4 Best Sights in Dripping Springs, The Hill Country

This unique outdoor entertainment and arts venue is spread across 64 fun-filled acres, with plenty to do, no matter your interests. You’ll find sculptures and murals scattered throughout the property as well as the world’s most extreme miniature golf course, pickleball courses, a beer garden, and multiple stages for live music and films.

About 30 miles southwest of Austin off Highway 71 is this small nature preserve that is home to one of the Hill Country's most beautiful natural pools. The continuously flowing Hamilton Creek spills over an enormous limestone outcropping, creating a beautiful 50-foot waterfall that gently plunges into the crystal waters of Hamilton Pool. A popular swimming spot for decades, recent rock fallings have closed the pool to swimming for the foreseeable future; it's still a lovely place to explore and walk. Reservations to visit are required in advance. Entry fees are cash only.

Founded by doctors Stan and Lisa Duchman, this bucolic vineyard features Italian-inspired gardens, a central villa, and food-friendly grapes like the deep-purple Sangiovese and tart Dolcetto sourced mainly from the Texas High Plains AVA. Sample the award-winning Vermentino white while you stroll the gorgeous grounds before enjoying lunch next door at Trattoria Lisina, where chef-owner Damian Mandola serves up house-made pasta and wood-fired pizzas.

In 1975, Susan and Ed Auler planted a test plot of grapes in the corner of their ranch, and it quickly grew from one-fourth of an acre to 7½ acres, and is now the oldest winery in the Hill Country. They source Texas-grown grapes from their two estate vineyards as well as a handful of local vineyards, each with its own distinct terroir. On your visit, taste the fruits of their labor in highly rated ExTerra single-vineyard labels, and be sure to check out the winery’s namesake twin waterfalls on the north end of the property.