For now, the hills seem alive. Bands of blue trumpet across the winding paths, streaks of red parade the knoll, and a smattering of yellow smiles coyly from within the grass. The wind shakes the colours, forcing them into a rapid rhythm, and at every pause, every breath, they enter a slow dance.
Ennis, Texas is a small town just south of Dallas. For most of the year, Ennis is marked by its Czech-influenced heritage – kolache shops and polka bands. But for a few weeks at the start of April, the barren landscape, dotted with rusted silos, transforms into a frenzy of flowers.
And within that frenzy is the ultimate catch – Texas Bluebonnets, a small flower barely ankle height with a distinct elegance and beauty that draws tourists from all over the country. So if you haven’t guessed already, today, we are searching for the best places to see Bluebonnets in Ennis, Texas.
Ennis Railroad & Cultural Heritage Museum
The black plaque, outside the worn building, is titled “MUSEUM”. There is nothing more on the brick and nothing less. The building is small, but still a cornucopia of information, ripe with black and white photos and wordy placards.
The Ennis Railroad & Cultural Museum is a one-shot stop next to the Visitor Center, the go-to place for a trail map. Ennis’s tourism is driven by eager photographers (including us), so for once, the tacky tourist maps are more-than accurate.
Surprisingly, when we arrive, there are only a few guides left to be handed out. Peak bluebonnet season isn’t until later in April, and we’ve even come early – the first week.
Travel Tip: Download the free Ennis Y’all App for a screen-sized map on-the-go.
Veteran’s Memorial Park
Veteran’s Memorial Park is a canvas of green and blue. When we enter, it appears as though the fields have been lit with blue fluorescent bulbs.
There are two key Bluebonnet spots in the Veteran’s Memorial Park. The first is by the entrance, riddled with cars skating by evergreen foliage. The entrance, itself, is beautiful to see. Pockets of Bluebonnets scrape the scene. Unfortunately, our pictures are tainted by the blur of metal.
We escape the parking lot and enter the depths of the jogging path. Bluebonnets are clumped along the lane and some spill over onto the walkway. We stroll for a little while until we reach the batting cages. In front of us is a stretch of Bluebonnets that crawls upwards towards a barbed wire fence.
Rustic. Texas. Beauty. We want to curl up here and sit in the field forever, but more Bluebonnets await.
Bluebonnet Park
The Bluebonnets at Bluebonnet Park are the late-comers. They take their time to get ready and arrive into the world fashionably late, but they are still jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Since it is the first week of April, we’ll probably miss them. But around the middle of the month, the park becomes a Bluebonnet haven. The Bluebonnets waltz around the rim of the pond, anchored by a fountain. The shower of water and Bluebonnets is a mesmerizing scene during the day. And at night, when the moonlight dances off the petals, it is simply enchanting.
Meadow View Nature Area
Meadow View Nature Area, a Bluebonnet mecca, is the Secret Garden of Ennis. Imagine a painter with a one-colour palette, blue, stroking together a masterpiece. This is the artful scene composed by the region.
We drive with our windows rolled down, ready to take in the tango of the fiery Indian Paintbrush and the Lone Star Bluebonnet.
There are picnic benches scattered here, so Meadow View is the perfect place for us to eat a packed lunch and drink in the sweet scenery.
Most of the tourists are crowded in two spots – the entrance to Meadow View Nature Area and at the second bend of the road. But for clearer pictures, we drive a little further down, until we are eye-to-eye with an unparalleled view of the lake.
There is no foliage blocking this region. Lake Bardwell – gray, brooding, and demanding – is a head-turner throughout the year. But in the spring, Bardwell transforms from Darcy to Knightley at the beck of the Bluebonnets.
Sadly, as the sun sets, our movie-moments come to an end. But I promise, we’ll be back next year.
Did you enjoy this post about the best places to see Bluebonnets in Ennis, Texas? What is your favourite Bluebonnet location? Let me know in the comments below! As always, I would love to hear from you.
Lovely. In the UK we are more bluebell hunters in the spring, but you generally have to go into the woods for those. This carpet of blue is great!