The Willow City Loop is thirteen miles of narrow, twisting ranch road in the Texas Hill Country, and for a few weeks each spring it is one of the most photographed roads in the state. In March and April the roadsides and meadows fill with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and other wildflowers in blue, red and gold, and the low hills roll away in waves of colour. The loop runs through private ranchland, over cattle guards and through low-water crossings, with granite outcrops and live oaks along the way, and it passes the tiny hamlet of Willow City. Fredericksburg, the nearest real town, lies about twenty-five kilometres to the south-west.
Fredericksburg itself is worth the trip. It was founded in 1846 by German immigrants, and the Germanic character of the town remains in its stone houses, its main street of shops and biergartens, and the bakeries selling strudel and bratwurst. Peaches, grown on the surrounding farms, are the local pride in summer, and the vineyards of the Hill Country have made the region a growing wine destination. Close by, Enchanted Rock, a huge dome of pink granite, rises about four hundred feet above the surrounding country, and groans in the evening as it cools, a sound that gave it its name and its legends.
The loop itself is a delight but needs care. The road is narrow, with blind curves, loose gravel on the edges and a surface that is rough in places. Cattle and other livestock graze freely, and it is not unusual to meet a cow in the road. After heavy rain, the low-water crossings can flood quickly, and you must not try to ride through moving water. Traffic is dense on spring weekends, when carloads of photographers crawl along, so go on a weekday morning. Stay on the road, since the land on either side is private.
Fuel is available in Fredericksburg, but not on the loop, so fill the tank beforehand. The loop is a good place to finish a ride, with the afternoon light turning the hills gold, and a cool breeze after the heat of the day. Summer is hot, often above a hundred degrees, so bring water and sun protection, and watch out for rattlesnakes in the rocks.