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Featured Replies

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

FM 170 from lajitas to presidio is probably the holy grail in my mind, but it's far from unknown at this point. 

 

Along the same vein, the entirety of 118 is pretty great. 

Edited by castolon

I used to always plan my in state trips with 1542137d31679e04bac760cb48f03524.jpg
The Backroads of Texas map book. This is one of my favorite loops.


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  • Popular Post

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

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.

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.

I’ve always enjoyed Texas 16 from Jourdanton to Zapata for my deep south Texas Wild Horse Desert fix.   

Did Bragg road, AKA Ghost Road (the most haunted road in Texas) yesterday with the kids. I wont spoil it, but def. recommend it if you havent been

6 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Did Bragg road, AKA Ghost Road (the most haunted road in Texas) yesterday with the kids. I wont spoil it, but def. recommend it if you havent been

Is that the one outside of B’mont?

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

We used to have an annual Spring camping trip at Garner State Park. I loved the drive from Castroville to Concan, and on the way home we’d take the 1050-187-470 drive to Bandera, which is one of the prettiest drives in the state.

FM-473 from 281 to Comfort, through Kendalia and Sisterdale.  beautiful. 

2 hours ago, HenryJames said:

FM 473 between Comfort and Blanco is cool.

lulz

As touched on in the OP, 337, 335, and 336 are known as the Three Sisters. Very popular with the motorcycle crowd. I've driven them all on motorcycle and car. Quite scenic.

Bernard

image.png.0792c3020e77707072e08ec7dc706fec.png

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

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. 

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

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.

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. 
 

 

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!

  • Author
5 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

State Highway 16 between Bandera and Kerrville is nice drive. 
 

Very nice.  If you go 15-20mph on some of those winding roads you are going too fast.  

f656157a16161090dcdf5bacca36ff58.jpg
I like exploring unpaved Ranch Roads and County Roads. This is in the middle of nowhere NW of Chianti Peak.


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6 hours ago, RollLeft said:

Very nice.  If you go 15-20mph on some of those winding roads you are going too fast.  

Indeed.   Reminds me of some of the two lane roads in Colorado save the climb or descent of a mountain pass. 

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

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.  

16 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Between Sarita and Raymondville on US77.   Penche Checkpont!

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. 

For Houston based day trippers, Hwy 1155 from Chappel Hill on 290 to Hwy 105 is nice. Washington on the Brazos State Park is an added bonus. 

Edited by TonyTexas

On 5/31/2021 at 12:03 AM, elfenix said:

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

I'll also add 21 out of college station, either direction.

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.  

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. 

290 to 165 between Henly and Blanco to 281 beats the shit out of taking 35 to San Antonio.

Edited by Judge Roybeanbag

1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

For Houston based day trippers, Hwy 1155 from Chappel Hill on 290 to Hwy 105 is nice. Washington on the Brazos State Park is an added bonus. 

Pro tip: don’t speed in Chappel Hill.

20 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

290 to 165 between Henly and Blanco  tp 281 beats the shit out of taking 35 to San Antonio.

Ah yes, that's a pretty stretch.

2 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Ah yes, that's a pretty stretch.

Yeah plus if you decide you really don't WANT to go to San Antonio, you can reroute through any of the Devil's Backbone, Kendalia or Canyon Lake routes listed above.

1 hour ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

290 to 165 between Henly and Blanco to 281 beats the shit out of taking 35 to San Antonio.

If only I could keep Google Maps from picking the I-35 way even when I specifically said otherwise...

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. 

5 hours ago, Trey3216 said:

I also like Hwy 16 North from Fredericksburg

That stretch of road, especially the part from Eckhert (FM 1323) past Big Sandy Creek about 5-7 miles is gorgeous.

4 minutes ago, Reagan1k said:

That stretch of road, especially the part from Eckhert (FM 1323) past Big Sandy Creek about 5-7 miles is gorgeous.

Indeed.   

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.

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.


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1 hour ago, Bash Riprock said:

Beautiful here in Lubbock in the Spring.


image.png.3e2fb37938095d485f0126ac5a370324.png
 

I don't think that is Lubbock.   There are trees.

1 hour ago, Macanudo said:

I don't think that is Lubbock.   There are trees.

Those aren’t trees.  The dark green is gonorrhea and the light green is syphilis. 

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