One of the most common things guests say after their first stay at Oak Forest is some version of this: “I didn’t realize how much there was to do.”
They’re talking about Austin, yes. The live music, the food, Lady Bird Lake, the energy of a city that doesn’t slow down. But they’re also talking about everything within an hour of the park. The Texas Hill Country starts just west of Austin, and in the spring and early summer, it is one of the most spectacular landscapes in the country.
Here’s how we’d spend a week based at Oak Forest in May.
DAY 1: GET SETTLED, THEN GET IN THE POOL
Check in, get your rig set up on your concrete pad, and then don’t go anywhere. The pool is heated and recently renovated. The hot tub is ready. The spring evenings in Austin are still cool enough to enjoy the firepit after dark. Start your trip the way you mean to continue it: relaxed.
DAY 2: DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
Ten minutes from the park. South Congress Avenue for coffee and browsing. The 10-mile Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail for an early morning. Lunch anywhere on East 6th Street. Live music on 6th or at ACL Live after dinner. Don’t forget the Saturday Farmers Market is right next door to your site, the best way to start any morning you’re at the park.
DAY 3: THE HILL COUNTRY WILDFLOWER DRIVE
April and early May are bluebonnet season in Texas. Drive west on US-290 toward Fredericksburg and the wildflowers are along the road for most of the drive. Stop at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, the largest working wildflower farm in the country, open daily with free entry to walk the trails. The fields of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and poppies in spring are the Texas postcard that doesn’t need a filter.
While you’re in Fredericksburg, walk Main Street, pop into one of the 75+ wineries and tasting rooms along Wine Road 290, and have a meal at one of the German biergartens downtown. Altdorf Biergarten has a great outdoor patio with live music. The drive home through Hill Country at golden hour is the kind of thing you tell people about.
DAY 4: ENCHANTED ROCK OR PEDERNALES FALLS
Two of the best state parks in Texas, both within 90 minutes of the park. Enchanted Rock is a massive pink granite dome you can hike to the summit. The view from 1,825 feet covers miles of Hill Country in every direction. Pedernales Falls has 5,000+ acres of hiking trails, swimming holes, and one of the most photogenic waterfalls in the state. Both require advance day passes, so book before you go.
DAY 5: ROUND TOP ANTIQUING
Round Top is a town of 91 people that hosts one of the best antique markets in the world. Twice a year, spring and fall, miles of highway fill with antiques, vintage furniture, rugs, art, and treasures of every kind. The spring market runs in early April. Even outside market season, the shops and galleries in and around Round Top are worth the 1-hour drive east from Austin. Come with a plan and a truck with room to spare.
DAY 6: WIMBERLEY AND THE SWIMMING HOLES
About an hour southwest of Austin, Wimberley sits at the junction of Cypress Creek and the Blanco River. Cypress trees, wildflowers, and a laid-back Hill Country town worth a day. Jacob’s Well Natural Area is a 120-foot-deep spring-fed natural swimming hole. Reservations required, worth planning ahead. Blue Hole Regional Park is another Wimberley gem with 4.5 miles of trails and a swimming area open May through September.
DAY 7: LUCKENBACH AND THE DRIVE HOME
If you’re heading back through Hill Country, Luckenbach is a required stop. Population: 3. Live music every day at the General Store, Bar and Dancehall, an 1800s trading post that Waylon Jennings made famous. Sit outside in the shade, order a beer, and listen to someone pick acoustic guitar. There is nowhere better to end a Texas road trip.
Your base for all of it: Oak Forest RV Resort, 8207 Canoga Ave, Austin TX 78724.
Pool, firepits, fiber internet, organic farmers market next door. 10 minutes from downtown, and the Hill Country starts one hour west.