Austin to New Braunfels drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Austin to New Braunfels TX is 48 miles, with a 48m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Austin to New Braunfels drive are McKinney Falls State Park, Five Mile Dam Park and San Marcos.
Finding the best things to do between Austin and New Braunfels
The Austin to New Braunfels drive connects the capital of Texas to a town that combines historic with outdoorsy.
Austin is renowned for its live music scene, although it has plenty of more conventional attractions too. These include Austin Zoo, the Museum of Ice Cream and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Top Austin experiences include ebike tours taking in the city highlights, haunted pub crawl walks and segway tours.
You can also try highly-rated downtown food tours, half day wine shuttles in the Hill Country, brewery-hopping beer tours and sightseeing on a boat cruise.
For Austin hotel recommendations, try band crashpad chic meets rainbow bathrobes at the Hotel San Jose and the unashamed rock star swagger of the W.
The heart of New Braunfels is the Gruene Historic District – you can explore on an e-bike tour or visit the shops, heritage buildings and live music venues under your own steam.
Otherwise, most of the fun tends to be water-based. Tubing down the Comal River is the archetypal New Braunfels experience, while the Schlitterbahn Waterpark has a great mix of fast slides and splash zones.
Landa Park, meanwhile, has a natural spring, golf course, arboretum and paddleboats.
Very highly rated New Braunfels accommodation options include the Gruene River Hotel & Retreat plus the budget-friendly Canyon Lake Cabins.
Austin to New Braunfels distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Austin to New Braunfels is 48 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 48 minutes. The quickest route is down the I-35. The best stops to add to an Austin to New Braunfels road trip itinerary are McKinney Falls State Park, Five Mile Dam Park and San Marcos TX.
Austin to New Braunfels road trip attractions: McKinney Falls State Park
Just to the south of Austin, McKinney Falls State Park has nine miles of hiking trails. Of these, the 2.8 mile Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail has a hard surface, and is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Onion Creek is what the park is all about – most notably the two waterfalls where the creek pours over limestone ledges. They create highly appealing swimming holes, too.
Austin to New Braunfels drive: Five Mile Dam Park
On the Blanco River in Blanco Vista TX, Five Mile Dam Park is a solid picnic spot, with plenty of picnic tables to choose from. On a hot day, many visitors like to go swimming in the Blanco River here, although swimming alone is discouraged. You’ll also find a few easy-going walking trails here – none that you’ll need hiking boots for, however.
Best stops between Austin and New Braunfels: San Marcos
The San Marcos River is the unquestioned star of San Marcos TX. Ways to experience it include guided paddleboarding tours and kayaking at night with clear kayaks and glow lights.
The other major highlight of San Marcos is the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Based around a huge artesian spring, there’s a wetlands boardwalk here, but most come for diving, kayaking and the much-loved glass-bottom boat tours.
Good value San Marcos accommodation choices include the Hilton Garden Inn and Residence Inn by Marriott.
- Choose from more attractions with the guide to the Austin to San Marcos drive.
More Austin road trips
Abilene to Austin | Austin to Albuquerque | Amarillo to Austin | Arlington to Austin | Austin to Baton Rouge | Dallas to Austin | Denton TX to Austin | Austin to Destin FL | Austin to El Paso | Fort Worth to Austin | Austin to Fredericksburg | Frisco TX to Austin | Austin to Galveston | Houston to Austin | Indianapolis to Austin | Irving TX to Austin | Austin to Jacksonville | Katy to Austin | Little Rock to Austin | Lubbock to Austin | Memphis to Austin | Austin to Midland TX.
Nashville to Austin | Austin to Odessa TX | Oklahoma City to Austin | Austin to Orlando | Plano TX to Austin | San Angelo to Austin | Austin to San Antonio | Austin to San Marcos | Austin to Santa Fe | Austin to Tampa | Tyler TX to Austin | Wichita Falls to Austin.