Bluebonnets are booming in Burnet County
Highland Lakes or bust! The arrival of spring in Burnet County brings a boom of bluebonnets. We’ll let you in on a not-so-secret secret: We’re kinda smitten with the perky blue lupines.
The State Flower of Texas can be found in bunches, swaths, and blankets along roadsides, in fields, and sometimes growing from cracks in the cement. The Texas Hill Country boasts an incredible amount of bluebonnets each year. Folks from far and wide pack up and travel to the region’s Highland Lakes of Burnet County during wildflower season, which typically runs from March through June.
IT’S ALL IN THE NAME
The bluebonnet is held in such high esteem in Burnet County that two of the area’s favorite events are named after it. The Highland Lakes Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force’s annual Bluebonnet Airshow is March 16, 2024. The Burnet Bluebonnet Festival happens April 12-14.
Another namesake is one of the most photographed structures in Marble Falls, the Bluebonnet House on U.S. 281. Built in 1853, it’s quite picturesque when surrounded by bluebonnets. Travelers, artists, and photographers can turn off of the highway onto a small road by the Pedernales Electric Cooperative district office, 4302 U.S. 281 North, to safely admire the scene.
Marble Falls has another landmark that sort of shares its moniker with the state flower, the Blue Bonnet Cafe. Both the flower and the cafe get their name from the same thing, a blue head covering typically worn by women.
GET BETTER ACQUAINTED
Did you know bluebonnets have a scent? They do. Take a hike and surround yourself with the perfume of these blue beauties. A handful of hiking spots during wildflower season in Burnet County are Canyon of the Eagles Nature Park and Resort, Inks Lake State Park, Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, and LCRA’s Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area. Snap some Instagram-worthy photos with these tips.
Now that you know all about the Highland Lakes of Burnet County’s love of bluebonnets, here’s a little something extra to think about. Texas actually has five state flowers, and they are all bluebonnets.
Take a trip to Burnet County this spring to enjoy the show!
