tree. My goal was to photograph the tree, the bluebonnets in the foreground, and horses just behind the tree. This is what I brought home…
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Bluebonnets and Horses at Sunrise 318-1 : Prints Available

Sunlight sparkles through an old oak tree as is spreads its warmth across a carpet of bluebonnets. Behind the tree and in the distances, horses graze and one watches me in this last orange light of a spring evening. Wildflowers were aplenty south of San Antonio.

This photograph was taken on private land with permission from the owner.


After spending a few days at home, I headed out to investigate the hill country. This area is still a few weeks away from any potential blooms. I have hopes that it will be nice in areas around Mason, Llano, and San Saba, but the bluebonnets I found were thirsty and needed rain in a bad way.
On one evening’s drive, I’d just about given up on shooting anything. But the sunrise turned out to be spectacular, so I pulled over and photographed bluebonnets along an old farm-to-market road.
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Farm to Market Bluebonnet Sunset 320-1 : Prints Available

On a lonely stretch of road between Llano and Castel, bluebonnets filled in the roadsides and ditches on a cool late March sunset. The sky lit up a in a beautiful orange glow as the the road carried my view down the hill and onto the next bend – always wondering what is next on these backroads of the Texas Hill Country.


This little section was about the best I’ve found so far. But bluebonnets always bloom closer to the road a few weeks earlier than blooms appear in fields. They just need rain.

So get out and enjoy the wildflowers. The colors are prolific south of San Antonio. I’m hoping we’ll see the same closer to home in the hill country. Fingers crossed!

Vaya con Dios, my friends.

Rob
Images from Texas

Super Blood Wolf Moon over the Texas Hill Country – January 20, 2019

I’ve enjoyed many fun experiences as a professional photographer, from hiking in Rattlesnake Canyon in Colorado to standing on the South Rim in Big Bend National Park. One of those rewarding experiences that required a lot less work was shooting the moon – the Super Blood Wolf Moon.

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Blood Moon over a Windmill in the Hill Country 4 : Prints Available

At 11:12pm on January 20, 2019, the Super Blood Wolf Moon reached its peak over the Hill Country, glowing an eerie reddish-orange hue. Several events transpired on this night to create this rare view. The Super Moon was in view – when the full moon is closest to earth at ~ 223,000 miles; the Wolf Moon – a full moon in the month of January; and a total lunar eclipse – the earth coming between the sun and moon – causing the Blood Moon. This unique alignment of celestial events made for a great lunar show on this cold winter night. The next total lunar eclipse will not occur until May 26, 2021.


A few nights ago, January 20, the earth passed between the sun and moon, bringing on a total lunar eclipse. At the time, the full moon was closer to the earth than usual (~ 223,000 miles away). This occurrence is known as the super moon, and during this time the moon appears 14% larger and 30% brighter. Since these lunar events happened in January, the “Wolf” title was included, as well, since a full moon in January is called by this name (in American Folklore).

On this night, I didn’t have to travel far – just a few miles from my house in the Texas Hill Country. The walk from my car covered about 20 yards – a far cry from the 14 mile round trip to the South Rim in Big Bend!

I had scouted out this location earlier. Using The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Stellarium, both online apps, I knew when and where the moon would be when the eclipse reached totality. I nearly always include a foreground in my images – something to catch the viewer’s interested – and for this rare evening I chose an old windmill. I figured since I can shoot almost straight up to catch the blades of the windmill as well as the moon, I could find a composition that would capture both a portion of the windmill and the blood moon. I also wanted to have the foreground fairly far away so I could use my zoom lens, thus making the moon appear larger against the dark blades of the windmill. This effect is just changing perspective, but often makes the moon more dramatic.

So after checking out the location earlier in the day, I headed back a little before the peak of totality which was set to occur at 11:12pm. Practically laying on my back in order to shoot nearly straight up, I took several images, making sure I had everything aligned to my liking. I probably shot 50+ images over the next 15 minutes, keeping only four final versions.

Because the windmill and the moon were so far apart, while one appeared sharp the other would be a bit blurry. No amount of changing the depth of field on a long telephoto lens could overcome this difference. I ended up using two separate images for each final version – one with the windmill in focus and the other with the moon in focus. I blended the two together using Photoshop. I am pleased with the final versions, having captured and created something that our eyes can see but the camera cannot capture in one single image.

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Blood Moon over a Windmill in the Hill Country 2 : Prints Available

This blood moon image was taken at the peak of the eclipse. I used a windmill’s blades as the foreground – shot while basically on my back looking nearly straight up. I lightened up the foreground a bit so the blades of the windmill showed up a bit.

This photograph shows the rare Super Blood Wolf Moon as it turned a reddish-orange high in the Texas sky late in the night of January 20, 2019. With a windmill’s blades rising in the foreground, I used a telephoto lens to zoom in on both the windmill and the moon. This image is a composite of two photos, each taken to maximize clarity and sharpness. In the first image, the moon was the focal point. In the next image, the windmill was the focal point. Both were combined using Photoshop to show what the eye can see but the camera cannot capture, creating a sharp image of the windmill, maybe 50+ feet high, and the moon, about 223,000 miles away.


It was cold that night, and I am glad I did not plan on shooting the duration of the eclipse from partial to full to partial again. Here is how that full progression appeared back on April 15, 2014…
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Images from Texas – Phases of the Blood Moon – April 15, 2014 : Prints Available

In the early morning hours of April 15, the earth passed between the sun and moon, causing a total luner eclipse and resulting in a ‘blood moon.’

This image was a composite of the moon phases over the course of several hours over Austin, Texas.


Maybe next time. After all, the next total lunar eclipse in my area is only a few years away – on May 26, 2021!

In the meantime, stay warm out there. Bluebonnets are on the way.

Vaya con Dios, My Friends.

~ Rob
Images from Texas