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Texas Scenic Drives and Roads

RollLeft

By RollLeft
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RollLeft

RollLeft 5045

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I thought we had this thread but i didn't find it.  While the intent of the thread is for ANY scenic drive and stretch of road in Texas it is primarily for the FM and county roads in between state and interstate Highways that most drivers won't take until someone gives them a reason to do so.  Texas has plenty of these.  I hope some of you will get off the highways, take the extra half hour, explore a little and most importantly share.  Thanks.

FM 335 ( In between State Hwy 55 and 41)

Most know it's twin, FM 337, who often makes nearly every top ten list, deservedly, but this stretch is just as beautiful and scenic.  There is little reason to go further than Leakey unless you are headed to Rock Springs or Junction so that is probably the reason for being a road less traveled.  That said if you like driving thru canyons, riding the ups and downs of the ledge of a canyon like a roller coaster all while having the Nueces River running along side of you than you are in for a treat.  

Edited by RollLeft
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Ag with kids

Ag with kids 581

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When I lived up in Weatherford, I'd drive down to see my folks at Medina Lake via SH16 through Fredricksburg.  From San Saba to Fredricksburg, it's just beautiful.

Then I'd take 87 to Comfort, I10 to 46 and head over to Pipe Creek then to Lakehills on the last leg to my folks.  46 to my folks house was always the best.

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castolon

castolon 193

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There is part of this that is just straight nostalgia for me.

I learned to drive on paved roads on FM 485 from zabcikville to hearne. Most scenic? Nah, but plenty of old country history and the scenery used to not be too bad.

I spent a lot of time burning up 281 from mineral wells to Hamilton.

I’ve driven 36 end to end many times.

Some highways just feel like Texas is supposed to.

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Bullneck

Bullneck 19100

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13 hours ago, RollLeft said:

I thought we had this thread but i didn't find it.  While the intent of the thread is for ANY scenic drive and stretch of road in Texas it is primarily for the FM and county roads in between state and interstate Highways that most drivers won't take until someone gives them a reason to do so.  Texas has plenty of these.  I hope some of you will get off the highways, take the extra half hour, explore a little and most importantly share.  Thanks.

FM 335 ( In between State Hwy 55 and 41)

Most know it's twin, FM 337, who often makes nearly every top ten list, deservedly, but this stretch is just as beautiful and scenic.  There is little reason to go further than Leakey unless you are headed to Rock Springs or Junction so that is probably the reason for being a road less traveled.  That said if you like driving thru canyons, riding the ups and downs of the ledge of a canyon like a roller coaster all while having the Nueces River running along side of you than you are in for a treat.  

Nice post, great thread topic.

Back in the early '90s I drove from Lubbock to Laredo to catch a bus to Mexico City.  Along the way I stumbled onto SR 55, which follows the Nueces.  Much, much prettier than I would have imagined.  

In a similar vein are 163 from Comstock to Ozona and and 349 from Dryden to Sheffield. The roads are winding and hilly.  Not a good place to have an accident, though, as I would imagine it would be hours before you get to a hospital

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Bernard

Bernard 879

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Also...

Not the most scenic, but one beautiful morning I was on a motorcycle traveling east on Highway 90 from Alpine to Del Rio. Went so long without seeing another vehicle that I started imaging I was the dictator of this whole place and I had this highway built for my sole use and enjoyment. It was nice while it lasted.

Bernard

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ztejas

ztejas 43454

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15 hours ago, elfenix said:

highway 6 going out of college station, either direction.  prettiest goddamn road you'll ever see. 

I started thinking about the inverse of this question - what are the worst stretches of highway in Texas to have to drive through? 

Just north of Waco to just south of Temple going in either direction on IH-35 would be my opening entry. I've done that stretch more than anyone should have to in 3 lifetimes. 

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elfenix

elfenix 34251

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2 hours ago, ztejas said:

I started thinking about the inverse of this question - what are the worst stretches of highway in Texas to have to drive through? 

Just north of Waco to just south of Temple going in either direction on IH-35 would be my opening entry. I've done that stretch more than anyone should have to in 3 lifetimes. 

west loop /subthread

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ztejas

ztejas 43454

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3 minutes ago, elfenix said:

west loop /subthread

I've never lived there but from everything I've ever heard including any part of Houston seems unfair. That would have to be a subthread subthread.

And I was thinking more like between cities anyway.

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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5539

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State Highway 16 between Bandera and Kerrville is nice drive. 
 

Ranch Road 337 from Medina to Camp Wood is also spectacular.  

The River Road or Ranch Road 170 from Lajitas to Presido in the Big Bend area is one of a kind in Texas. So is State Hwy 118 from Fort Davis to IH-10 where the Mc Donald Observatory is located. 
 

 

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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5539

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3 hours ago, ztejas said:

I started thinking about the inverse of this question - what are the worst stretches of highway in Texas to have to drive through? 

