10 Best Day Trips from Austin: Easy Getaways in Texas!

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The first time I visited Texas (aside from driving straight through as a child) was part of a roadtrip through Eastern Texas, with one of the cities I visited being Austin. Well, personally, Austin looked like central Texas to me, BUT WHAT DO I KNOW. Texans promptly shut that down. Anyways, while I was in Austin, I found a ton of fun day trips from Austin to explore more of the area.

I mean, you hear Texas and you think of bullhorns, big hair, bigger hats, and guns. Well, at least that’s what I originally thought of. And…to be honest, I wasn’t that far off. BUT, there was also a long of other things I found in Texas, especially Austin. In fact, with all of the…strange quirkies in Austin, it basically reminded me of home in Portland, Oregon.

Just for reference, “Keep_____ Weird” was an Austin slogan first. Along with the growing technology industry, tons of great BBQ, even MORE bats, the capital city itself has a lot to keep you occupied. But…on the off-chance you need to add more to your Texas itinerary, here is a list of 10 Day Trips from Austin that you can sprinkle throughout your time in the area.

Day Trips from Austin Help

Well, before we get started, I want to mention that I’ve only really explored Texas (and thus Austin) once. In fact, I spent maybe…five or six full days in Austin, so naturally I am not an expert. Nor could I fit in EVERYTHING there is to do in Austin, let alone all of the fun day trips from Austin. So, I’ve enlisted the help of my blogger friend Nikki from Attractions of America.

Although she’s based in Milwaukee, USA, she loves traveling throughout America and her website features some of the best things to do in every single state. So, obvi, she was the perfect person to help me put together this dank list of day trips from Austin!

Okay, enough talking, let’s jump into these day trips from Austin, in no particular order~

Fredericksburg

Only two hours from Austin (which flies by if you have a good playlist), you’ll find the town of Fredericksburg. Filled with one of the best sceneries in the Texas Hill Country, this town’s Germanic Heritage can be seen even on the streets. It low-key kind of reminds me of my weekend in Leavenworth, but…a bit more Texan.

The sun shines in this photogenic town almost every day and is a lovely sight to watch. So if it’s starting to really downpour in Austin, Fredericksburg can be a pretty good retreat from the rain. Main Street especially is lined with small local shops so even strolling around for a few hours for window browsing can be a great way to relax.

The town itself rings with history and culture. It has the National Museum of the Pacific War (WWII) as well as a whole pioneering museum, which explains more about the town’s German immigrants and influence. But blah blah enough about learning. Fredericksburg is also known for its wineries. There are more than a dozen wineries with decked out tasting rooms galore. It’s a great option for day trips from Austin if you’re looking for a slow paced wine-centric change of scenery.

Georgetown

Georgetown is a quick forty-five minute drive, making it one of the best half- or full day trips from Austin. If you like taking pictures, Georgetown has very instagrammable buildings, with one of the most beautiful town squares in all of Texas. The local shops sell collectible antiques, and the food is brilliant. But then again, it’s Texas. Expect good food.

However, Georgetown is most known for Blue Hole Park, a local swimming hole that is popular in the summer. Though, it’s more of a shallow river than a hole, but I digress. You will also find Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown, which is one of Texas’s most preserved caves. So you have plenty of options for outdoor activities. Though if you are more interested in space, you can visit the Fountainwood Observatory and get an unobstructed view of the moon, planets, and even the farthest stars with their state of the art research telescope.  

Hamilton Pool Preserve

Hands down, if you can only do one of these day trips from Austin, make sure it’s to Hamilton Pool Reserve. It was actually my top priority when I was staying in Austin. Only about an hour from downtown Austin, Hamilton Pool Reserve is a beautiful swimming hole that was created naturally when an undergrounds river collapsed in on itself.

The hike to get to the pool is only about a a quarter mile (0.4 km), and takes about 30 minutes, though the terrain is a little rough and isn’t wheelchair or stroller friendly.

Once you reach the actual pool, you can normally swim in it! But when I visited, there was actually a high concentration of bacteria in the water (totally normal after big rains), so swimming wasn’t allowed. Don’t worry, they update their website every day and the park rangers let you know as you are entering. Speaking of, since this is one of the most popular day trips from Austin, you must reserve a time slot in advance before visiting ($12 USD per vehicle), at least a week or so before and you should be good.

Stop by the nearby town of Dripping Springs if you want to grab a beer after the hike. THIS was actually the top priority for my friend because the stars of Supernatural own a brewery in Dripping Springs and he is LITERALLY the biggest fan.

New Braunfels

A one-hour drive from Austin in the southwest will take you to New Braunfels, near San Antonio. It is one of the great day trips from Austin if you want a small town feel with a lot of access to green spaces and clean air. After a loaded weekend, it will be the perfect relaxation place to spend your entire day or even two.

I personally didn’t visit New Braunfels on my trip, but Nikki ensures that it’s a great spot for finishing and picnicking near the riverbanks. There’s actually two rivers that run through the town, Comal and Guadalupe. The cafes and bakeries are some of the best in ALL of Texas, because the town really places an emphasis on their local eateries. The town, originally founded by German settlers (I’m seeing a trend here), is a feast to the eyes with its cultural celebrations.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

AWW yeah STATE PARKS! Those are always a fun field trip, so I had to include them in this day trips from Austin post. The most popular State Park near Austin, and for good reason, is Enchanted Rock Natural Area. Located in the stunning Texas Hill Country about two hours away, it’s a bit farther from the rest of the day trips from Austin, but it’s definitely worth it if you love rocky scenery.

