Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The hiking trails around San Antonio, including portions of the Texas Hill Country, have a biodiversity
hard to equal. The merging of four major ecoregions—the post oak savanna, the blackland prairie, the
south Texas plains, and the Edwards Plateau—is part of the reason. Another is that the Central Flyway,
one of four major bird migration routes in the United States, goes directly over the area. More than 400
of the 600 bird species recorded in the state have been seen in this region. The golden-cheeked warbler
and black-capped vireo, both endangered species, are native to Texas. The golden-cheeked warbler
nests only in central Texas. Several of the hikes, particularly at Balcones Canyonlands National Wild-
life Refuge, offer good viewing.
The best indication of birds being present is hearing their songs. The Carolina chickadee sings
“chickadee-dee-dee-dee,” the killdeer “kildee, kildee, kildee,” and woodpeckers “rat-atap-rat.” The
northern mockingbird, the Texas state bird, can be heard mimicking the calls of other birds. Texans
claim the mockingbird has the prettiest song of any bird. Some of the most colorful birds include the
black-crested titmouse, ladder-backed woodpecker, painted bunting, roadrunner, northern cardinal,
eastern bluebird, red-shouldered hawk, great blue heron, and numerous ducks. Millions of Mexican
free-tailed bats, the state flying mammal, arrive in central Texas each spring to roost in caves in the
Balcones Escarpment and the Edwards Plateau.
Most mammals are active during the night, so seeing them can be difficult. Look for their tracks
around the trail and near streams or lakes. White-tailed deer, nine-banded armadillos (the state small
mammal), coyote, bobcat, beaver, opossum, ring-tailed cat, badger, fox, raccoon, skunk, wild hogs,
javelina, fox squirrels, and Rio Grande wild turkeys make their homes here. White-tailed deer are
abundant in many of the hiking areas.
Some trees and plants native to east Texas seem to be constantly meeting those of west Texas in
transitional zones or isolated pockets. The dwarf palmettos in Palmetto State Park are an example.
Rivers and creeks are lined with bald cypress, black willow, hackberry, sycamore, cottonwood, and
pecan. Bald cypress trees add a majestic dimension to waterways, towering up to 120 feet with their
cone-shaped “knees” projecting up through the water. Pecan trees, the state tree, also like river shores.
The upland areas contain a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees, including Ashe's juniper, live oak,
red oak, bigtooth maple, and Texas persimmon. The live oak is an unusual species because it is an
evergreen oak tree. Spanish moss can be seen hanging from oaks, bald cypress, and other trees. The
Ashe's juniper not only furnishes nesting material for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler, but its
berries also provide food for berry-foraging wildlife. The Ashe's juniper's blue-black seed cones,
known as juniper berries, are used to flavor gin.
In spring and early summer, when wildflowers set the roadsides ablaze with color, driving to a hik-
ing location can be a visual feast. Commonly seen are coreopsis (yellow), firewheels (red), phlox,
Mexican hats, daisies, winecups (purple), yellow primrose, bluestem grass, and prickly pear cactus.
The cactus has spectacular red and yellow blooms from early spring to summer. The Texas bluebonnet,
the state flower, is at its peak in late March and early April.
The diversity of wildflowers attracts many butterfly species. The monarch, the state insect, is unique
among butterflies because of its extremely long migration flight. During the spring and the fall migra-