Just north of Waco to just south of Temple going in either direction on IH-35 would be my opening entry. I've done that stretch more than anyone should have to in 3 lifetimes. 

Between Sarita and Raymondville on US77.   Penche Checkpont!

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CHIEF

CHIEF 5090

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For DFW peeps, the drive from Santo on Hwy. 4 through Lone Camp, Palo Pinto, and on to Graford is a nice drive. It goes through the Palo Pinto mountains (hills). All of Bosque county is a beautiful drive as well, Clifton to Cranfills Gap (FM219), Cranfills Gap to Iredell, Iredell toWalnut Springs. Hwy. 51 from Granbury through Paluxy to Chalk Mountain on the Somerville/Erath county line is my favorite road to go to The Loco Coyote. All are great bike roads. Bike bars in Cranfills Gap, Walnut Springs, and Lone Camp, not really "biker bars" but always have 4-5 out front.

CHIEF

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Trey3216

Trey3216 15346

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55 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

For DFW peeps, the drive from Santo on Hwy. 4 through Lone Camp, Palo Pinto, and on to Graford is a nice drive. It goes through the Palo Pinto mountains (hills). All of Bosque county is a beautiful drive as well, Clifton to Cranfills Gap (FM219), Cranfills Gap to Iredell, Iredell toWalnut Springs. Hwy. 51 from Granbury through Paluxy to Chalk Mountain on the Somerville/Erath county line is my favorite road to go to The Loco Coyote. All are great bike roads. Bike bars in Cranfills Gap, Walnut Springs, and Lone Camp, not really "biker bars" but always have 4-5 out front.

CHIEF

Lots of nice driving through Bosque County.  

 

I also like Hwy 16 North from Fredericksburg, or Hwy 16 going up to the the dam at Possum Kingdom.  Hwy 16 is what 281 used to be.  

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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5539

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Another cool drive in the Hill Country is the "River Road" which hugs the Guadalupe for several miles including a few low water crossings.   It's a County Road at starts on State Hwy 337 In New Braunfels and ends just south of Canyon Lake.

The Devils Backbone is stellar as well

https://texashillcountry.com/devils-backbone-haunted-texas/

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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5539

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53 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I had to make that drive many times when my folks lived in Harlingen.  I haven't driven a worse stretch of road in the state. 

When I was going to school and making my trips home to the RGV, at least it was the only  stretch of road you could go 75MPH plus before the speed limit was raised to 75MPH.  The DPS rarely were seen until you got to palm trees letting you know your were in the RGV in Raymondville .  Or they would be hiding at the county line in Rivera to help the local JP with his operating account.   Why do I know this?  I got the only two speeding tickets I've received to date in 33 years of driving at those two locations.  LOL!      And this was  also back when the checkpoint would close during bad weather.  Now you go through there and it's  24/7/365 and hurricanes be damned Fortress America and they are taking your picture going southbound too.  

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South Austin

South Austin 52515

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1 minute ago, Nueces River Rat said:

When I was going to school and making my trips home to the RGV, at least it was the only  stretch of road you could go 75MPH plus before the speed limit was raised to 75MPH.  The DPS rarely were seen until you got to palm trees letting you know your were in the RGV in Raymondville .  Or they would be hiding at the county line in Rivera to help the local JP with his operating account.   Why do I know this?  I got the only two speeding tickets I've received to date in 33 years of driving at those two locations.  LOL!      And this was  also back when the checkpoint would close during bad weather.  Now you go through there and it's  24/7/365 and hurricanes be damned Fortress America and they are taking your picture going southbound too.  

One of the two speeding tickets I ever got in my life was just outside of Sarita, around 1995 or so.  I was going 10 over. 

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Wally Pryor

Wally Pryor 5261

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On 5/30/2021 at 7:00 PM, RollLeft said:

Most know it's twin, FM 337, who often makes nearly every top ten list, deservedly, but this stretch is just as beautiful and scenic.  There is little reason to go further than Leakey unless you are headed to Rock Springs or Junction so that is probably the reason for being a road less traveled.  That said if you like driving thru canyons, riding the ups and downs of the ledge of a canyon like a roller coaster all while having the Nueces River running along side of you than you are in for a treat.  

337 is just awesome.  If you didn't know better you'd think. you were in Colorado. 

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CycleTex87

CycleTex87 2970

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On 5/30/2021 at 10:41 PM, deadshank said:

Hwy. 83 from Junction to Uvalde is quite pleasant. 

I did this drive about 2 months ago, just because I needed to get to Carrizo Springs from Midland.  Just a line on a map to me beforehand.  Epic beautiful drive.  I had no idea.

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TexPx

TexPx 2323

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Coming back from Colorado to D/FW I always plan extra time to loop through Caprock Canyons.
207 S. At Claude to 256
256 to 70 over to Turkey
70 to 86 back to 287
Love the Colorado mountain scenery but there is something serene and epic about seeing that massive hole in the ground and the horizon in every direction you look.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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