The Enchanted Rock is 425ft above ground level and known for the naturally formed pink granite rocks. There’s plenty of options for hiking, bouldering, and even camping if you want to ditch your place in Austin and chill in nature for a bit. Entrance fees are $8 USD for adults and free for children under 12 (or children who look under 12 ya know what I mean??)

Inks Lake State Park

Okay, Austin is surrounded by State Parks, but Inks Lake State Park is arguably the best. It’s only one hour from Austin, making it one of the shorter nature-y day trips from Austin. The park stretches for miles along the shores of Inks Lake and offers many campsites to camp overnight. The entrance fee is $6 USD per adult and free for any children who can pass for being under 12.

For the most part, it’s a park that you’d visit for water sports. You can usually rent boats, water ski, scuba dive, canoe, kayak, and even a no-wake section of the lake for paddling. That said, there are no lifeguards on duty, but you are able to rent life vests from the park store. The park has two fishing piers that are wheelchair accessible; both with cement paths from the parking area to the piers.

Palmetto State Park

Alright, last State Park suggestion for day trips from Austin, BUT, it does offer something different from the other two so I feel like it’s necessary to include it. Palmetto State Park is about an hour away, and it’s definitely the more green and lush of the state parks. The park’s name comes from the Palmetto Plants that grow there. The plants grow vibrantly with the help of the San Marcos River, which you can actually fish in, so that’s cool if you’re a fishing person. If you don’t have fishing equipment, you can borrow some from the park (and you don’t need a fishing license within the park).

This is also the cheapest of the state parks, at $3 USD for adults. So, a great budget-friendly option of day trips from Austin as well! There are TONS of trails with plenty of shade. You can even rent bikes from the park headquarters. All of the trails are well-paved and maintained, and there are also a few water activities too like kayaking, tubing, or swimming.

La Grange

The only reason I has even HEARD of La Grange, Texas is because of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse. It was based on a real brothel just outside of La Grange named Chicken Ranch (now closed). I think the musical was based on a book (same concept), and a film adaptation, but I haven’t read or seen those.

In any case, if you aren’t a musical fanatic or necessarily care for books to read about Texas, then you most likely have never heard of La Grange. To be honest, there’s not really a reason to either, it’s a super small town that started out as a colonizer fort so…*shrug emoji* but it is cute in it’s own way. Unsurprisingly, art and music is big in La Grange, so there are a lot of art galleries and local shows on the weekend. It wouldn’t be my first suggestion, but if you are looking for day trips from Austin on the off-beaten path, then La Grange is a good choice.

Plus, it’s on the way to Houston so if you’re already headed that way (I was!), then it’s a good pitstop!

Wimberly

Wimberly is a super cute spot, about an hour outside of Austin, and is one of the best day trips from Austin for people who like swimming holes. I know, there’s a few of them on this list, but Texas is HOT okay? The rivers Cypress Creek and Blanco River meet there, so there are multiple opportunities crystal-clear waters.

The Blue Hole Regional Park is one of Wimberly’s prominent tourist places and is home to cypress trees and various wild flora. It’s seriously like that scene out of The Little Mermaid when “Kiss the Girl” starts playing and Ariel and whatshisface are in that little paddle boat. Wimberly is also home to Jacob’s Well, which I was too chicken to jump into but it’s literally like a giant sink hole lookin’ karstic spring just outside of town. It’s so deep that people even scuba dive in it.

Wimberly hosts “Market Days” the first Saturday of every month, Spring-Fall. There are hundreds of booths from local artisans and businesses. So I’d recommend arranging your day trips from Austin around then!

San Antonio

Okay, when I said this list wasn’t in any particular order – I lied.

I saved my favorite for last.

San Antonio is one of the BEST day trips from Austin. And honestly, I loved it so much from my own day trip that I ended up spending the end of my road trip there! I mean, there’s just so so much to do in San Antonio, and is one of the most culture-rich destinations in the US. Nikki also lists San Antonio as one of the most famous places in the USA. So I’m not alone here!

I could go on for DAYS about how much I love San Antonio, but I’ll keep it short for now and leave that for a future San Antonio weekend itinerary or something.

In terms of things to do in a day trip is to head to the Riverwalk. It’s…literally a walkway alongside the river that runs through the city, but with dozens of great restaurants and shops along the way. You can even take a boat ride on the river! There are also a lot of museums and historical sites in San Antonio, including The Alamo. Just…don’t go five minutes before closing or the guards will yell at you *cry emoji*

There’s also Six Flags Fiesta, which I didn’t get a chance to visit but is at the top of my list for next time, and Natural Bridge Caverns. If you are a fan of Mexican Candy like I am, some of the best Mexican Candy stores are right there in San Antonio, like Alamo Candy Company!

Best Day Trips from Austin: Conclusion

Well, how was that? Did I convince any of you to take any day trips from Austin? Austin alone has a lot of things to do, but if you’re like me, you probably can’t sit still for too long and will inevitably end up with at least one day trip on your trip haha. In fact…I think I’ve taken at least one day trip in every trip I’ve been on that was longer than a week!

Have you ever been to Texas and taken any of these day trips from Austin? It really depends on what your interests are, but I tried to have a mix of cities and outdoor areas. I was honestly surprised by how many parks were just outside of the city! Anyways, which of these day trips from Austin would you pick? Let me know in the comments below!

Sidenote: Thanks again to Nikki for helping me put together this list! You can follow Nikki on her socials here: Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter!

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