HILL COUNTRY ADVENTURES
Spring is the perfect time for hiking, biking and horseback riding
By MELANIE YOUNG

For outdoor adventure, spring is the perfect time to discover the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio — a region of rolling hills and clear rivers dotted with picturesque farms and villages.

Settled originally by Germans around the middle of the 19th century, this storybook land rewards visitors with postcard views and the feeling of strolling down yesterday's Main Streets and country lanes.

Of course, great shopping and antiquing can always be part of a Hill Country outing. But in spring, when wildflowers paint the fields and hillsides and the air is still cool, it's prime time for hiking, biking and horseback riding through this scenic terrain. Rock climbing is another popular pastime, as is exploring out the realm beneath the Hill Country's limestone base, riddled with caverns like holes in Swiss cheese.

Aquatic adventure beckons as well, with fly-fishing, kayaking, canoeing, river rafting, even scuba diving. And don't be surprised if a sunny day warms up enough for a refreshing dip in a river, lake, or swimming hole along the way.

Most of the Hill Country lies less than a two-hour drive from San Antonio, so day trips are easy. But if you have more than a day to spend here, part of the fun is savoring the ambience at a historic bed-and-breakfast or a guest ranch rich in rustic charm. Bandera boasts the largest selection of guest ranches, though you'll also find them near Boerne and Kerrville.

Fredericksburg lives up to its reputation as the "bed-and-breakfast capital of the Hill Country" with more than 100 such lodgings scattered from town to countryside — including converted rock barns, cozy log cabins, quaint Sunday Houses and Victorian mansions, where lacy gingerbread curls around shady verandas.

"Sunday Houses" are narrow, one room cottages built by 19th-century German farmers and ranchers so their families could spend the weekend in town and go to church on Sunday. You'll recognize these historic dwellings by the outside staircase at one end, which leads to the attic loft where a whole family once slept.

Fredericksburg's central location in the Hill Country also makes it a good base for outings, while its plentiful shops, galleries and boutiques await when you return from your adventures.

HIKING AND VOLKSSPORTING
A great spot for spring hiking and backpacking is Lost Maples State Natural Area, located in the Sabinal River Canyon about five miles north of Vanderpool (call (830)966-3413 for park information; (512)389-8900 for camping reservations).

At Pedernales Falls State Park, hike first to the falls, where the river named with the Spanish word for "flint" (pedernal) splashes down giant limestone steps scoured with deep green pools. You can swim a couple of miles downstream or cool off in one of the pretty creeks or spring-fed swimming holes near the park's 7.5-mile Wolf Mountain Trail. Call to check on river water levels, which vary with the rainfall — (830)868- 7304 for information; (512)389-8900 for camping reservations.

Out of the way but truly worth finding, Westcave Preserve is a spring-fed grotto at the bottom of a small wooded canyon. As sun filters through feathery cypress trees (one at least 600 years old) and glints off the delicate stream falling from the cave's entrance into a pool framed by moss and maidenhair ferns, you're reminded of those magical places in fairy tales where a sprite appears to grant your wishes. Though he can't do the latter, a well-informed ranger will answer your nature questions on this fascinating guided hike. (830)825-3442.

From Westcave Preserve it's only a half mile down the road to Hamilton Pool, a huge collapsed sinkhole that's the Hill Country's most unusual natural swimming pool. It resembles a giant limestone bowl where spring water spills over the edge, catching the sun like long strings of sequins, before it splashes into the pool far below. On warm weekend days it can get crowded, so go early or on a weekday if possible — only a fixed number of cars are allowed in at one time. There's a long hike from the parking area down to the pool. (512)264-2740.

Other places with scenic hiking trails include the Hill Country State Natural Area near Bandera and Enchanted Rock State Park north of Fredericksburg (more about these later). But for those who want to combine country AND town in their rambles, there's Volksmarsching — a German word for "people's walk."

"It began in Germany as Sunday walks after World War II, when many cities were in ruins and people needed something inexpensive to do for entertainment," explains Honey Long, a member of the Sam Ramblers, one of 35 such walking clubs in San Antonio. "So people would get together and walk through the countryside," says Long, adding that the sport soon spread through Europe and eventually came to the United States.

Today many Hill Country towns, including Boerne, Comfort, Fredericksburg, Kerrville and New Braunfels, have Volksmarsching groups that sponsor special walking events on marked 10-kilometer routes through town and country. "Anyone can come, and they're noncompetitive and free — the point is to enjoy the walk and the camaraderie," says Long. Also called "Volkssporting," the events can also include bicycling, swimming, and — in the mountains — cross-country skiing.

Many of these Volkssporting clubs also sponsor self-guided 10K walks accessible all year-round. Go to the Faust Hotel in New Braunfels, for instance, and pick up a map and instructions for a 10K stroll through the surrounding area. For more information about Volkssporting groups and events in the Hill Country and the United States, call 800-830-WALK, or the national headquarters of the American Volkssporting Association in Universal City (at the edge of San Antonio) at (210)659-2112.

BICYCLING
Whether you're tuning up your racing form or pedaling along to enjoy the views, the Hill Country has rides for all cyclists. "I like to train in the Hill Country," says Craig Harley, a racer and fitness specialist at USAA in San Antonio. "Out there by yourself, you get to really ride and not worry about stopping. It's a different world."

Though most Hill Country roads are scenic, Harley singles out Devil's Backbone north of Wimberley. "It's a long climb with nice rolling hills," he says. For a longer ride, he suggests, you could go from San Antonio to Helotes, Bandera, Hondo and back — about a 100-mile loop. For mountain biking, he likes the Hill Country State Natural Area's trails, as well as Flat Creek private resort near Johnson City. At the latter, notes Harley, some trails follow ridges with fine views of the Pedernales River and its valley.

The San Antonio Wheelmen organizes recreational rides on Saturday and Sunday year-round. "The club sends ride sheets to San Antonio bike shops with the schedules," says Wheelmen member Walt Hill, adding, "The rides vary widely from 15 to 75 miles, with different options on the same ride. Just call and talk to the ride leader."

Some trips go as far as Fredericksburg, a hub for numerous popular bike routes, such as the 13-mile Willow City Loop, or the 11-mile cruise to Luckenbach, where country music legends may show up unannounced. Bicycle club leaders note that nonmembers are welcome to join their outings free of charge, provided they can take care of themselves. Most weekly club rides depart without "sag wagons" to pick up the rear and tired cyclers.

If you don't have a bike, call ahead to rent one at a cycle shop in San Antonio, such as B & J, (210) 826-0177.

HORSING AROUND
Because the Hill Country State Natural Area lies about 10 miles from the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World," it's not hard to find horses to ride there — especially if you're a dude at one of the eight ranches near Bandera, such as the Twin Elm on the Medina River. Offering 35 miles of trails, this rugged, 5,000-acre park was once a private ranch itself — one reason, perhaps, why equestrians find its terrain so simpatico. Of course, the nearby guest ranches offer plenty of trail riding on their own land, too.

Kerrville likewise has its share of ranches for those who prefer their adventure atop a saddle. Best known of these is the Y.O., a 100-square-mile spread where the deer and the antelope play — along with giraffes, gazelles, zebras, wildebeests and other exotic wild animals.

But to get a close look at these untamed creatures, go on the guided photo safari rather than trail riding. Riding with a guide is available at an hourly rate (800-YO RANCH).