My sister and I take a trip every January and are considering Texas. I've never been there, have no idea what to expect but I've got an image of flat with nothing but oil wells and tumbleweeds. I'm sure there is more so I need help planning. We're hikers, looking for scenic areas where the weather will be ok in Jan (anything is better than upstate NY in Jan!)but don't want to be in cold weather and snow. Can anyone help us plan this?

DEFINITELY the Texas Hill Country, which is in central Texas, just west of Austin. It is a very hilly area with lots of natural beauty and several state parks with great hiking. Enchanted Rock State Park is one of the best! East Texas, AKA the Piney Woods, is also gorgeous.

The flat part of Texas with oil wells that you're thinking of would be near Midland/Odessa.

January here can be cold, but it can also be mild weather, too. Be sure and check the weather before you depart!

I think Lost Maples State Park, also in the Hill Country, is one of the most beautiful state parks in Texas. You could easily see this park and Enchanted Rock as well. Good hiking at both. But January has to be the least attractive time as far as scenery. And it can be really cold too but not snowy.

Definitely the Austin/Hill Country area. Enchanted Rock is great, especially in the winter. There are also lots of places to go day hiking witin the city of Austin. Absolutely cannot guarantee warm weather. This is Texas. It can be 30 or it can be 80. Most likely there won't be any snow.

the Texas Coast from Port Aransas to South Padre,
would be a total change from NY.

you will be hard pressed to find good hiking in texas (you say you are hikers). you can find some ok walks in the hill country but frankly, they sufficient to keep only the most casual strollers happy.

enchanted rock is a nice place but rather small. basically you walk up the rock (can't remember but certainly much less than an hour). then you can circle the whole park in a walk that takes maybe 1.5-2 hours at most. it's typically a half day trip for most.

please don't misunderstand...these are nice places to visit if you live nearby but i do not think the natural beauty and walkability of the hill country is the calibre that most people would travel across the US for. most of the land is privately owned and the parks do not compare to many state and national parks around the country.

on the other hand, big bend national park is very beautiful and does have some excellent real hiking...and is in the calibre of top outdoor attractions in the country. the winter is the best time to visit as the summer is too hot for walking. it does get cold there in the winter but not extreme. the problem is that it is very remote.

The sign that says "Welcome to New Mexico."

Yes, thousands of New Mexicans pass it on their way into Texas...

Texas rancher was driving a Vermont farmer around his spread:
Vermonter: What's that beautiful bird sitting in dirt?
Texan: Man, that's the bird of paradise!
Vermonter: Damn long way from home!

Yes, your view of Texas is pretty much a distorted myth... mostly created by Hollywood movies made in Los Angeles area backlots...

I don't think anyone will ever agree as to which county in Texas is the "most beautiful", so you'll have to decide for yourself. Go to this website and order a free guidebook from the state tourism agency...

http://www.traveltex.com/free.asp?SN=11122658&LS=0

You can ALWAYS tell a Texan......But you can't tell him much....

Second Big Bend National Park.
M

you've got all you're going to get. hill country and big bend. in hill country, to really enjoy it, you might have to head way out to find the kind of hikes you are looking for. can be darn cold in january, in the 30's for example. i would not call tejas a "winter" destination at all, ever, unless you like raw weather (raw and in no snow to muffle sounds andn cozy everything up)
corwin

big bend is nice hiking if you're camping. are you camping in the january climate? you won't see a soul out there that time of year.

corwin

see that's the trouble. If I was going to go to Mountains of rock to hike in the Winter, I'd be flying to Arizona, where there's civilization within a day's drive.
Padre and South Padre are a unique Texas attraction, and you can hike the beaches all day,
and it's nice in the winter.

Sorry, but I think the Hill Country is only gorgeous in comparision with the areas of Texas that are flat and brown. It is certainly MUCH prettier than my corner of suburban Dallas, but there are SO MANY more beautiful places in the country.

However, it might make a good trip to (a) experience the nightlife in Austin, (b) shop the outlet malls in San Marcos, (c) hike the Hill Country, and (d) see San Antonio, including the missions.

yes, i like san antonio for is latin flavor and charm, missions, and restaurants. that's where i would go but, they want hiking, so i gues bbqboy has hit the nail on the head with padre island.
in my childhood summers i burned to a crisp there and was often stung by jelly fish i couldn't see because the water is BROWN. i think i've blocked it from my memory banks. but i recall loving the great vast expanse of sand to stroll along and play in. and the victorian cottages are wonderful, they weren't in my field of vision as a child, but they sure are now!
corwin

Sounds like you really don't want to come to Texas what with your tumbleweeds and brown water. Maybe you should pick somewhere else. If you want to hike beaches in January, why not go to Florida.

Kath, I hope that comment wasn't directed at the OP. She didn't say anything about brown water or hiking on the beach.

Patty - As others have said, warm weather is not a certainty in January. Even in s. TX, it can get into the teens or lower in the winter. I went to Big Bend NP in December, and the low temp the day I arrived was 6. However, a day or two later the high was around 65.

I haven't been to the Hill Country, but the Big Bend area is scenic, albeit scenic in a different way. The national park has lots of mountains, desert, and the Rio Grande as it's southern border. The warmest places to hike in winter are the desert, and some people find that scenic, some people hate it. It's not all flat with tumbleweeds, but it's not the same scenic beauty you'd be used to. It's also pretty remote - about 5-6 hour drive from El Paso, and 4 hours from Midland/Odessa. If you decide to go to Big Bend NP, it will take about a full day to get there.

Guadalupe Mountains NP (near the New Mexico border, close to El Paso) is also a great place for hiking, as is Big Bend State Park (about 30 miles west of the national park). Fort Davis Nat'l Historic Site and Davis Mountains State Park (both in Fort Davis) are close to Big Bend, and kind of on the way, depending on which route you take. Monahans Sandhills State Park is about 30 minutes west of Midland/Odessa, and is a really cool place (sand dune/hills and sand surfing).

There's a lot more, but the area is so big that you can't possibly see and do everything in one trip. If you're interested, I could send you an e-mail with hike recommendations, a link to my pictures from Big Bend NP (I've been there twice in the last 6 months) and links to some of these other things.

Texas is so diverse, you can find almost anything here. For me, I like Hill Country. But, if you want Big Sky - Big Bend is the way to go.