Texas Hill Country
The
Texas Hill Country is a region of
Central Texas,
USA, that features rolling, somewhat rugged,
hills that consist primarily of
limestone. The region is the eastern portion of the
Edwards Plateau bounded by the
Balcones Fault on the east and the
Llano Uplift to the west and north. The terrain is punctuated by a large number of limestone
rocks and boulders and a thin layer of
topsoil which makes the region prone to
flash flooding.
Several cities, including
Austin,
San Marcos and
New Braunfels were sited in the flat areas immediately to east of the Balcones Fault line where rivers flow across it, because of the limits of river navigation. The largest city within the Hill Country is
Kerrville.
Due to its
karst topography, the area also features a number of
caves, such as
Inner Space Caverns and
Natural Bridge Caverns. The deeper caverns of the area form several
aquifers which serve as a source of
drinking water for the residents of the area.
It is largely drained by tributaries of the
Colorado River, including the
Llano and
Pedernales rivers, which cross the region west to east and join the Colorado as it cuts across the region to the southeast, emerging from the hills west of Austin.
The area is also unique for its fusion of
Spanish and
Central European (
German,
Swiss,
Austrian,
Alsatian and
Czech) influences in food, beer, architecture, and music. For example, the
accordion was popularized in
Tejano music in the
19th Century due to cultural exposure to German settlers.
In recent years, the region has emerged as the center of the Texas
wine industry.
*
Enchanted Rock*
Central Texas*
